Defeating the dreaded dandruff

 

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Fighting those embarrassing flakes isn't easy but what are these flakes? Dandruff or Dermatitis is one of the most common skin diseases found around the world. Studies show that on average one out of every five individuals has dandruff of varying degrees of severity and the condition seems to be more common in men than in women. Now what’s ironic is that doctors believe that the way some people try to treat it can worsen the situation.

What is dandruff?

To put it simply, dandruff is a condition that causes the skin on your scalp to flake and makes the area extremely sensitive and itchy, which is not very convenient. Dandruff is a mild manifestation of a prevalent skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis which not only affects your scalp but also your eyebrows, nose bridge, beard, and chest.

Also Read : Beard Maintenance Made Easy With These Oils

So, what causes dandruff?

Well, there is a spectrum of reasons why dandruff can occur from simple causes like not washing the hair often and irritated or dry skin to severe skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.

Using harsh hair care products can also make your scalp sensitive and prone to dandruff.

Scalps with excessive oil production are more susceptible to overgrowth of a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia that feeds on the sebum on the scalp further damaging the epidermal barrier.

Now, remember, Malassezia is not the villain here, in fact, it is part of the normal skin microflora, which helps us fight against infection-causing microbes like Staph. aureus. It is only when the sebum is over-secreted, that it starts acting counter actively.

How can you prevent dandruff?

It is usual for the human body to shed skin cells. But, how to prevent dandruff that causes the skin cells to clear at a detrimental rate? Well, the strategy is simple.

1. Wash your hair more often

This might seem trivial but it is also the golden way to save you from stressing over dandruff. India is a humid country, we naturally produce so much oil added with the pollution, all this can build up to cause dandruff if your hair is not washed regularly. (No, using dry shampoos is NOT washing your hair.) You can also try anti-dandruff pre-shampoo treatments which can be used with any shampoo, all you need to do is to apply this solution 5 minutes before you shower twice or thrice a week, this not only reduces your dandruff but also nourishes your hair.

2. Work on your diet

We have now established the fact that more oil equals more susceptibility to dandruff, so how do we control oil production? Well, we must limit our consumption of greasy food, as simple as that. High carb food breaks down to glycogen, whose accumulation on the skin is not preferred because that’s Malassezia’s favourite thing to snack on. Also, dairy and sugary foods stimulate your sebaceous glands into producing more oil on the skin, so avoiding that might help if you are prone to dandruff.

3. Do not scratch

It is overly itchy, we know, but part of the problem is scratching the scalp, especially when you like donning long nails. Scratching can result in open wounds which can worsen the situation and cause further infection. Not only that, but scratching your scalp might leave some residue on your nails and fingers which when touched somewhere else in the body might cause the spread of dandruff, which none of us want. So, invoke the saint in you and control yourself from touching your scalp.

4. Exfoliate your scalp

Exfoliating your scalp regularly can break the buildup of dead skin cells that would eventually flake off. You can use physical exfoliators like scalp scrubs or combs or gentle chemical exfoliators like salicylic acid and glycolic acid.

5. Do not over oil

The desi way to cure any hair-related problem or any problem per se is champi (massaging your hair with oil) as told by our grandmothers and mothers. But remember not to overdo it. Make sure to not leave the oil on your scalp for too long if you have an oily scalp or live in a humid geographical location. Massaging your scalp with warm oil can surprisingly, help with dandruff, yes you read that right. Applying oils to the scalp draws out the excessive oil in the sebaceous glands and massaging helps in better blood circulation in the scalp stimulating hair growth. Um, turns out our grandmothers were not wrong.

The next time you have an itchy scalp, control yourself from scratching, give yourself a good head massage, have a long warm shower and bid farewell to your dandruff.

ThriveCo Anti-Dandruff Pre-Shampoo Treatment starts dandruff-control, right from the first use. It repairs the scalp barrier and keeps the scalp healthy, itch-free and hydrated. Octopirox is the ingredient that maintains the scalp health and significantly decreases the irritation and itchiness of the scalp.

 

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Disclaimer:All the content published on www.thriveco.in is solely for information purposes. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consider seeking the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider. The information, suggestion, or remedies mentioned on this site are provided without warranty of any kind, whether express or implied.