What is dandruff?

Dandruff is the most common condition affecting the scalp.
 
 It is a mild skin condition, usually confined to the scalp, which can cause irritation and embarrassment to the sufferer. Treatment can often be simple.
 
 Dandruff is the common term used for white skin flakes shedding from the scalp, or in some cases, other hair-covered skin.
 
 Although dandruff is not contagious and usually not serious, it can be embarrassing and itchy.
 
 Dandruff can happen at any age and is found in people between the ages of 12 and 80, however the condition mostly occurs after puberty, usually between the ages of 20 and 30 and usually affects males more often than females.
 
 A form of dandruff known as cradle cap occurs in newborns and infants
 
It is thought that as many as 90% of the population will at some point in their lives have a form of dandruff, but there is still a lack of total agreement about this condition.
 
 Changing to a good quality shampoo may solve the problem, and nowadays there are many over-the-counter treatment shampoos.
 
 For more persistent cases a doctor may advise hydrocortisone or coal-tar treatment.
 
 It is often found that the problem with dandruff is worse in the winter months and better in the summer, this is thought to be caused by changes in humidity.
 
 The skin cells on the scalp are constantly renewing and the old cells get pushed to the surface by the new ones. If you have dandruff, the process of skin renewal, or skin turnover, speeds up to twice the normal rate, hence a greater number of dead cells are shed.
 
 The scalp becomes scaly and the skin cells shed and collect in clumps.
 
 Dandruff responds very well to treatment, but will commonly recur if treatment is stopped.
 
 Dandruff is believed to be associated with an overgrowth of a fungus commonly found on the skin and scalp, called Pityrosporum ovale.
 
 Although the experts are certain that the yeast is involved, they can’t decide which comes first, does a reaction to the yeast actually cause the increased turnover and flaking, or does the flaky skin simply provide an ideal environment for the yeast to thrive? It seems very likely that the former is the case, so getting rid of the yeast should improve the dandruff.
 
 Hormones may also be involved, because dandruff usually starts after puberty. For unknown reasons, people with some illnesses, such as Parkinson’s disease, are more likely to have dandruff.
 
 It is sometimes associated with seborrhea where sebum production is excessive. Dandruff shares some features with seborrheic dermatitis, and both conditions are frequently treated with common topical medications.
 
 Seborrheic dermatitis generally affects body sites in addition to the scalp, including the forehead, nasolabial fold, eyelash and eyebrow regions, and the outer ear.

 

What is dandruff?