Dandruff also is known as seborrheic dermatitis is a condition of the excess shedding of the skin on the top layer of the scalp.

The causes of dandruff

Dandruff is caused by the microbe Malassezia globosa. It is found on the scalps of all the human kind it feeds on the natural scalp oil and starts growing. It produces oleic acid which causes irritation and removal of a top layer of the scalp. Several other reasons that cause dandruff are yeast, dry skin, shampoos, certain skin conditions (like psoriasis,eczemaetc.), diet, mental stress, pollution, and age.

Symptoms of dandruff

The symptoms are easy to spot they include oily looking white flakes of dead skin found on shoulders or roots of hair, itchy scalp, hair fall, oily and greasy hair etc. Itching is often the first symptom of dandruff. Red, flaky, greasy patches on the scalp. The hair also starts smelling bad whenever there is a development of dandruff.

How to get rid of dandruff

After knowing that we are suffering from dandruff there are a lot of ways in which we can cure it. One of the proven ways is using an anti-dandruff shampoo like heads and shoulders or Selsun Blue which are clinically proven to reduce dandruff.

Even though we have a lot of cosmetic products that cure dandruff but we can also use some home remedies to get rid of dandruff some of them include mixing coconut oil and lemon and giving the scalp a massage, Multani mitti hair pack, neem juice not only kills dandruff but also gives hair a glow and makes them healthy, henna and mehendi are other ingredients that remove excess oil from the scalp and prevent the building of dandruff. Essential oils like tea tree oil or lavender oil are great for conditioning the scalp and reducing the foul smell of hair caused by dandruff. Curd a daily available product can also reduce dandruff and nourish the skin.

Dandruff though it may seem a small problem but can cause a lot of trouble if not taken care on time.