Dandruff or Pityriasis capitis refers to the extreme flaking of the dead skin which forms on the scalp. Although small amount of flaking is normal but when people start experiencing a large amount of flaking, the person is said to be suffering from dandruff. It might also be accompanied by redness and irritation. A number of the cases can be cured with a specialized shampoo or a common household remedy. Dandruff could also be a sign of seborrheic dermatitis, fungal infection, psoriasis or head lice. One should avoid excessive scratching of head during dandruff. If one scratches beyond a point which causes the skin to break, there are chances of contracting infection from staph and strep bacteria. Dandruff can spread through the common use of combs, hairbrushes, towels and soaps.

There are two kinds of dandruff:

Dry dandruff

It is characterized by itchy scalp and small white scales are usually attached to the scalp or are loosely scattered in the hair.

Waxy dandruff

It occurs when the scaliness of the epidermis mixes with sebum which results in it sticking to the scalp in patches.

Symptoms

The symptoms of dandruff are that whenever the hair is brushed or rubbed the scaliness increases. It might also appear as lumps or crusts on the scalp. One can experience itching on the scalp and the skin turns red due to excessive scratching.

Causes

Dandruff is caused by fungus Malassezia furfur. The fungus can be found on the skin of those people who have dandruff as well as healthy people. This fungus has an affinity for fat and is found mostly on skin areas with many sebaceous glands. For example- face, scalp and upper part of the body. Whenever this fungus grows rapidly, it disturbs the natural renewal of cells and dandruff appears with itching.

Other causes of dandruff are:

·           Deficiency of zinc

·           Stress

·           Oily scalp

·           Dry and cold weather

·           High use of alkaline soaps and shampoos

·           Food allergies

·           Exposure to dust

Treatment

One can reduce the appearance of flakes by undertaking proper hair care. Washing hair regularly removes the dead skin before it builds up into noticeable flakes. Making use of acid based shampoos helps in restoring acidity to the scalp, breaks down oils and prevents dead cells fro collecting into visible clumps. There are a number of brands of shampoo available in the market for people suffering from dandruff. These shampoos consist of fungicides that kill the Malassezia furfur fungus or acids which break down the oils on the scalp which cause visible clumping of dead skin flakes.

One can also undertake household remedies such as lemon, apple cider vinegar or salt juice. They can be applied on the scalp and rinsed of with shampoo after some time. Severe forms of dandruff requires treatment by a dermatologist.

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