Dandruff 101

Is there a cure for dandruff? Sadly, none. There is no known cure for dandruff but the good news is we can control it. There are many causes of dandruff and below are some of its sources:

1. Stress can cause dandruff and can also cause thinning of your hair
2. A fungus called pityrosporum can cause dandruff. Said fungus is usually present on oily areas of the skin or scalp.
3. Skin all over our body including our scalp sheds dead cells all the time. Dandruff occurs when dead skin cells on the scalp stick together and become visible white flakes.
4. Change in weather may also cause dandruff
5. Allergic reaction to a hair shampoo

Dandruff is harmless and is usually more cosmetic than medical. Many are embarrass by dandruff, but it is not contagious and is very easy to control. Here are some ways to control dandruff:

1. Wash you hair everyday. This way, you can wash away fungus that stays in your scalp.
2. Use anti-dandruff shampoo that contains selenium sulfide, benzalkonium chloride, or ketoconazole as their primary ingredient
3. Brush your hair before each wash. This will loosen the dandruff flakes and it will be easily washed away upon shampooing.
4. Put olive oil or coconut virgin oil in your scalp. Leave it on your hair for 30 minutes, and then shampoo it.
5. Try not to scrape the dandruff in your scalp. This will only aggravate your dandruff.
6. Some shampoo may not be compatible to your scalp and may cause dandruff. Try switching shampoos once in a while.