What Causes Dandruff

• Dried Out Scalp. Dry weather and shampooing too often can cause a dry scalp, the most common cause of dandruff.


• Dirty Hair. Obviously, but lets mention it anyway. Not shampooing often enough (Or not rinsing correctly after shampoo) leaves deposits of scalp oils and skin cells that turn into dandruff.


• Oily Scalp. Seborrheic dermatitis can leave your scalp and other areas of skin greasy and irritated, leading to sticky white or yellow dandruff. Sometimes called wet dandruff


• Over-Treated Hair. Some hair care products can irritate the scalp and cause dandruff, especially if they're used too often or allowed to build up on the hair.


• Scalp Conditions. Psoriasis and eczema form dead skin cells that flake off as dandruff.


• Scalp Fungus. A yeast-like fungus called malassezia can cause an overgrowth of skin cells on the scalp, especially if the hair is very oily. The cells multiply, die and fall off as white, flaky dandruff.


• Lack of Sun and UVA.
Certain types of yeasts naturally produced by scalp are controlled by safe level of UVA we receive from sun. Sometimes lack of sun in long periods makes these yeasts to become more active and cause dandruff.

Dandruff Be Gone!

The good news is dandruff can usually be brought under control. The first step is to determine what's causing it. If you aren't sure, ask your doctor or dermatologist to take a look. Your hair stylist might also have some suggestions. Explain your hair care regime and the products you use. The solution could be as simple as changing shampoos or using them more or less frequently.

The first step in tackling dandruff is to thoroughly clean the hair and scalp with a deep cleansing shampoo. This removes all the built-up hair products, oils and dead skin cells so the dandruff treatment you choose can do its work.

Dandruff Treatments That Work

Mild dandruff can be treated or be brought under control with a weekly deep cleansing shampoo. Stop using alcohol-based styling products as they can dry out the scalp and speed up the skin cell shedding that appears as dandruff. Brushing your hair more often distributes the hair oils from roots to ends and removes dead skin cells before they become dandruff flakes. Many people that cutting their hair short think they no longer need brushing and when they start experiencing dandruff, they blame it on hair cut.

If your hair is very oily, it's more prone to fungal dandruff so you need a shampoo that reduces the excess scalp oils. Try an over-the-counter shampoo with the active ingredient selenium sulphide, such as Selsun Blue Dandruff Shampoo or L'Oreal Elvive Intensive Anti-Dandruff. But be warned selenium sulphide can discolor hair that's blond, gray or chemically dyed. See also solutions to get rid of oily hair.

Anti-dandruff shampoos that contain salicylic acids effectively scrub away the scales but may cause dryness. A good conditioner or other scalp treatment can restore the moisture. Examples are: Kérastase Bain Gommage, Kérastase Bain Divalent or Clarifiant, and Alto Bella Betaclar. Some professional grade products already have conditioners built in to counteract the drying effect.

Natural Treatments

Not everyone happy using anti-dandruff shampoos. There are some proven natural cures for dandruff that might help you to find an easy solution to this problem.

Fungal Type Dandruff

If your dandruff is caused by yeast fungus, you may have to try several products before you find one that works for you.

Shampoos like Selsun Salon or Head & Shoulders contain the antifungal agent zinc pyrithione that can control the dandruff, including seborrheic dermatitis. These products are suitable for normal or dry hair. Other brands with zinc pyrithione are Pureology Dandruff Scalp Cure, Kérastase Bain Gommage, Pantene Pro-V Anti-Dandruff, Neutrogena T-Gel Daily Control Dandruff Shampoo, Redken Scalp Relief and Dandruff Control, and Matrix Biolage Anti-Dandruff.

Coal tar shampoos aren't the most pleasant smelling products but they are strong anti-fungals that can alleviate tricky dandruff caused by seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis. They work by slowing down the growth rate of skin cells. Examples: Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo or Neutrogena T/Gel Stubborn Itch Control, DHS Tar Shampoo and Philip B. Anti-Flake Relief Shampoo. (Note: Tar based shampoos can also stain hair color.)

When all else fails and the flakes keep falling, try ketoconazole anti-dandruff shampoos. The active ingredient kills the fungi that live on the scalp and cause the flakes. Two brands are Dandrazol and Nizoral.

Some users find a dandruff shampoo will work great for a while then the problem comes back. In that case, you can alternate between different shampoos. And remember to follow the directions carefully, letting the suds sit on your hair for few minutes so the medicine can really work.