If that little black dress in your closet hasn’t been getting out much lately because you’re worried about dandruff leaving its mark, it’s time to do something about it. I chatted with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Monica Scheel and leveraged some of the advice Dermstore has gotten from doctors over the years to help you get rid of those pesky white flakes.
What Causes Dandruff?
Dandruff is most commonly caused by a type of eczema called seborrheic dermatitis. This condition causes oily, red patches of skin on the scalp, breastbone, eyebrows, sides of the nose or behind the ears. Skin affected by this condition may also be covered in a layer of white (or yellow) flaky, excess skin called dandruff.
Other potential causes include:
- Not shampooing often enough
When you forego washing your hair on a regular basis, oils and skin cells from your scalp may build up and cause dandruff. - Sensitivity to hair care ingredients
Certain hair care products may leave you with a red, itchy scalp, so it’s important to test new products first before beginning daily use. - Too much sugar in your diet
A diet high in sugar increases blood pressure, promotes an overgrowth of the candida yeast, and depletes B vitamins, which may contribute to or cause dandruff.
Dandruff may come and go—prompted by known triggers or random chance. In my case, I tend to experience dandruff flakes and an itchy scalp more often in cold weather. The cold air outside and dry heat inside combined with hot showers and my propensity to drink copious amounts of hot chocolate often leaves my scalp dry, flaky and itchy. Even though I know better, I scratch my itchy head and make a bad situation worse. Dr. Scheel confirmed this for me, saying, “When you scratch your skin, you damage it and make secondary infection with yeast or bacteria more likely.”
Unfortunately for me (and many of you), scalp dandruff has a tendency to disappear and reappear spontaneously. However, it’s typically easy to manage your symptoms using professional or over-the-counter treatments and by avoiding your triggers.
How to Get Rid of Dandruff
1. Cleanse with a dandruff shampoo.
Medicated dandruff shampoo is one of the easiest and best ways to control your dandruff. “Treating dandruff early or preventing it with medicated shampoos will control it faster and keep it from being so itchy,” says Dr. Scheel. “Ingredients in shampoos that are helpful include tea tree oil, zinc, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid and tar. These ingredients quiet inflammation, slough off excess skin cells and fight bacteria/yeast that can cause infection.”
