first we have to identify your skin condition.
is it dandruff? or dry scalp?
people are sometimes become confused between the two because they have similar symptoms.
dandruff symptoms
The cause of an itchy scalp may be dandruff, which is white or gray visible flakes falling off the head. The hair may be oily but still the flakes of skin keep falling from the head. They can sometimes be as large as a quarter inch and have an oily feel to them. Another symptom of dandruff can be redness in scalp or irritation that does not go away after a simple washing.
dry scalp symptoms
Dryness in the scalp can also cause itching. Dry scalp leads to flakes of skin that are white in color fall off in small pieces. This is usually accompanied by dryness on the rest of the body.
cause of dandruff
For people with dandruff, skin cells may mature and be shed in 2–7 days, as opposed to around a month in people without dandruff. The result is that dead skin cells are shed in large, oily clumps, which appear as white or grayish patches on the scalp, skin and clothes.
Dandruff is the result of three required factors:
Skin oil commonly referred to as sebum or sebaceous secretions
The metabolic by-products of skin micro-organisms (most specifically Malassezia yeasts)
Individual susceptibility
Common older literature cites the fungus Malassezia furfur (previously known as Pityrosporum ovale) as the cause of dandruff. While this fungus is found naturally on the skin surface of both healthy people and those with dandruff, it was later discovered that a scalp specific fungus, Malassezia globosa, is the responsible agent.
Rarely, dandruff can be a manifestation of an allergic reaction to chemicals in hair gels/sprays, hair oils, or sometimes even dandruff medications like ketoconazole. There is also some evidence that food (especially sugar and yeast), excessive perspiration, and climate have significant roles in the pathogenesis of dandruff.
cause of dry scalp
An alternation in temperature or humidity causes dry scalp. For instance, in the winter when the heater is on, the scalp is exposed to a drier environment and the result is peeling and flaking.
so how do we treat this?
treating dandruff
Anti-dandruff shampoos use a combination of ingredients to control dandruff. Salicylic acid (used in Sebulex) removes dead skin cells from the scalp and decrease the rate at which these cells are created. Zinc pyrithione kills pityrospora (the fungus responsible for dandruff). Selenium sulfide or Ketoconazole achieves the results of both salicylic acid and zinc pyrithione.
treating dry scalp
The easiest and most effective way of treating dry scalp is by having lots of water to re-hydrate your scalp. Natural oils in the hair should be allowed to regenerate by avoiding regular hair wash. A hair oil or a leave in conditioning treatment will let the body adjust to the new level of humidity in a few days and the scalp will return to normal.
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