Dandruff: Causes and Preventive Measures
Most common cause of dandruff is the excessive sebum production in the scalp, increase in other scalp secretions and a rise in the number of normal scalp yeasts. People suffering from dandruff have dry scalp. As a result, their hair follicles lose their moisture content, and soon loosen out from the roots.
Possible triggers for dandruff are chronic illness, heredity, stress, poor hygiene, scalp sweating, low immunity, hormonal imbalance, malnutrition, excessive use of hair care cosmetics, consumption of fatty and sugary food, infrequent shampooing, hot and humid or cold and dry weather, etc. Another reason for dandruff is the scalp-dwelling fungus Malassezia globosa (M. globosa).
In people without dandruff, usually it takes about 30 days for a crop of new skin cells to mature, die and shed. However, in people with dandruff, it may take only 2-7 days.
There are several remedies available to treat dandruff and prevent hair loss. Some of them are explained below:
- Use anti-dandruff shampoos available over the counter or prescribed by your doctos
- Expose your scalp to sunlight daily. Exposure to sunlight will supply necessary amount of Vitamin E to the scalp, which is an essential nutrient for hair growth.
- Dandruff and hair damage can also be treated through oral steroids or oral anti-fungal pills.
- Use hair lotions like Hylix to massage the hair. This will reduce itching and hair loss due to dandruff.
- Avoid red meat, caffeinated and carbonated beverages, pickles and sweets.
- Adopt necessary measures to reduce stress. Yoga and meditation are the best ways to reduce stress.
Shampoos and other dandruff treatments contain anti-fungal agents like ketoconazole; however, they often do not suffice since these compounds are not very effective at preventing and treating dandruff.
Sulfonamides, a family of existing antibiotic medicines, were more effective in preventing the fungus's growth than ketoconazole, so scientists believe that the enzyme is a prime target for developing better anti-dandruff medicines.
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