Do you find it difficult wearing your favorite black or dark colored clothes because those white flakes that appear on the shoulders are embarrassing? Do you often experience a red, irritated and itchy scalp? Are you tired switching between shampoos and hair care products? If you have answered YES to all the above questions, your dandruff struggle is real.
Dandruff: Causes
Dandruff is a very common condition, but it can be very embarrassing. The flakes appearing in the hair and falling over the shoulders and the itch that it causes, can lead to another level of discomfort. There can be many causes for dandruff, but exact causes are unknown, and researches show that, as simple as this problem looks, its causes are complex.
A theory suggests that dandruff can be due to hormonal changes, because it usually occurs at the time of puberty.
Many times, people consider poor hygiene as a reason for dandruff, but that is partially true. Shampooing less often, or not brushing your hair can sure increase your chances for dandruff, because shampooing and brushing hair helps the dry scalp scrapes to fall off and not give room to formation of dandruff. However, not shampooing often or not brushing your hair regularly can still not be said to be an obvious reason for dandruff. Furthermore, excessive shampooing can also lead to the dandruff problems because exposing your scalp to too much of shampoo may irritate it. Also, at times the hair care products that you use may cause the irritation in your scalp, because not every product is suited to your scalp.
Dry skin and some other skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis can also cause dandruff. People with weak immune system, or those recovering from heart attack or stroke are also more prone to dandruff. Another reason that could lead to dandruff is stress.
Dandruff Treatment
There are many over the counter measures available for treating dandruff but that would require experimentation and trial and error steps. You never know what will suit you, so you will have to experiment with various shampoos available. While choosing for a shampoo, be sure to look for presence of at least one active ingredient, such as ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, zinc pyrithione, salicylic acid, tea tree oil or coal tar. However, you might want to avoid a shampoo that contains coal tar if you have light colored hair, because coal tar leads to discoloration of hair.
You can use shampoos alternatively for better results, because often, a product stops showing its effect after a certain period of time. So, switching between shampoos is one of the best catch to be sure that the shampoo works.
If these shampoos and any other home remedies do not work out, you must consult your dermatologist, because it can be a much severe condition or some other skin problem such as fungal infections of the scalp. So, if there are signs of redness, tenderness or swelling, or your dandruff is getting severe, with no home treatments working out, or you feel other conditions such as psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis, its time you should book an appointment with a dermatologist. Also, always take care to consult your doctor about starting with any remedy for dandruff, if you have a weak immune system.
Also, with home remedies and treatment, there are chances that you may be able to control your dandruff, but you need a professional guidance for a proper cure. We have advanced technologies for treating harsh dandruff, so that you are not only able to control it, but get relieved from the itchiness, discomfort and embarrassment with a proper cure.
Dandruff, although is not a very big problem, but it can get worse if it is persistent for a long time. So, be sure to treat your dandruff at the earliest.