Healty skin for your scalp: dandruff prevention
Next to acne, dandruff is one of the most common skin ailments around, with about 70% of people experiencing it during their lifetime. Dandruff has been found to occur across a wide range of age groups, but is most prominent in adults. Fortunately, the problem of dandruff tends to be easier solved than with acne.
The primary cause of dandruff is an increased presence of the fungus pityrosporum in the skin of your scalp. All people have some presence of pityrosporum naturally, but the problem arrises when this fungus grows out of proportion. Pityrosporum feeds off the oil secreted from your hair follicles and, as it grows, leads to the rapid death and replacement of skin cells on your scalp. These cells can typically live for up to a month, but under dandruff conditions they may be replaced as often as every other day. The resulting rapid build-up of dead cells leads to an abnormal degree of exfoliation in which your body sheds the dead cells in large flakes and clumps. Your scalp may also feel itchy and irritated as this goes on.
Many mistakenly attribute dandruff to dry skin. This is actually not the case at all. Dandruff is much more likely for individuals with oily skin who therefore provide more food for the fungus to grow.
Mild dandruff can be combated simply by enhanced personal hygiene. Washing your hair more frequently will remove dead skin cells before they build up to the point of flaking. In more serious cases, a medicated shampoo (containing ingredients such as ketaconazole) can help eliminate the fungus at the root of the problem. It unlikely that you will require the use of harsh or drying chemicals, but if a medicated shampoo leaves your hair and skin feeling dried out, follow with a moisturizing conditioner. In these cases, even side products such as Clear5 that help control oil levels may aid in dandruff prevention by inhibiting the growth of pityrosporum.
