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“
othing stops dandruff like a blue serge suit.” Blue serge may be a little before your time, but the saying still has more than a speck of truth to it.
Dandruff is a normal condition. Everyone has it to some degree. It’s only when the scaling or flaking of dandruff shows up like stardust on the collar of that dark suit or dress that you may become embarrassed and concerned.
To understand dandruff, you have to know a little about the epidermis, the upper layer of the skin. Like all cells in the body, skin cells are manufactured constantly to replace those that have outlived their usefulness and died. In normal skin, the process for a cell to be born, move to the outer edge of the skin surface, and then flake off takes about a month. Dead cells are being continually sloughed off as new ones are being pushed up from the deeper layers in a never-ending process of cell division. This cycle gives rise to the tiny, scaly flakes you continuously shed from the entire skin surface.
On the scalp, you can control this normal, periodic scaling by frequent shampooing with everyday commercial shampoos. In the abnormal process, however, the cells are born and die at a much faster rate, giving rise to lots of flaking and sometimes even redness and itching. To control this moderately severe type of dandruff will probably require other than the usual over-the-counter anti-dandruff remedies.
No one really knows what causes this flaking to get out of control. Many theories have been proposed: hormone imbalance, germs (bacteria and fungi) living on the scalp, excessive production of oil from the oil glands, dietary indiscretions and deficiencies, allergies, poor hygiene, irritation and inflammation as a result of various cosmetics and chemicals applied to the scalp, hereditary influences, and emotional stress. One rarely sees dandruff in children under the age of twelve, which leads us to suspect that some type of hormone influences the condition. There is no clear-cut proof, however, to support any of these theories.
We do know, however, that dandruff is not contagious (you can’t pick it up from someone’s comb), it does not lead to any serious scalp problem, and it does NOT cause baldness.
There are dozens of shampoos that are commercially available for the relief of simple dandruff. But remember, you never really get “rid” of dandruff, since your scalp makes a new supply of flakes about every three days.
No one shampoo is good for everybody. Where you live, the type of water in your home, as well as your particular kind of hair – all play a role in the effectiveness of a particular shampoo.
Medicated shampoos usually contain sulfur, zinc, ketoconazole, salicylic acid, selenium, tar, or some combination of these. Your pharmacist can offer you a variety of these preparations. Find the one you like, the one you feel is most effective, and stick with it.
If your dandruff is persistent and doesn’t respond to frequent and conscientious shampooing, check with your dermatologist. You may have seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis or some other condition that requires medical expertise.
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For further information about dandruff, log on to: www.aad.org 1-888-462-DERM x22 |
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| TREATING DANDRUFF |
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To take care of an occasional few flakes of dandruff, try any of the following shampoos:
DHS Zinc Shampoo
Head & Shoulders Shampoo
Nizoral Shampoo
Selsun Blue
For stubborn scaling and itching of the scalp, one of the following tar shampoos might help:
Tarsum Shampoo
T-Gel Shampoo
Following your tar shampoo, try the following conditioner:
DHS Conditioning Rinse
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