Sunday, February 1, 2009

The Different Causes Of Dandruff

By Jille Kelly

Dandruff is a medical condition that is suffered by millions worldwide. It is a hair problem that is often caused by itchy scalp, or an overly oily one. Other health problems might cause dandruff, and this leads to tough diagnosis when treating it.

Treatments are plentiful, and usually specific to the cause and problem. It is therefore crucial to find out what the exact cause of your dandruff problem is, before a quality treatment method can be provided.

As mentioned, the most common cause is having itchy scalp. This can indirectly be a result of having dry or oily scalp. When the skin is in a dry condition, the result is that it is easily irritable and the urge to scratch is hard to ignore.

The situation turns into a nightmare with oily scalp. When the oil builds up around the hair follicles, this causes dust particles to be trapped in between. Bacteria will thrive in such an environment and when irritated, it leads to infection of the scalp and flaking of the skin.

Being too clean has its own problems. If you wash or treat your scalp too many times, expect the skin to suffer from one of the two common conditions. Too much treatment can dry the skin, while shampoo that has oily ingredients might actually cause more harm than good.

The weather of the country you live in can also be a factor. If you have oily scalp and live in a country with high humidity, expect a higher possibility of experiencing dandruff. Heavy perspiration is a common occurrence and that encourages the condition to fester.

Malassezia is a widespread fungus that exists in most adults' hair. If you take care of your scalp and wash regularly, there are no concerns. But if not, malassezia can feast on the oil secreted and lead to dandruff from excessive dead cells.

Many other causes can lead to this hair condition, such as eczema and psoriasis. Prevention might be the best instead of waiting for a problem to rear its ugly head. However, if the situation worsens, it is always advisable to consult a dermatologist and attempt the various cures under supervision.

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