It’s one of those days. Your hair looks like it needs a makeover. You’ve dressed the part, yet when you look yourself on the mirror, there’s still something amiss. You try to dust it off and end up with a film of dust like particles on your table, the bathroom sink or other surface. It is what it is dandruff.
Dandruff is caused when the natural cycle of skin renewal is sped up. This leads to patches of dead skin forming on the surface of the scalp, which come away into the hair, resulting in the flakes associated with dandruff.
Dandruff can be caused by a number of factors including but not limited to:
- Emotional stress
- Not washing your hair thereby causing a buildup of dirt. It is also noteworthy that washing your hair too much is included in the causes. Some shampoos may irritate your scalp.
- Using other new hair products such as hairspray, hair gel and hair mousse. You have to check what irritates your skin by using one at a time and eliminating the culprit.
- Very hot or cold climates. Some people, a change of climate can trigger dandruff.
- Other skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema, two common skin conditions that can cause skin to become dry, red and flaky.
- Some sources claim that dandruff can be related to Obesity.
- Having a weakened immune system, which can be the result of a health condition or as a side effect of a treatment such as chemotherapy
For reasons that are unclear, people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke or severe head injuries often develop both dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis.
I started searching for ways of clearing the menace and got surprised at the number of natural ways of clearing them. Here are some few tips you may want to try.
Yoghurt is not only a delicious nutritional supplement, it also comes in handy. You need 200 ml yoghurt for this. Now you may want to hide from someone who may complain of you wasting such a delicacy on your hair. Wet your hair and scalp before massaging the yoghurt on your scalp. Let it stay for about an hour, with a shower cap on, just like when treating your hair at home. Rinse it thoroughly with warm water to avoid the smell of stale milk on your hair. You are good to go.
It makes sense in that yoghurt contains cultures providing good bacteria which will fight malassezia, a type of fungus that normally lives harmlessly on skin, but if it grows out of control can accelerate new skin production.
Ginger with olive oil is also an innovative method. Crush some lobes of ginger roots, extract the liquid. Mix the ginger liquid well with three table spoons of olive oil. Apply on your scalp, massaging gently with your fingers tips. You will feel a slight burning sensation, but hey no pain no gain right? Leave for three minutes and wash your hair with a gentle shampoo. This method will clear dandruff plus the itchy sensation that’s common in some cases.
Eggs also come in handy when it comes to your hair care. Just mix two egg whites with juice from one lemon. Massage into your scalp and leave for five minutes, rinse thoroughly with lots of clean water. I know raw eggs have a foul smell, so you may want to use a shampoo to make sure you don’t carry any unpleasant eggy smells.
These are just remedies to clear the external manifestation. Use them in moderation and give them a space of two weeks before trying the next. There is much debate on the causes of Dandruff some of which you have to consult your dermatologist. It is also advisable to seek medical advice to treat the root cause of dandruff.