“Oh…uh…well, some di– dirt must have po– poured on me on my way here,” Elizabeth stuttered, like a child who just started talking.
(By now, fifty per cent of the class already had their eyes on the duo).
“Oh right! That looks like Dandruff to me,” Jasmine said “You might want to start washing your hair well,” she continued with a devilish smile, as she delivered this final blow.
The truth is, Elizabeth started spotting those flakes during the summer holiday, and successfully hid them since she was mostly at home or the church, where she had to cover her hair.
But now, there was no more hiding for her. She has always been so hygienic by washing her hair even more than others do. Yet, she got a very itchy and flaky scalp. She recently tried her hands on some hair moisturizers and even tried out homemade products like lemon juice to wash her hair, so she certainly hopes these work. If Elizabeth wasn’t so determined to get rid of the dandruff before, now she was.
Dandruff
As the skin grows, it sheds some dead skin cells. Getting rid of these cells is not a bad idea really, but it becomes bad when there is a continuous shedding of the skin cells more than can be gotten rid of.
Dandruff is the extreme shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp. These dead skin cells clump together and have the appearance of white or gray flakes. Apart from this shedding, the person could also have an itchy scalp.
Dandruff is known to get worse when the air is dry, like during the Winter or Fall. Males get more affected than females due to their hormones.
Contrary to popular beliefs, dandruff is not contagious.
Signs and symptoms
1. Flaky scalp: This is the most evident sign seen on the scalp of an individual who has dandruff. These flakes can make a recently washed hair appear dirty.
2. Itchiness.
Causes
1. Seborrheic dermatitis: The major cause of Dandruff is Seborrheic dermatitis. This inflammatory skin disorder affects the face, torso and scalp. It usually presents with a flaky, itchy skin, and some redness. One can get this skin condition wherever there are oil glands, e.g. Eyebrows, groin, armpits and along the sides of the nose.
This skin condition gets worse with stress.
2. Fungal infection: A fungus called Malassezia triggers dandruff by causing the skin to shed more than usual.
3. Shampooing too much: This strips the hair of its natural oils.
Note: Not cleaning the hair enough contributes to the buildup of the oily flakes, but it is not a cause of dandruff.
Treatment
Dandruff can be treated by the use of the following:
1. Antifungals.
2. Hair products that contain salicylic acid: This acid is known to get rid of the dead skin cells. Although, it might adversely cause some people to have more flakes. An alternative involves crushing one or two Aspirin tablets and mixing such with the shampoo to be used. Aspirin contains Salicylic acid.
3. Essential oils: Tea tree oil is known to treat dandruff as it has antifungal properties.
4. Coal tar: this slows shedding by slowing down skin cell growth.
5. Homemade products: Lemon juice contains citric acid that helps treat Dandruff. Others include onion and yoghurt, which have antifungal properties.
Conclusion: There are several treatments and remedies for dandruff. The condition can be prevented by avoiding hair products that contain harsh chemicals. Also, persons with dandruff should avoid using oily hair products as these can cause more dandruff buildup. Finally, let go of all that stress as stress has a way of making most medical conditions worse.
