What Causes Dandruff?

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Dry skin and dandruff are oftentimes mixed up with one another. While they may appear very similar a lot of times, they are two totally different problems. There are many dandruff causes, such as oily skin that is irritated or not shampooing your hair enough. Not that it is caused by dirty hair, but shampooing your hair helps to eliminate the flakes instead of them building up. 

While it is not needed to shampoo your hair every day, it can dry your hair out, causing dry skin. It is important to find that happy medium, so you don’t have a problem, like dandruff. A lot of the time the cause of dandruff is a yeast infection reaction on your scalp. 

How To Get Rid of Dandruff

Dandruff symptoms can vary from minor to more severe, depending on how bad it is. Some will have a scalp that is always flaky and notice an excessive amount of flakes falling on their shoulders. Most of the time you will experience an itchy scalp which makes the flaking even worse. You can treat dandruff easily by using shampoos that are targeted for treatment of it. 

If going and buying the shampoos are not an option for you or you have tried them with no success, there are some home remedies that you can try as well. Some things such as:

  • Tea Tree Oil
  • Aloe Vera
  • Coconut Oil
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Baking Soda

What is Dandruff Made Of?

There are a lot of people who have dandruff. It is a harmless thing to have, but yet something that no one wants to deal with. It can be annoying always looking down and finding flakes all over your shoulders and clothes. Especially when you are wearing a dark-colored shirt. 

Dandruff is skin flakes coming from your head, usually without a major cause. Sometimes it is caused by a fungus that people get on their scalp. It can appear as crusty, yellow patches on the scalp. If you are experiencing ongoing problems, you may want to evaluate the hair products that you are using. It could be contributing to the problem. 

Which Dandruff Shampoo Is Best? 

Trying to find the right shampoo that works for you may take some trial and error. It can become annoying trying out different ones and deciding which one works for you. Then you are spending money on multiple different shampoos that may and may not work for you. 

There have been a few studies and poles done to help you on the journey of finding a good dandruff shampoo to work for you. Some of the best dandruff shampoo treatments that are even recommended by dermatologists are:

  • Head and Shoulders
  • Dove DermaCare Scalp Anti-Dandruff 
  • Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo
  • Oribe Serene Scalp Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Is Dandruff Itchy?

The difference in dandruff and dry scalp is hard to tell sometimes. They both exhibit the same symptoms of flakes and itchiness. The itching comes from the build-up of oil and the scaly patches that are accumulating on your scalp. This build-up and accumulation of dry skin cells becomes very itchy for people. 

If you are someone who suffers from dermatitis in other areas of your body including your eyebrows, chest, arms, or more, you may have dandruff too. One distinct way to tell dry scalp from dandruff symptoms is the texture of the flakes. Dandruff is more of a large waxy or oily flake, where dry scalp is smaller dry flakes of skin. 

Is Dandruff Curable?

There are a bunch of different treatment options out there for dandruff. The best dandruff treatment depends on the person and their symptoms. What works for one person may not work for another. You have to find what works for you. You may find success in over the counter products and you may need a prescription from a dermatologist. 

Trying to treat this can be aggravating and problematic when you are experiencing it. There are options available though to treat it. Believe it or not, the intensity of your dandruff can depend on your stress level. Though curing dandruff isn’t really able to be done, it is very possible to keep it under control with different products. 

Is Dandruff Caused By Dryness?

There are many times that people think that they are experiencing dandruff when really they just have a dry scalp. They resemble each other very closely but are different. Dandruff can be from a few different things, such as dry scalp, dermatitis, or a fungus. 

Dandruff vs Dry scalp is a hot topic, many people don’t realize the difference in the two. Some Of the major things to watch for are:

  • Dry Scalp- small dry flakes, itchy, and other dry patches on your skin
  • Dandruff- large oily flakes, itchy, red oily patches on your skin

While dry scalp isn’t a main cause of dermatitis, it can be a trigger point for it. Dry scalp is a symptom of many things that could be causing you to experience dandruff. 





Resources:

  1. The Truth About Dandruff
  2. Dandruff: Learn The Basics
  • Don Moxley - Director of Applied Science

    Don Moxley is the Director of Applied Science at Longevity Labs. Moxley draws upon his career as an athlete, a sports scientist, and an instructor to lead and educate on the science of autophagy and longevity.