Dandruff might be fairly an embarrassing situation. Should you’ve ever had it, you know the way self-conscious it will probably make you’re feeling. It is uncomfortable, too: Your scalp continuously itches, and also you’re all the time disregarding the white flakes that fall out of your hair onto your clothes. Lengthy story quick: There’s nothing enjoyable about dandruff.
The excellent news is dandruff often isn’t one thing to fret an excessive amount of about. It’s a standard, simply treatable situation, and it’s not contagious.
“Dandruff is a pink, flaky rash of the scalp,” says Dr. Amy Kassouf, MD, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic. “It typically itches and might worsen with seasonal modifications.”
The medical title for dandruff is seborrheic dermatitis, in response to Cleveland Clinic. The situation causes purple patches and oily scales on the pores and skin, with light-colored powdery flakes.
It often happens on the scalp, however can even have an effect on your eyebrows, nostril, ear canals, face, chest and again, and it impacts all pores and skin and hair sorts.
However what really causes dandruff, and the way is it usually handled? Right here’s what you must know in case you’re coping with an itchy, flaky scalp—and the right way to deal with it.
What causes dandruff?
The precise reason behind dandruff is unknown, however specialists say it may very well be triggered by a lot of issues. It may very well be a buildup of the yeast known as Malassezia that exists on everybody’s pores and skin, elevated hormone ranges, an inflammatory response, or household historical past, in response to Cleveland Clinic.
“It could be initiated by something that upsets the stability of the pure pores and skin flora together with hormonal modifications resembling puberty or menopause, stress degree modifications, drugs or different medical situations, and even exterior modifications resembling a change from metropolis to effectively water,” Kassouf says.
Dry air and colder temperatures generally make dandruff worse. Normally, it will get higher throughout the summer season, whenever you spend extra time within the solar, as UV gentle can kill a number of the yeast that causes the situation.
Folks with sure medical situations, like Parkinson’s illness or epilepsy, could also be extra liable to getting dandruff, provides Dr. Allison Darland, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Michigan Medication.
It’s additionally frequent in infants, referred to as cradle cap, and for folks later in life, she says. However, anybody can get dandruff at any time, and it will probably seem out of nowhere.
“It will probably simply occur for no actual motive in any respect,” Darland explains. “Should you’ve spent your complete life with an ideal scalp after which unexpectedly you have got it, we simply do not all the time know why.”
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Indicators you have got dandruff
Dandruff can present up in a wide range of methods, together with:
- Itchy, white flakes of pores and skin on the scalp—that blend together with your hair or fall out onto your neck or shoulders whenever you scratch
- Crimson scaly pores and skin
- Greasy scaly patches
- Crimson scaly patches on the sides of the eyelids
- Thick, pinkish plaques of pores and skin on the perimeters of your face
- Flaky patches in your chest or hairline, formed like a hoop or petal
- Redness within the creases of your genitals, armpits or breasts
- Infected hair follicles in your cheeks or the higher a part of your physique.
“You typically see some redness of the pores and skin, principally in hair-bearing areas or oilier pores and skin areas such because the central face with some superb overlying white or often a extra greasy trying scale,” Kassouf says.
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How dandruff differs from psoriasis and different pores and skin illnesses
A dry, itchy scalp doesn’t all the time imply you have got dandruff, which is commonly confused with different pores and skin situations like dry pores and skin, allergy symptoms, or psoriasis.
Dandruff and psoriasis each characteristic patches of purple, flaky pores and skin. However, psoriasis is an inflammatory pores and skin illness that often causes deeper-red and extra well-defined plaques with a heavier scale, Kassouf says.
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“Psoriasis may even contain the nails and trigger joint irritation referred to as psoriatic arthritis,” she explains. “Seborrheic dermatitis is restricted to the outer layers of the pores and skin and hair follicles.”
Distinguishing dandruff from different pores and skin situations, like contact dermatitis or an allergic response, can generally be tough, too, Darland says.
“It’s useful you probably have some kind of set off that you recognize of,” she explains. “Like, ‘I bought this new shampoo or I simply dyed my hair for the primary time and now I’m having this rash.’”
Are you able to forestall dandruff?
Dandruff isn’t actually preventable, Darland says. Practising good hygiene, together with washing your hair often is one of the best factor you are able to do—however, she emphasizes you could’t get dandruff from not washing your hair.
Additionally, take note of your pores and skin whenever you’re burdened or experiencing a life change, Kassouf provides. These occasions may set off dandruff.
“Hopefully you’ll be able to catch any points whereas they may nonetheless reply to over-the-counter drugs,” she says. “If not, it will not be easy dandruff and would possibly require skilled assist.”
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The right way to deal with dandruff
Dandruff shampoos bought at your native drugstore will often deal with dandruff at house, Kassouf says. Search for merchandise containing ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione, or selenium sulfide.
Shampoo manufacturers, together with T/Sal, Selsun Blue, or Head & Shoulders, will assist with delicate to reasonable dandruff, Darland says. If these shampoos don’t work or cease working after some time, she suggests visiting your dermatologist who can prescribe a medicated shampoo or topical steroid for reasonable to extreme dandruff.
Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or resolution can be utilized to assist calm the itchiness and irritation of dandruff, Kassouf provides.
“If these merchandise aren’t useful, or the rash continues to unfold or is related to another signs, then it’s an excellent time to see your physician,” she says.
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