What is Dandruff? How to control it.

What is Dandruff? How to control it.

Dandruff is a common skin disorder which can be recognised by the symptoms of flaking and, for some people, itching of the scalp. There are various causes of dandruff, it may be inherited, exacerbated by stress, side effects of medicines or other diseases.

To control it, try daily cleansing of the hair with an anti dandruff shampoo. For some people with more severe dandruff, try using a medicated shampoo. There are non-prescription shampoos available that contain ingredients for this condition. Specifically, shampoos that contain Pyrithione, Zinc, Salicylic Acid, Selenium Sulphide or Ketoconazole. Dr Lowe suggests avoiding coal tar shampoos as I conducted research which showed they could increase a risk of cancer. Try a daily hair wash first using your chosen medicated shampoo, and be sure that the shampoo remains on the scalp for at least 2 minutes. Once you have control, reduce the times you use the medicated shampoo to preferably three times a week. Finding the right shampoo isn't easy and you may have to try several shampoos to find the one to suit you.

One action of the shampoo is to reduce the number of yeast cells (e.g candida,pityrosporum yeasts) that seem to worsen dandruff. Reducing them with these shampoos helps to reduce your dandruff.

If your dandruff remains active after trying the above, talk to your dermatologist or GP. Your doctor will be able to identify any problems of the scalp that may appear to be dandruff but could be a different issue such as eczema or psoriasis.

Sometimes you can get dandruff in your eyebrows (Yes!) and even on the sides of your nose, which may be seborrhoeic eczema, again your dermatologist will have several treatments for this.