What Causes Dandruff?

What causes dandruff?  It’s a question that many sufferers are desperate to find the answer to. For people who aren’t afflicted, dandruff can seem like no big deal. But for those who do, especially the ones with more severe dandruff, the problem can range from mild and annoying to chronic and extremely embarrassing.

The itchy, irritated scalp and telltale flakes of skin that are the hallmarks of dandruff can have many contributing causes. People can develop dandruff if they have a scalp that is simply too dry. Dandruff can also be caused by the exact opposite condition – skin that’s too oily; for example, where the person does not shampoo often enough to rid their scalp of excess oil and dead skin cells or simply has glands that produce unusual amounts of oil. Still others suffer dandruff as a result of psoriasis or eczema that affects their scalp. Unfortunately, what causes dandruff for one person is often entirely different than for the next, sometimes making the condition difficult to assess.

Some dandruff sufferers are afflicted by a skin condition referred to as contact dermatitis— or an irritation which comes from exposure to certain hair care products. And for others, their dandruff results from a common and normally occurring fungus called malassezia which has spread out of control.

Some dandruff sufferers can control their condition for the most part by shampooing regularly with a mild product or a medicated shampoo to keep their flakes under control.

seborrheic dermatitis can cause large dandruff flakes

However, others affilicted with dandruff aren’t as fortunate. Another common cause of dandruff is “seborrheic dermatitis” —a condition resulting from dense oil glands on the scalp. The affected portions of the skin are usually red and irritated, and the resulting flakes can be large and greasy or even powdery. The precise causes of the condition are not completely understood, but it is thought by man health professionals that a fungus known as “malassezia” fungus can be a contributing cause, as well as abnormal oil production, general health and nutrition factors and environmental influences.

Regardless of what causes dandruff in your particular case, if a regular routine of shampooing with a commercial dandruff shampoo isn’t doing the trick for you, then you should consider looking into the underlying reasons for your dandruff problem, and in particular, any nutritional or environmental factors that may be causing or contributing to your condition. Often a few simple changes surrounding diet, rest and stress levels can make a huge improvement in your condition, sometimes curing it completely and permanently.

In conjunction with any treatments or remedies that you ultimately use to treat your problem, you should limit your scalp’s exposure to hair styling products which can cause irritation and a build up of material on your skin and hair.

Getting proper nutrition and rest as well as spending time outside in the sun (in moderation and with proper protection of course!) can also help improve your condition.

For more information on what may be causing your dandruff and what you can do about it, check out my free report.

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