Dandruff-An Internal Phenomena

Definition: Dandruff is an internal phenomena characterized by formation of silvery dead skin cells especially corneocytes caused by microbial infection with Malassazia globosa.

Description: Brushing the flaking of dandruff from shoulders, collars is harmless but its very embarassing for you. It will make you feel low self confidence & low self esteem. And not only that it somewhat affects your behavior in public too. Keratinocytes play an important role in formation of dandruff due to immunological reaction. Its not contagious & does not cause baldness but yes, it may cause Diffuse Hair Loss. 

Discovery: The word dandruff first time came into light in the year 1545 but that was still not confirmatory.

Clinical Features: 

1) Itching in the scalp with flakiness.

2) Flaking of cells are large in quantity, white or grayish seen on the scalp as well as seen on the clothes too when its severe.

3) Its not contagious in nature.

4) Dandruff is a milder form of Seborrhoeic Dermatitis.

5) Flaking of scales from scalp, scales on the hairs, eye-brows, beard and mustache.

Cause: The exact cause of dandruff is still not known and unclear but there are certain factors which may results in dandruff.

A-Sebaceous secretion: Sebum

B-Microorganism: Malassezium

C-Individual Susceptibility

There are multiple reasons of dandruff including from bacteria to fungus & others.Earlier it was believed that bacteria is mainly responsible for formation of dandruff & among the fungi staphylococcus is the major one. Bacterial growth is influenced by water & sebum amount. Then after it was found that fungi are the main reason.

Triggering Factors: In spite of above reason there are certain triggering factors too .

1) Unhygienic condition of  hair & scalp .

2) No proper oiling & shampooing or excess secretion of oil from scalp & that's called sebum.

3) People with dry skin are prone to have dandruff.

4) Not doing regular combing because regular brushing may reduce risk of dandruff. It just removes the normal.

5) During winter dandruff getting worse due to low moisture in atmosphere so people should be very careful about hair care especially in winter.

6) Certain products may also trigger the dandruff even the shampoos because frequent shampooing can irritate the scalp with dryness & ultimately dandruff formation will be there.

7) Some diseases conditions like psoriasis, eczema & tinia capitis(scalp ringworm) can cause dandruff more than normal individuals.

8) Parkinson's Disease.

Risk Factors:d 

1)Age:- Usually young individuals are frequently affected with dandruff and suffer till their mid age.And even someone suffers from it till their life. Older one also may have dandruff but not as frequently as young ones.

2)Male:- Some researchers believe that male hormone plays an important role for it but its not confirmed on studies basis.

3)Disease:- Certain disease conditions like parkinson's disease may increase the risk of dandruff as it affects the nervous system.

Pathophysiology: Layers of skin are regularly shedding & they are replaced with new ones.Old ones are dead & come out as flaking & that's why dandruff is called skin dead cells.But visibility of dandruff is different for different individuals like small flakes are disturbing for someone while larger flakes are not for someone.

Shedding of skin cells are rapid in certain conditions & usually it sheds around 30 days & becomes visible as dandruff within 1 week. If we see the spectrum of scaling, 487,000 cells /sq.cm are released with treatment & this will more during dandruff & seborrhoeic dermatitis like 800,000 cell/sq.cm.

Malassezia furfur is the causative fungi for dandruff as per the old records but now Malassezia globosa has been found corrective species for it. This microbe  present in everyone scalp but dandruff occurs in 50% people only. This fungus usually utilizes the triglycerides present in our sebum( natural secretion of our scalp) with the help of an enzyme called lipase & oleic acid is formed as end product. Now this oleic acid destructs the outer most layer of epidermis called stratum corneum by way of penetration and as result homeostasis is altered and finally stratum corneum is formed as dandruff. Now level of Malassezia furfur infection is increased 2 times than from 1.5 times.

Treatment & Management: As I always say, there are many modes of treatment available in our great country India for any kind of diseases.

But people mostly prefer to take it from Old School of Medicine(Allopathy) as their first choice and when some percentage of them do not get any satisfied results , they would take a move to other options available in medical field.

Yes, here we are talking about the world's 2nd largest practising system of medicine called Homoeopathy.But it does not mean that you should not take Old School of Medicine in your first choice because here I am just expressing the people's thought that I have been seeing in my day to day practice.

Homoeopathy has a great scope for treating the every kind of disease for last 200 years. And had been giving the wonderful satisfied results so dandruff can be also treated & managed very well in Homoeopathy.And yes, it does mean that you would not get dandruff back in your scalp because whenever you exposed to triggering or risk factors, chances of dandruff formation will be there.

Treatment depends upon the severity of dandruff because only itching & flaking can be controlled easily. If its a milder form, daily shampoo is mandatory and when it reaches to severe one, following treatments you may opt. 

1)Anti-Fungal:- As dandruff is a fungal infection so anti-fungal agents are mainly used for its treatment especially ketoconazole. Because of its highly active property against malassezia furfur infection it is broadly utilized. Ciclopirax is also prescribed in some cases.

2)Col-tar shampoo:- It has been used to clear the dead skin cells from skin layer.It slows down the flaking of cells from skin.But here we must keep in our mind that these kind of shampoo may cause the discoloration of hairs if you have light hair color.

3)Pyrithione zinc shampoo:- These are anti-bacterial & anti-fungal shampoos with pyrithione zinc.It reduces their growth.

4)Salicylic acid shampoo:- This one helps to removes scales

5)Selenium sulfide shampoo:- This is also an anti-fungal shampoo but you should rinse it very well otherwise it will discoloration of hairs & scalp too.It reduces excess secretion of oil from sebaceous glands.

6)Omega 3 fatty acid:- It plays an important role in our body for different functions. Its very essential for skin. Deficiency of it may cause dry skin. It helps to manage oil production & does not make any favorable conditions for formation of dandruff.

