Dandruff

What is Dandruff?

Dandruff is a more common name for the skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis, or seborrhea occurring on the scalp. It is a very common condition that is found in kids and adults alike, regardless of age, sex or race. It has nothing to the patient’s hygiene, but washing and brushing the hair can help remove old skin flakes.

Types of Dandruff

Dandruff can be classified into the following types:

• Dry-skin related dandruff
• Oil-related dandruff
• Fungal dandruff
• Disease-related dandruff

Symptoms

The different symptoms suffering from dandruff are:

• White, oily-looking flakes of dead skin dotting the hair and shoulders
• An itchy, scaly scalp
• A scaly, crusty scalp in babies

Causes

Dandruff can occur due to different causes, some of them are:

• Seborrheic Dermatitis: causes The patient has irritated and oily skin, usually, a red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales.
• If the patient’s hair is not washed properly, the oils and skin cells on the scalp could build up and cause dandruff.
• Malassezia: This is a yeast-like fungus that lives on the scalps of most adult humans. It could cause scalp irritation for some patients, causing excess growth of skin cells.
• Dry Skin: can cause flakes that are usually smaller and less oily than other dandruff causes.
• Contact Dermatitis: is the sensitivity of the patient to some ingredients in the hair products. The patient might get a red, itchy and scaly scalp.

Treatment

Dandruff can be controlled with the proper treatment, even though it can be a chronic condition at times.

It is best to start shampooing with a non-medicated shampoo. The scalp has to be massaged firmly and then rinsed well. Shampooing frequently can help remove skin flakes, reduce the oiliness and also prevent the buildup of dead skin cells.

If this fails to help, special anti-dandruff shampoos have been found to be helpful. Anti-dandruff shampoos with the following ingredients will help:

• Ketoconazole,
• Selenium Sulfide,
• Salicylic Acid,
• Sulfur,
• Coal Tar, Or
• Zinc Pyrithione.