Many of us suffer from dandruff on a daily basis. It can be embarrassing and itchy and often mean you have an irritated scalp. You may find that even regular washing of your hair doesn’t get rid of it and the dandruff specific products don’t seem to be doing any good either. Sometimes the dandruff seems to have a mind of its own.
What causes dandruff?
Dandruff is believed to be the result of a yeast-like fungus known as malassezia or pityrosporum. Although this fungus usually exists on the scalp without causing any issues, sometimes it can grow and become problematic because of stress or hormone imbalances. If this occurs, inflammation can occur which causes mild inflammation resulting in the production of dead skin cells. When these dead cells mix with the oil on the scalp, they look like the white flakes we recognise as dandruff. Luckily, there are many ways to treat dandruff including chemical-based shampoos.
Here are some things that you can do, to help combat dandruff.
Keep moisture in your hair
Dandruff loves dry hair. Use a moisturing shampoo to keep the dryness away.
Use coconut oil to reduce symptoms. It has been reported that unrefined coconut oil is a great dandruff treatment. Warm it up and massage some gently into the scalp, to reduce itchiness and normalise the scalp. Leave it on the scalp for 2 hours if possible before washing it off.
Are you washing your hair too much?
Keep a note of how often you wash your hair. It might not be right for your hair type to wash it every day. Washing it every day means that your scalp might not be getting a chance to absorb any moisture applied to it. If this is the case, consider washing it every second day instead.
There are many great products on the market for fighting dandruff, many of which not only rid your hair of dandruff, but also moisturises and provides shine.
Whilst having dandruff can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, there is no need for it to affect your life. There are many things that you can do, including those listed above which can help you have gorgeous, healthy dandruff free hair.