If you would chose any of above, continue the same till the beneficial effects. But sometime after certain period that selected shampoo no more provides the benefits so that time you need to change your shampoo. 

Different kind of shampoos have different instructions for applications like some shampoos need to be left for sometime on scalp while others rinsed quickly. And instructions are mainly because of their ingredients only. 

Treatment: 

1) Manage Stress:As I always say, "Stress is the keynote for every kind of disease". When you will be susceptible, a number of disease conditions may affect you and it may trigger the dandruff or make it worse than before.

2)Take Healthy Diet:Take a healthy diet rich of zinc, vitamin-B & fats which help to prevent dandruff.

3)Regular Shampoo: If you have an oily scalp with excess secretion of sebum, you need to do shampoo on regular basis to cleanse you scalp. Otherwise with oily scalp bacteria will grow faster and more formation of dandruff.

4) Sun Exposure: Taking an exposure into sun is also helpful for controlling dandruff but you need to be careful about time duration otherwise it may cause burn so if you skin is very sensitive you should apply a sunscreen lotion before exposure.

5) Hair Care Products:Sometime excessive use of different type of hair products may cause hair dandruff so you should use limited products if you are suffering from dandruff.

6)Tea-Tree Oil: Tea-Tree oil is also used for dandruff because it acts as an anti-fungal, anti-septic & anti-biotic too

. That's why many shampoo brands include this in their shampoo as an ingredient. It is derived from an Australian tree called Melaleuca http://alternifolia.It has been used since many yrs for treating the acne and all.

7)Coconut Oil & Lemon: Since the ancient time coconut oil has been used and everybody is aware about the benefits of coconut oil.Coconut oil makes our skin moisturise and prevent being dry because excess dry scalp can cause dandruff. Its also seen that coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for skin. Coconut oil with lemon can be very helpful for dandruff.

Method of Preparation:

> You need to heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil and then mix equal quantity of lemon juice into it.

> Then apply this mixture on the scalp and massage with gentle pressure.

> After that leave it for 20-30 minutes and then wash it with mild shampoo.

8)Aloe Vera:Today aloe vera is used in almost every ointment & cosmetic product because of its succulent http://nature.It has been used for treating the psoriasis, eczema & burns. Its also beneficial for dandruff. Its anti-fungal & anti-bacterial so it acts against dandruff.

9) Apple Cider Vinegar: There are a lots of benefits of apple cider vinegar. It is used as natural home remedy for dandruff. Because of acidic nature of vinegar it stimulate the shedding of dead akin cells from scalp.

Method of Preparation:

> Mix equal portion of apple cider vinegar & water.

>Apply this mixture to the wet hairs after washing.

>Massage your scalp with this mixture by gentle rubbing.

>Leave it for 10-15 minutes and then rinse it thoroughly.

This preparation should be used 2-3 times every week and once you get the benefits then slowly reduce it.

10) Baking Soda:Baking soda is very commonly available in our kitchen but very few knows that it is helpful in treatment of dandruff. By acting as a exfoliate it removes the dead cells from the scalp and also reduces the itching. It has also anti-fungal property so also useful for dandruff as dandruff is also caused by fungus.

11)Heena/Mehndi:It is also beneficial for dandruff as it softens the hair & scalp and makes scales soft from rough.

Preparation:

> Mix the mehndi with curd and add little bit lemon juice.

> Make this mixture as a paste and left for 6-8 hours.

> After 6-8 hours apply it to hairs and left for 2-4 hours.

> After 2-4 hours wash it carefully.

12) Fenugreek Seeds/Methi Seeds: Fenugreek seeds are used as preventive measure for dandruff. Also known as Methi seeds. This seeds are also beneficial for patients with low blood pressure, low testosterone & less milk production from breast of a lactating mother.

Method of Preparation:

> Take small amount of these seeds in a bowl and then pour some water & left it over night for proper socking.

>After getting up in morning you just mash these seeds properly and make a paste of it. Then add little bit lemon juice and mix it well.

> Finally it is ready for use, apply this paste on hair & scalp and leave it for about 1/2 an hour.

> Then finally wash it off with a anti-dandruff shampoo and make hairs dry.

13) Neem Juice:Neem juice is very beneficial for cure of dandruff. That's most of the shampoo now a days contain neem as a ingredient.

Method of Preparation:

> Take some quantity of neem leaves and crush it into such a way that it becomes paste.

> Apply this paste on hair & scalp and leave it for 10-15 minutes.

> Once done with 10-15 minutes, wash it with a mild shampoo.

14)Orange Peel:Orange peel is good for our body as its rich of calcium, magnesium, vitamin-A & dietary fibres. But its also used for curing the dandruff because of its anti-fungal property.

Method of Preparation:

> Take some orange peel and then add some lemon juice by squeezing and keep in a grinder and make a paste.

>Then apply this paste and leave it for 1/2 an hour.

> Wash it after the that period with an anti-dandruff shampoo.

15) Garlic:Its very beneficial for dandruff because of its anti-fungal properties. We never like the pungent smell of garlic but we can not deny the medicinal value of it.

Method of Preparation:

> Take 2-3 garlic and add water and mix it well.

> Add some ginger & honey mix to make a paste.

> Apply the paste on scalp and keep it for 20 minutes and then rinse it out with a mild shampoo.

16) Diet: As per the dermatologist poor diet also leads to dandruff formation. Your diet rich in carbohydrates may increase glycogen in skin which yeast feeds on. It can also cause acne. Sugary diet stimulate the sebaceous gland which increases the oil secretion and dandruff gets a triggering factor.

                                *HaveGoodHair & LiveGoodLife*