Try Exfoliating Your Scalp Much like exfoliating your skin, exfoliating your scalp gently lifts the top layer of dry skin. Scalp exfoliators typically remove dead skin with either small amounts of salicylic acid (more commonly found in acne products), or granules that dissolve.
While shampooing won't simply wash the dandruff away, it will, over time, reduce the oil and skin buildup that causes dandruff. Scalp exfoliation can also be beneficial. Between washes, consider using leave-in treatments with anti-dandruff ingredients that nourish your hair and scalp like an anti dandruff conditioner.
Dr Anjali Mahto, from the British Association of Dermatologists, tells BBC Three: “I would recommend people avoid scraping and picking at their scalp, it can be painful and you risk inflammation and infection.
Dandruff is very often related to scalp infection with yeast (fungal) organisms, which is why anti-dandruff shampoos, such as Nizoral, contain anti-fungal agents. When dandruff is persistent, it is usually a sign of yeast-overgrowth elsewhere in the body, particularly the gastrointestinal tract.
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.
Here's your anti-dandruff diet
Include fish, flaxseeds and walnuts in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids keep your scalp hydrated. Biotin (Vitamin B7) also helps combat dandruff. Foods such as salmon, sweet potatoes, egg yolks and almonds are a good source of biotin..
Curd works wonders for removing dandruff. Apply it on the scalp and keep it for about 15 minutes before washing. 3. Using a teaspoonful of fresh lime juice as a last rinse during your hair wash is a good remedy for dandruff caused by an oily scalp.
Can dandruff be cured? No, but it can be controlled. You'll need to reserve a permanent space in your shower for specialized treatment shampoo containing zinc pyrithione or selenium sulfide. These anti-dandruff ingredients can help slow the rate at which your skin cells die and slough off.
Yes, you can use lemon juice for dandruff. Thanks to lemon's composition of Citric Acid, it can treat dryness and dandruff effectively. It does this by balancing the scalp's pH level. Since the plant is antimicrobial, it excels at curbing the growth of fungus on the scalp too.
Yes, you read that right! Brushing is like cleaning your hair of all the dirt and removing the dead skin cells from your scalp. Doing so prevents accumulation on your scalp, reducing dandruff woes!
"Reduce bad fats in your diet, particularly chocolate and dairy," says Mancuso of the foods that can cause more oil production, exacerbating dandruff. And add in foods with vitamin B (a deficiency can actually cause dandruff), as well as foods containing good oils, such as green vegetables, protein, and grains.
Milk contains lactic acid, vitamins A, D, E and K, and protein which makes it a mild exfoliating and hydrating agent. Cold milk can act as a toner, especially for dry skin, keeping dandruff at bay.
Dandruff tends to be worse during dry months. Cold, dry winter weather in particular can make dandruff worse. Stress or fatigue can trigger or aggravate it, too.
Citrus fruits, including oranges and lemons, are amazing for the health of the hair and scalp as they help prevent dandruff and flakes, and boost hair growth. Oranges are a good source of vitamin C, bioflavonoids, and magnesium that help stimulate hair growth.
Treatment: Type of shampoo: Frequent washing with a regular shampoo is the most important treatment for dandruff. Use a regular shampoo to remove the scales as quickly as they form. In addition, the detergents in the shampoo will cause smaller, less visible flakes to shed.
Squeeze a full lemon and massage the juice into your scalp. Let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes and rinse off with a regular shampoo. You can also add lemon juice to a mug of water and use it as the last rinse post your hair wash session. Regularly repeat it till dandruff disappears.
Once a week might be enough to keep flakes off your shoulders. If dandruff doesn't get better after 4–6 weeks, try another shampoo with a different active ingredient. Talk to the pharmacist if you have any questions about dandruff shampoos.
It can take several weeks for dandruff to stop, so don't jump to conclusions about shampoos in the first week or two. If you don't see any improvement after about a month, it's worth using another shampoo or moving on to another dandruff treatment.
Same with baking soda — it's dandruff's worst enemy.
"In a scrub, baking soda has the ability to control excessively oily scalp skin and thus, control the excess oil production," explains Dr. Krishnan.
Oils like tea tree oil, coconut oil, neem oil, olive oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, and peppermint oil can help to reduce dandruff by moisturizing and soothing the scalp, while also providing antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.
As the temperatures drop and the air gets dry, many individuals struggle with an itchy, flaky scalp and winter dandruff.
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.