Dandruff is more common than we think; it affects almost half of the population. Here and there we can see white flakes of skin on peoples’ shoulders (or in hair); nothing surprises us, and we get used to it. It’s like this person has blue eyes and that one has dandruff, as one dermatologist once told me. So, what should be our attitude to dandruff? Some dandruff facts may help us to find this out.
Dandruff is not a disease. It is normal for your skin to renew. Dead skin cells are naturally flake off letting new cells take their place. Dead cell are too small to be notice and are shed from the surface right at the time the new cells appear beneath them. This is a permanent process. Usually unnoticed.
It becomes a problem when due to some reasons the process of skin renewal speeds up, more of dead skin cell are shed from our head surface. These clumps can be seen and looks like flakes of different size.
The cause of excessive dandruff is hard to define. Doctors are still not sure what causes dandruff. One of its possible reasons (especially of severe dandruff) is too much of the yeast (generally twice more) called Pityrosporum Ovale that is normally present on our scalp (or Malassezia furfur).
Dandruff can be a symptom of a disease. Sometimes you need to make sure your dandruff problem is not a symptom of fungal infection, psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis (or even HIV-infection). Head lice should be also excluded. If your dandruff gets more severe or affects some other parts of your body your dandruff is a symptom of a disease. Your dermatologist will help you to find it out.
Dandruff is not contagious. Of course you can catch up some flakes on your shoulders when someone with excessive dandruff would stand upon you and comb his or her hair, but… this is unlikely to ever happen. You can not catch the condition from someone else (eg. brush, towel, etc.)
Dandruff can be controlled. Most cases of dandruff won’t cause you a lot of problems. Mild dandruff can be rather easily controlled and treated with regular hair washing. Shampoos should be specialized or medicated (in more serious cases).
Dandruff sometimes is too difficult to treat. Some of the cases though are hard to be cured and controlled (those that are caused by Pityrosporum fungus). The reasons of why some people have mild dandruff and some have too much of it even together with skin irritation and redness are unknown. In this case try not to give up and look for some other medicated shampoo or way out.
Dandruff is embarrassing to some people (either to those who have it or see it on others). TV commercials force us to think that dandruff is a problem that spoils our entire life. No career success, no personal life (who on earth would date with a guy with white ‘cornflakes’ in his hair), no nothing. Of course you should try to deal with shedding of your skin, but don’t let dandruff affect your self-confidence.
Dandruff is more males’ problem than females’. It can affect you at any age (though it is more likely in your 20s), but because of the hormones it affects more of men. Also some conditions increases you chances to get problems with dandruff (such as yeast infection or Parkinson’s disease).
Treat you problem with right methods. Find your own good shampoo that decreases shedding of your scalp’s skin, they contain different active ingredients: salicylic acid, zinc, tar, selenium sulfide or ketoconazole. Anti-fungal treatment with shampoo containing ketoconazole can be very beneficial for dandruff caused by Pityrosporum fungus. Find out you optimal number of times you use it. It is individual for each person. Don’t waste your time on methods that won’t work - moisturizing lotions or using gel for your hair doesn’t treat your dandruff.
Certain weather can aggravate dandruff problem. In winter itching of the scalp is more severe, dandruff increases. When dandruff is caused by Pityrosporum ovale yeasts it is better not wearing the hat on sunny days, thus trying to protect your head from sunlight. Any seasonal changes and even stress affect the number of dandruff.
Good new is that dandruff practically doesn’t influence your life and can be controlled. Hope you now know everything you need to know about dandruff and can cope with this problem successfully.
Valentyna Ant.
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