Don't brush out your dandruff The tempting thing to do when you have dandruff is to comb or brush out all the white flakes in your hair, especially if your is dark. 'These can be quite abrasive and may damage the delicate tissue of your scalp.
Therefore, the best dandruff remedy is to brush out the dead skin developed at a very early stage. If you are inconsistent in brushing your hair, you might experience dandruff over time. So, the best way to comb your hair with dandruff is to comb or brush it evenly throughout your hair.
Scratching or rubbing your head loosens the flakes. You may notice them more when you wear dark clothes.
Because everything is happening on your scalp, your hair length won't affect whether you suffer from dandruff. (Balding parts of the scalp may experience less dandruff, though, because the environment is less suitable for Malassezia microbe; itthrives in warm, humid places).
“Shampoo your hair each morning or evening with an anti-microbial shampoo and follow by applying a soothing scalp toner,” she advises. “You can also apply this throughout the day to irritated areas.” Anabel also suggests using an exfoliating scalp mask to gently remove the flakes once a week.
The frequency of shampooing necessary to control dandruff varies from person to person. Some need to shampoo twice a week, others more frequently, even daily.
If you assume your dandruff is due to a dry scalp, it might be tempting to cut back on washing it so often. But whether the cause is dryness or oiliness, you should actually be washing your hair pretty regularly to rinse away the flakes and any buildup of debris on your scalp.
The way to tell the difference between nits and dandruff is that dandruff is much more easily removed from the hair, whereas nits are glued to the hair shaft. If you can remove the white speck easily then it is dry skin (dandruff), if not, it could be a nit.
Massage Your Scalp
The soothing treatment will help break up flakes and soothe your scalp. Just be sure not to scratch your head or rub too hard.
Have you ever scratched your scalp and noticed white, waxy buildup under your nails? That's sebum mixed with dead skin cells. It's hard for shampoo alone to wash away your oily scalp issues. And issues like stress and weather can increase the scalp's sebum production, making you even oilier.
Dandruff
Going a long time without washing your hair can cause a buildup of a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia on your scalp. Over time, this leads to a layer of dead skin cells that shed from your head in the form of oily, yellow-ish dandruff flakes. Dandruff can also make your scalp red, scaly, and itchy.
It could be that you don't use enough shampoo, or that the shampoo you use isn't strong enough to break down the oil barrier that is contributing to your dandruff. The remedy: While the fix could be as simple as shampooing more frequently, you might need to take it one step further.
What causes dandruff? It's caused by dry skin, or the buildup of oil. Skin conditions like seborrheic dermatitis, a weakened immune system, and certain neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, can also cause dandruff.
Until now a fungus called Malassezia has been considered one of the root causes of dandruff. New Unilever research shows bacteria also have a role to play.
The first two to try are brushing your hair and using a dandruff shampoo. Brush your hair from your scalp down with steady, firm strokes. This carries the oil away from your scalp, where the buildup of it and skin cells can cause dandruff. Moving it along the hair strands helps keep your hair shiny and healthy.
The skin on your scalp and your hair is delicate and easily damaged, so constant grating with your fingernails or a harsh comb can really make a mess of the situation. Scratching too often will usually cause flaking, where dead skin cells will fall off your scalp and get into your hair and clothes.
Hot water dries your scalp, which can lead to itchiness and dandruff. Hot water makes your roots weak and as a result, your hair turns frizzy. Additionally, the texture takes a beating and hair can break easily. Hot water makes your hair overly porous, and this again prompts breakage, brittleness and flyaways.
Include Healthy Fats
"Salmon, tuna fish, peanut butter, flaxseeds, extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, avocado, walnuts, and fortified eggs are great options." Some people think adding coconut oil to your diet can improve dandruff, since it's often applied to the scalp as a dandruff home remedy.
Protein-rich foods like eggs, fish, lean meats, poultry, and quinoa are best known at reducing dandruff symptoms. Foods rich in zinc and biotin are also recommended for treating dandruff. Good sources of biotin include eggs, yogurt, tomatoes and carrots, while zinc-rich foods include oysters, crab, and pumpkin seeds.
Dandruff itself does not cause hair loss. However, severe dandruff can cause a person to scratch their scalp so hard that they injure it. Repeated inflammation in the hair follicles can cause damage and scarring, slowing or stopping hair growth. This can cause weak or thinning hair.
Understanding Dandruff
Dandruff flakes are actually dead skin cells that naturally fall off the scalp — more so if you scratch. Many people think that a dry scalp is synonymous with dandruff, but either a dry scalp or an overly oily scalp can cause excess cells to clump and fall off, forming dandruff flakes.
Dry dandruff, on the other hand, is made up of small, white flakes which can fall off of the scalp easily. The yellow flakes of wet dandruff are much larger and can become sticky, causing them to clump together and cling to your hair. If you scratch your scalp with wet dandruff, it will also feel wet.