Dandruff and Hair Loss

Introduction

Most people have had the experience, their scalp is itchy and they are afraid to wear anything black, living in fear of another dandruff attack.

However is does not have to be like that, this is one cosmetic inconvenience that can be easily overcome.

There are many good products available, so you should easliy be able to clear up the problem.

Dandruff and related conditions may seem at first easy enough to prevent with one of the modern day shampoos, however the problem is often much deeper then just a flaky scalp.

Very often dandruff or a flaky scalp can be more socially unacceptable than body odour or bad breath.

Some people feel that a lack of cleanliness causes dandruff, but this is far from the truth.

While dandruff does not actually cause hair loss, you can have a full head of hair and still have dandruff, it should be cleared up if possible, as a clean scalp can only help prevent hair loss.

Dandruff is a mild inflammation of the scalp causing flaking.

These flakes are often extremely visible on the hair and often fall on the shoulder showing a high visibility of the problem. There is sometimes itching or soreness and the scalp can feel rather tight.

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.

Dandruff - The Symptoms

The flakes of skin are greyish white and are very often visible on the hair and shoulders. There is sometimes itching or soreness and the scalp can feel tight.

Dandruff scales usually occur as small, round, white-to-gray patches on top of the head.
Scaling can occur anywhere on the scalp, in the hair, on the eyebrows, the beard and can often spread to the neck and shoulders.


Dandruff is often known as "dry scalp", but people with oily scalps tend to suffer the most. An oily scalp also supports the growth of P. ovale.

Since dandruff is a natural process, it can not be eliminated. It can only be managed and controlled.

If the scaling also affects other parts of the body, this may be due to other skin conditions such as eczema, seborrhoeic dermatitis or psoriasis.

Skin affected by seborrheic dermatitis is usually red and greasy with a white or yellowish flaky scale.

The most common sites are the scalp but it can occur between the eyebrows, along the sides of the nose, behind the ears, in the external ear canal, over the breastbone, in the groin area, and sometimes in the armpits.

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