Dandruff symptoms are easy to spot: white, oily-looking flakes of dead skin that dot your hair and shoulders, and a possibly itchy, scaly scalp. The condition may worsen during the fall and winter, when indoor heating can contribute to dry skin, and improve during the summer.
A type of dandruff called cradle cap can affect babies. This disorder, which causes a scaly, crusty scalp, is most common in newborns, but it can occur anytime during infancy. Although it can be alarming for parents, cradle cap isn't dangerous and usually clears up on its own.
Causes
Dandruff can have several causes, including:
- Irritated, oily skin (seborrheic dermatitis). This condition, one of the most frequent causes of dandruff, is marked by red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales. Seborrheic dermatitis may affect your scalp and other areas rich in oil glands, such as your eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone (sternum), your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.
- Not shampooing often enough. If you don't regularly wash your hair, oils and skin cells from your scalp can build up, causing dandruff.
- Yeast like fungus (malassezia). Malassezia lives on the scalps of most adults. But, for some, it irritates the scalp and can cause more skin cells to grow.
Treatment
Most cases of dandruff don't require a doctor's care. Using products that soothe the scalp and have anti-fungal and anti microbial ingredients are a must. Alodia Healthy Hair Starter kit and Nourish and Grow Healthy Hair and Scalp Oil include ingredients such as rosemary; thyme, lavender and cedar wood which combat dandruff because they have anti-fungal properties. These products cleanse and soothe the hair and scalp leaving you with a dandruff free hair.
