What is Dandruff? | Dandruff vs. Dry Scalp

Are you using different kinds of shampoos and medications to cure dandruff after watching the advertisements claiming to wash it off in one go? But still no results? Are you sure that you are dealing with dandruff? Yes, this is a common mistake usually done by people. Before you start using any expensive shampoo, oil or medication, first make sure you really have dandruff. If you have dry and flaky scalp, then it's not dandruff. There is a difference in Dandruff and Dry Scalp.

 

What is Dandruff:

It is the shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp. Usually, the scalp skin cells constantly repair and renew themselves. The dead skin cells occur due to the formation of new skin. A small amount of flaking is normal. But some people experience a large amount of flaking, which is sometimes accompanied by redness and irritation. Typically it develops on the scalp, but it may also occur on eyebrows, ears, etc. Dandruff is caused by too much oil. It is caused by a yeast called Malasseziapityrosporum. The yeast starts to feed on the excess oil and dead skin cells on the scalp, causing the skin cells to shed more frequently and clump into flakes. There can be many other factors that can contribute such as- emotional stress, stomach ailments, poor diet, heredity predisposition, hormonal imbalance. In this case, stop using oils like olive oil or any vegetable oil. Instead, you may use mineral oil because it is petroleum-based and the yeast cannot digest it. Some people have found that tea tree oil helps treat dandruff due to its anti-fungal property.

Dry Scalp:

It is caused due to moisture loss from the skin. This can be caused by- hard water, harsh shampoo, cold weather, hair care products. In this condition, use less shampoo, avoid using hot water for hair wash, reduce the use of heat styling products like a blow dryer, massage your scalp with oil before using shampoo.

I hope this will help!

Thanks