Dandruff is a visible manifestation of the renewal of the epidermis of the scalp. Normally, the cycle of cell development is about a month and goes unnoticed by humans. With dandruff, it decreases to a week, and then exfoliating scales are clearly visible on the hair and clothes. Dandruff, the causes and treatment of which will be discussed in the article, is an early sign and the mildest clinical form of seborrheic dermatitis.
Symptoms and types of dandruff
This pathology is hard not to notice. Light dry scales of white or grayish color easily fall off the scalp, pollute the hair, comb, clothes. Hair can become dull, quickly greasy, thinner. Quite often, with dandruff, a person is worried about itching of the scalp, but inflammatory processes, as a rule, are absent.
Against the background of hypersecretion of large sebaceous glands, which are quite numerous in such an area as the scalp, dandruff can become oily. The exfoliated particles of the epidermis are combined into fairly large yellowish flakes. They are sebaceous, are difficult to separate from the surface of the skin, and can form layers. Hair is veryquickly become dirty, weaken, begin to split and fall out.
Dandruff is a fairly common problem. In some people, this pathology becomes chronic, others suffer from it only from time to time. One way or another, but every person has encountered this phenomenon at least once in his life. Attempts to get rid of the problem will not be effective if you do not find the answer to the question: "What caused dandruff?"
Fungus is the main cause of dandruff
Most people perceive dandruff as a purely cosmetic problem. Indeed, its presence is not aesthetically pleasing and can ruin any outfit and hairstyle. However, the occurrence of dandruff primarily signals the existing disorders in the body, although it is not an independent disease. The assumption that the main culprit for the appearance of dandruff is a fungal infection Pityrosporum Ovale, put forward about a hundred years ago. Dermatologists still hold the same opinion at the present time.
Reasons for active reproduction of the fungus
Interestingly, the notorious microorganism is a representative of the normal human microflora and can inhabit the scalp for a long time and not cause dandruff. The problem arises when the protective properties of the skin decrease, the composition of sebum changes and conditions are created for the uncontrolled reproduction of the fungus. And this happens under the influence of a number of factors, including:
- metabolic disorder;
- hormonal imbalance;
- some diseases, and, as a result, a decrease in immunity;
- overstrain, both physical and emotional;
- malnutrition, hypovitaminosis;
- mistakes in hair and scalp care: the use of aggressive chemicals, blow-drying, hypothermia as a result of neglecting a hat in winter;
- hereditary predisposition.
Most often, it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of what caused dandruff. Any of these reasons, and sometimes a combination of them, can provoke its occurrence. Age is another factor. Dandruff almost never occurs in children, and in adolescents it can be a transient phenomenon. There is a certain dependence of sex and the frequency of occurrence of this pathology. So, dandruff appears more often in men than in women. In the autumn-winter period, the problem tends to worsen.
Dandruff Treatment: Lifestyle Changes
To understand what caused dandruff, sometimes it is enough to analyze your own menu and daily routine. Perhaps the correction should be subjected to the nutrition system, limiting the use of fatty, spicy and fried foods, alcohol and sweets. It is necessary to consume a sufficient amount of foods rich in fiber, vitamins A and group B, fermented milk products. The normalization of the drinking regime is important.
Lack of physical overload, stress, sufficient time for sleep and rest is a mustwill positively affect the condition of the body as a whole and the scalp in particular.
Proper scalp and hair care
If dandruff appears, it is worth at least for the duration of treatment to exclude aggressive hairdressing procedures: dyeing, perm, blow-drying, using hairspray and hair gel. You can temporarily replace chemical hair dyes with natural ones: henna and basma, walnut shells. If desired, you can use natural styling products based on flax seeds, gelatin, egg white, sugar.
Special attention should be paid to the issue of hygiene. It is recommended to use natural wood combs and replace them with new ones regularly.
Dandruff Remedies
It is logical that the easiest way to provide a direct effect on the hair and scalp is with the help of shampoos, masks and lotions. It is not so important what caused dandruff: effective remedies should always contain an antifungal component. Even if the fungus is not the root cause of dandruff, most often it joins the complex of problems later. In addition, it is good if the product has regenerating and bactericidal properties, and also regulates the functioning of the sebaceous glands. In this case, the impact will be complex.
Any cosmetic store has a wide selection of dandruff shampoos. Consumer reviews about them are different: such funds helped someone to get rid of the problem once and for all, and someone was disappointed. But, as practice shows, more effectivespecial medical dermatological shampoos. And the composition of such products, which can be purchased exclusively at a pharmacy, is much more natural.
Active ingredients of anti-dandruff products
Most often, ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione, selenium disulfide, ciclopirox, bifonazole, climbazole act as antifungal components in dandruff remedies. Tar, sulfur, salicylic acid have a pronounced exfoliating effect. These substances well cleanse the scalp from skin scales. Slow down the accelerated vital activity of cells octopirox, tar, ichthyol. Most of these components have an anti-inflammatory effect, normalize the activity of the sebaceous glands. It is better when the preparation contains not one, but several active ingredients, and in addition they contain natural additives: herbal extracts (nettle, burdock, chamomile) and essential oils (lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus). Sometimes these ingredients alone can beat itching and dandruff.
Features of using medicated dandruff shampoos
All the nuances of using this or that dandruff remedy are indicated in the attached instructions. There are also some common points. As a rule, in order for the active substance in the shampoo to work as efficiently as possible, it is recommended to keep it on the scalp for some time, while doing a light massage. Medicinal products for washing hair most often almost do not foam. This indicates their beneficial composition.
Shampoos fromdandruff in the first month of use should be used at least twice a week, and later, for prevention, twice a month. You can alternate the pharmacy product with a suitable shampoo from the cosmetic series.
There are many therapeutic dermatological shampoos for different tastes and wallets: Nizoral, Friderm, Fitoval, Sebazol, Dermazol, Keto Plus, Sulsena, Sebiprox, Vichy . Well, there are cosmetic ones in almost every line of shampoos of most brands known to the mass buyer. If dandruff appears, its causes and treatment are an individual matter. In the absence of the opportunity to consult with a specialist trichologist, you will have to select a therapeutic shampoo by trial and error.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine offers many recipes for those who are faced with such a nuisance as dandruff. What should people do who are disillusioned with pharmaceuticals or who are afraid of side effects? Choose a recipe option to your liking and try, since there are many of them, and they are distinguished by simplicity and accessibility.
Phytotherapy suggests using decoctions and infusions of herbs: burdock root, nettle, tansy, chamomile, calendula, coltsfoot, oak bark. They can both rinse your hair after washing, and rub it into the scalp.
Oil masks are often offered as effective folk remedies for dandruff. Olive or castor oil can be used on its own or combined with lemon juice. Of course, after half an hourexposure to such a mask, the hair must be washed with shampoo.
Another interesting recipe: take a chicken egg, add a tablespoon of vodka and kefir and rub into the scalp. Wash off after half an hour. You can combine an egg with natural honey.
You should try exfoliating the scalp with fine food s alt before washing. It is claimed to be one of the most effective methods of getting rid of dandruff. But you should be careful with s alt if there are foci of inflammation on the scalp.
So, we must remember that such a seemingly harmless problem as dandruff should not be ignored, if only because there is a certain disorder in the body behind it. Running dandruff not only spoils the appearance, but can also lead to more serious consequences, up to baldness.
