What Is Dandruff – Type Of Dandruff

Come winter and you start seeing flakes – snow on the hillside if you are lucky, dandruff on shoulders and pillows. if you are like the rest of us. This common, itch condition of the scalp is caused by a variety of reasons and can be a social embarrassment. Dandruff can also occasionally be a precursor to, or a harbinger of other scalp infections and conditions.

What Is Dandruff:
Dandruff brings misery to those who suffer from this common, harmless, but a distressing condition. The skin is constantly renewing itself, old cells fall away from the scalp as newer ones grow beneath. Dandruff, in its simplest form, is nothing but the flaking of normal, dead tissue from the scalp. In those people whitE dandruff, this process happens very quickly so a large number of cells are shedding at any one time. Often, these flakes shed in large clumps visible to the human eye. It is very difficult to completely eradicate dandruff, but it can be kept under control. More severe dandruff is often caused by seborrheic dermatitis, causing greasy scales. You may find that dandruff is less severe during the summer months as sunlight inhibits the fungus responsible for dandruff.

Types Of Dandruff:
Clinically, there are two types of dandruff: dry and sticky. Dry dandruff is more common, worsens in winter due to the general dry weather conditions and can be itchy. Sticky dandruff is more common in summer and can be accompanied by small boils on the scalp. Both can be controlled fairly easily with the right interventions.

Causes Of Dandruff:

• Poor nutrition
• Deficiency of zinc
• Fungus (malassezia furfur)
• Yeast infections
• High use of alkaline soaps and shampoos

Predisposing Factors:
Dandruff has been shown to be the result of four common factors:

• Excess skin oil commonly referred to as sebum
• More by-products of skin micro-organisms (most specifically Malassezia yeasts) that multiply faster in the presence of excess oil
• Individual susceptibility
• Dandruff can cause allergic reactions to chemicals in hair gels/sprays, hair oils, or sometimes even dandruff medication like ketoconazole (found in most anti-dandruff shampoos).