A healthy head of hair can compliment any look. If dandruff is the only thing standing between you and that little black dress, you are not alone. Many people suffer from this embarrassing and surprisingly persistent scalp disorder. Now, how to get rid of dandruff ? Before we can go into how to get rid of dandruff, we must first visit the basics of dandruff.
How To Get Rid Of Dandruff: What is dandruff?
Dandruff is a chronic scalp disorder, which is marked by itching and excessive flaking of the scalp. The most common signs and symptoms of dandruff are white, oily looking flakes of dead skin that dot your hair and shoulders and an itchy, scaling scalp.
How To Get Rid Of Dandruff: What causes dandruff?
Dandruff has been attributed to a poor diet, stress, dry skin, oily skin, shampooing too often or not often enough, and the use of too much styling products. Although some of these factors may contribute to, intensify, or worsen scalp flaking, the real culprit may be something entirely different - a yeast-like fungus called malassezia (formerly known as pityrosporum).
Malassezia lives on the scalps of most healthy adults without causing any problems. However, it sometimes grows out of control by feeding on the oils secreted by your hair follicles. This causes irritation that leads to a large number of dead skin cells. As the cells are shed, they tend to clump together with oil from your hair and scalp, making them appear white, flaky and most often all too visible. This is dandruff.
Other causes of dandruff include a skin disorder known as psoriasis (which results in an accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick silvery scales), contact dermatitis (brought on by sensitivities to certain hair-care products or hair dyes), and seborrheic dermatitis (a condition that creates scaly dead cell flakes on your scalp).
How do I get rid of dandruff?
Dandruff can almost always be controlled, but it may take a little patience and persistence to do so. In general, mild scaling can often be helped by simply washing your hair and scalp daily with a gentle shampoo to reduce oiliness and cell buildup. When regular shampoos fail to do the job, as is often the case, over-the-counter dandruff shampoos are usually necessary. But not all dandruff shampoos are alike, so you may need to experiment until you find the one that works best for you.
How To Get Rid Of Dandruff: Dandruff Shampoos
Dandruff shampoos are classified according to their active ingredient and each attacks the problem differently.
 Head & Shoulders and Selsun Salon - These shampoos contain zinc pyrithione, an antibacterial and antifungal agent which has been shown to reduce the fungus that causes dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.
Selsun Blue - This shampoo contains selenium sulfide which helps prevent cell turnover and may also reduce the number of malassezia. *Caution: Because selenium sulfide shampoos can discolor blonde, gray, or chemically colored hair, be sure to use them only as directed and to rinse well after shampooing.
  Neutrogena T/Gel - This shampoo contains coal tar, a byproduct of the coal manufacturing process, which helps conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis by slowing the rapid turnover of dead cells that creates excessive shedding. *Caution: The dark color from coal tar shampoos can seep into your blonde, gray, or silver hair. To minimize the effect, try rotating it with another dandruff shampoo.
  Ionil T - This shampoo contains salicylic acid which helps eliminate scale. *Caution: Shampoos containing salicylic acid may leave your scalp dry, leading to more flaking. To help counter dryness use a conditioner made to treat dandruff after shampooing.
  Nizoral
- This shampoo contains ketoconazole and is the newest addition to the dandruff fighting arsenal. Ketoconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that may work when other shampoos fail. It is the only ingredient known to halt the buildup of dandruff and is available over-the-counter as well as by prescription.
Try using one of these shampoos daily until you get control of your dandruff situation. After you've gotten your dandruff under control, you can cut back on using the dandruff shampoo to two or three times a week. If you find that one type of dandruff shampoo works for a time and then seems to lose its effectiveness, try alternating between two types of dandruff shampoos. *Tip: Be sure to leave the dandruff shampoo on for at least five minutes - this will ensure that the ingredients have time to work.
How To Get Rid Of Dandruff: Over-the-counter dandruff shampoo didn't work, Now what?
If you have shampooed faithfully for several weeks, trying different dandruff shampoos that contain different active ingredients, and there is still a dusting of dandruff on your shoulders, you should consult your doctor or dermatologist for prescription alternatives. It is possible that you will need a prescription-strength shampoo or more aggressive treatment with a steroid lotion.
How To Get Rid Of Dandruff: Is it really dandruff?
Itchy scalp, but no flakes - If you have an itchy scalp, but you don't see flakes, it may be a good idea to try a dandruff shampoo to see if it stops the itching. If the itching persists for several weeks, you should visit your doctor or a dermatologist for a quick look. It might simply be a mild allergic reaction to a new hair product or dye you used (contact dermatitis), or an indication of a hormonal problem. Unfortunately, it may even be a harbinger of lice.
Conditioners - Be sure to use a conditioner made to treat dandruff. It will help lock moisture into your hair, but won't cause a buildup of product on your scalp, which, of course, can lead to more dandruff. Even if you use a shampoo for dandruff, you still need to condition with that problem in mind.
Hair damage - Some dandruff shampoos are overly stringent and can strip your hair of natural oils, leaving it flat and lifeless. Be sure to search for the mildest dandruff shampoo you can find and see how it affects the flaking. Head & Shoulders dandruff shampoo, which has been around for ages, now comes in mild and ultra-strength versions, as do many other brands. You can also try a dandruff shampoo that contains ketoconazole, such as Nizoral. While it can be harsh on some hair, it is so effective that you don't have to use it every day. You can alternate it with regular shampoo to give your hair a break.
Hair Staining - Some dandruff shampoos can "stain" light-colored, gray, silver, and chemically colored hair. Anti-dandruff shampoos that contain coal tar (active ingredient found in Neutrogena T/Gel) or selenium sulfide (active ingredient in Selsun Blue) are the main offenders here. The dark color from coal tar shampoos can seep into your blonde, gray, or silver hair. To minimize the effect, try rotating it with another dandruff shampoo. Although coal tar-based shampoos used to be really smelly, that side effect has been eliminated. Because selenium sulfide shampoos can also discolor blonde, gray, or chemically colored hair, be sure to use them only as directed and to rinse well after shampooing.
Hair Repair - After you've gotten rid of your dandruff, you can begin focusing on repairing any damaged hair. If you were treating your itchy, scaling scalp with dandruff shampoo and you have chemically straightened or colored hair, it's likely that your locks are now dried out and brittle. Your task now is to restore the luster of your locks without bringing back your dandruff. To do that, you've got to do some conditioning, but choose carefully. Start by using products for fine hair; they have less oil and aren't as heavy as others. Apply conditioner on only the middle and ends of your hair. Be sure to stay far, far away from the scalp. At the first sign of itching, apply the conditioner to just the ends. If flakes start to reappear, switch back to using a dandruff shampoo and dandruff conditioner.
How to get rid of dandruff? Just follow the advice given above and you'll be dandruff free in a few short weeks.
Recommended Related articles:
1. Healthinsite.gov's Dandruff Archive
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