Dandruff; Causes and Natural Remedies
Dandruff is the most common hair problem. People of all ages have this problem. It’s more of a social issue than a medical one, as you feel embarrassed if someone notices the snow on your shoulders.
Dandruff is a skin condition in which you experience the shedding of a flaky white substance from your scalp. You have itching and skin gets infected. Dandruff is also known as scurf, it is due to the excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp. As it is normal for skin cells to die and flake off, a small amount of flaking is normal and in fact quite common. Some people, however, either chronically or as a result of certain triggers, experience an unusually large amount of flaking, which can also be accompanied by redness and irritation. Most cases of dandruff can be easily treated with specialized shampoos and home remedies. Simple dandruff does not cause hair loss.
Causes of Dandruff:
The main causes of dandruff are impairment of general health, development of a toxic condition mainly due to taking of wrong foods, constipation, and a low vitality due to infectious diseases.
Other causes can be as;
- Poor nutrition.
- Deficiency of zinc.
- Fungus of scalp.
- Use of harsh shampoos and soaps.
- Due to stress.
As the epidermal layer continually replaces itself, cells are pushed outward where they eventually die and flake off. In most people, these flakes of skin are too small to be visible. However, certain conditions cause cell turnover to be unusually rapid, especially in the scalp. 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 and clothes.
Home Remedies for Dandruff:
Home remedies are a very safe way of dealing with dandruff. The home solutions are not only safe but also inexpensive and have good results.
- The antifungal properties of tea tree oil have been reported as useful in the treatment of dandruff.
- Shampoo containing active ingredients like Zinc pyrithione, Ketoconazole(anti-fungal ingredient), Selenium sulfide are very effective for dandruff treatment.
- For soothing and curing dandruff, Apply a mixture of 1 teaspoon of Neem oil (antifungal & antiitching) 1 teaspoon Teatree or Manuka (also antifungal) which much stronger than teatree, one teaspoon of Rosemary oil and one teaspoon of Lavender oil together in 3 tablespoons of carrier oils such as Olive or Almond oil (Wheat germ and Macadamia carrier oils closely match your natural sebum) and apply to your scalp weekly. Massage well and keep it on over night and wash your hair in the morning.
- The use of a teaspoon of fresh lime juice for the last rinse, while washing the hair, is another useful remedy. This not only leaves the hair glowing but also removes stickiness and prevents dandruff.
- Vinegar is also very good for removing dandruff, take a half cup of plain white vinegar, with a cotton wool dabbed in the vinegar apply it on your scalp and leave it for an hour before washing your hair.
- Washing hair regularly also prevents dandruff, and its better if you apply curd in your hair and keep it on for an hour before washing with a mild shampoo.
- The use of fenugreek seeds is one of the most important remedies in the treatment of dandruff. Two tablespoons of these seeds should be soaked overnight in water and ground into a fine paste in the morning. This paste should be applied all over the scalp and left for half an hour. The hair should then be washed thoroughly with any mild shampoo.
- As with all remedies please patch test first for any allergic reactions that you might have with any of the ingredients, if you are prone to allergies.
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