November, 2018

Dandruff treatment. This video is on treatment, causes and shampoo to get rid of dandruff permanently and fast at home.

Dandruff is a common skin condition that causes white or grey flakes of skin to appear on the scalp and in the hair. The flakes are often noticeable if they fall from your scalp on to your shoulders.

I've received a lot of messages to make a video on dandruff and how to treat it. Some of the messages were quite upsetting to read as dandruff had resulted in bullying and verbal abuse directed at the sufferer. I just want to say if you suffer with dandruff which many people do it doesn’t result from poor hygiene, it's not contagious and it's a natural process. So if anyone says anything to you, don’t let it get to you, remain positive and keep on being amazing. Hope my tips help!

DANDRUFF CAUSE:

Dandruff is, perhaps surprisingly, mainly caused by a fungus which most of us have living naturally on our skin, but which causes problems in about half of us. A third of sufferers have apparently avoided a social occasion because of the embarrassment it causes! But fear not – there are some ways to combat it.

The fungus that is the principal cause of dandruff is called Malassezia globosa, and it feeds off the oils on our skin and hair. But when it does so, it produces oleic acid, which can irritate our skin. In some people, this sets off an immune response which can lead to a rapid turnover of skin cells. Air pollution can make this response worse, whilst UV light from sunshine can help dampen it down.

DANDRUFF TREATMENT:

Adding oil to your scalp is no good at all – washing off the natural oils that Malassezia feeds on is more likely to help.

However, there are some chemicals that can help kill it off too. The most effective anti-fungals are Miconazole and Ketoconazole. Ketoconazole is found in some shampoos, but Miconazole is currently only available in skin creams so it won't be helpful for treating dandruff.

You may find, though, that the effects of an anti fungal shampoo wear off after a while, so you might need to cycle some alternatives. 

• Coal tar shampoos can slow down skin turnover (although they may discolour fair hair).
• Shampoos containing salicylic acid can help get rid of the flakes. 
• Shampoos containing zinc or selenium can also target the fungus, so there are a wide range of solutions to try.

Researchers have now sequenced the genetic code of Malassezia and are working on more specific targeted drugs to kill it – a group of drugs known as sulfonamides work against it, but nothing containing them is yet available for dandruff.

Make sure you read the instructions that come with the shampoo before using it to check if it's suitable for you and see how often it should be applied. A pharmacist can offer advice if you need it.

It's particularly important to leave the shampoo in your hair for at least five minutes before washing it out.

Try these shampoos for a month to see if your dandruff improves. You might need to try more than one type to find one that works for you.

You may be able to use the shampoo less often once your symptoms improve, but your dandruff will probably come back if you stop using it completely.