What is Dandruff?
Dandruff is a chronic scalp condition that causes unsightly flakes to appear and fall off the head. It’s not chronic or serious. The scalp often itches when the flakes break away from the skin. Some sufferers experience tenderness or slight redness on the scalp.
Dandruff isn’t related to hygiene. It’s possible to struggle with dandruff even though you are grooming yourself properly every day. That said, you can treat your own dandruff by spending more time washing your scalp and brushing your hair.
What Causes Dandruff?
You would think dandruff is one of those conditions we know well, but that isn’t the case. We don’t know the exact causes of dandruff.
The prevailing theory is that dandruff is linked to hormone production. This would explain why some people struggle with dandruff while others don’t, even when they live and work in the same conditions. Dandruff is also bad for some people during puberty when hormones are elevated and changing.
- Age. You’re more likely to suffer from dandruff during your adolescence through middle age years. However, lots of people deal with it their whole life. Some babies even get it!
- Diet. People with diets that lack B vitamins, healthy fats, and zinc are more likely to suffer from dandruff.
- Mental and emotional stress. Your stress levels can play a role in a number of skin conditions, like acne and dandruff.
- Infrequent hair brushing. Brushing your hair helps shed skin and move air across your scalp. If you don’t brush enough for your length and thickness of hair, the oil will build up and cells won’t break free.
- Seborrheic dermatitis. This is a skin condition that causes rough and scaly skin on the scalp. The skin is usually greasy and red. It can also affect your eyebrows, the backs of your ears, and the sides of your nose. People who suffer from this are likely to deal with dandruff too.
- Malassezia (fungus). Seborrheic dermatitis is sometimes linked with Malassezia, a fungus that lives on the scalp and eats the oils that are secreted by hair follicles. It’s not usually a big deal, but the fungus becomes overactive in some people and irritates the scalp. This forces the scalp to produce extra skin cells that die off and mix with scalp oil, forming dandruff. Malasezzia is considered normal skin flora, meaning it is normal to have it on the skin and scalp. However, some genetically-predisposed individuals react poorly to it resulting in inflammation and flaking.
- Certain medical conditions. Dandruff is common in people with HIV and Parkinson’s disease, as well as other neurological conditions. You’re also more likely to experience dandruff if you’ve had a heart attack or a stroke at some point in your life.
- Dry and itchy skin. People with dry skin are more likely to suffer from dandruff. Dry skin is worse in the cold air, overheated rooms, and after using any soaps and skin products that dry out the skin. Dandruff flakes from dry skin tend to be smaller and more brittle.
- Yeast. If you’re sensitive to yeast, you have a higher chance of experiencing dandruff. Yeast sensitivity can be especially bad during colder months because there’s less ultraviolet-A (UVA) light to counteract the yeast. (This isn’t much of an issue in Australia, but we didn’t want to leave it out.)
- Skin conditions. Eczema, psoriasis, and ringworm are common skin disorders that increase your chances of dandruff.
- Personal care products. It’s not uncommon for personal care products like soaps and shampoos to make your scalp red, itchy, and inflamed. These irritations can trigger dandruff.
While dandruff is certainly annoying and unsightly, it doesn’t come with any complications. It’s usually not necessary to consult a doctor unless you think the dandruff is unusually bad or painful.
If you notice blood in the flakes or on your scalp, swelling, or signs of eczema, psoriasis, or another type of skin condition, speak to a GP. These signs may indicate a deeper medical problem.