Dandruff is a medical condition where dead skin in the form of small white flakes appear on the scalp. It is also known as “pityriasis capitis” or seborrhea. Dandruff can be asymptomatic or may show symptoms of itching and scaling. It is a process in which the cells of the top layer of the scalp skin sheds constantly and are replaced by the newer ones. This shedding usually goes unnoticed when takes place once at a time. But, when this process increases due to any triggering factor these white flakes become visible on the hair strands and on to the clothes which can be embarrassing for people as it contributes to the cosmetic appearance of the hair.

Causes 

• Oily/Greasy scalp
• Emotional or physical stress
• Age- as dandruff is more likely to occur between the teenage years and midlife.
• Rarely shampooing or washing of the hair
• Weather
• Poor hygiene -infrequent hair brushing, as brushing helps remove dead skin cells
• Poor diet- Certain vitamins deficiencies may cause dandruff.
• Genetic factors OR Positive family history
• Weak immune system
• Use of wrong hair products
• Triggering factors like Malassezia fungi, etc.

Symptoms 

• White flakes on the clothes and hair shafts
• Itching of the scalp
• Red scaly patches

Treatments

There are treatments which will reduce the severity of dandruff and help you maintain it.

• Firstly, you need to brush your hair regularly with steady strokes so that it will help you to remove the excess oil from your scalp, where the buildup of it, dirt and skin cells can cause dandruff. Frequent brushing also makes your hair look shiny and healthy.
• Secondly, topical applications are very much important in this treatment .There are many shampoos and lotions that are suitable for the treatment of dandruff with different active ingredients like salicylic acid, zinc pyrithione and the list goes on,..
• Incase of itching of the scalp, oral antifungals and antihistamines would be recommended.
• In-house clinic treatments may include deep cleaning of the scalp with various medicated washes to get rid of the dead scales. Then there are other medical treatments which we provide at “Pure Skin Clinic” after a thorough scalp examination