Definition:

It (Latin: Pityriasis simplex capillitii) is the shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp (not to be confused with a dry scalp). Dandruff is sometimes caused by frequent exposure to extreme heat and cold.Dandruff is a common scalp disorder affecting almost half of the population at the pre-pubertal age and of any gender and ethnicity.

The word dandruff (dandriffe) is of Anglo-Saxon origin, a combination of ‘tan’ meaning ‘tetter’ and ‘drof’ meaning ‘dirty’. In some cultures dandruff is considered aesthetically displeasing and often causes itching.

It has been well established that keratinocytes play a key role in the expression and generation of immunological reactions during dandruff formation. The severity of dandruff may fluctuate with season as it often worsens in winter.

Those affected by dandruff find that it can cause social or self-esteem problems. Treatment may be important for both physiological and psychological reasons.

Dandruff Causes:
The exact cause of dandruff is unknown.Dandruff is not contagious.

Common triggers (factors that may worsen) of dandruff include the following:

• Increased oil production
• Oily skin
• Oily scalp
• Sweating
• Poor hygiene
• Weather (hot and humid or cold and dry)
• Infrequent washing or shampooing
• Concurrent yeast or fungal skin infections or overgrowths
• Poor immune system
• Chronic illness
• Emotional or mental stress

Risk factors for dandruff include the following:

People with extreme or severe cases of dandruff usually also have other chronic health conditions.

Dandruff probably has a small hereditary component making it more common to run in families.

Medical professionals and skin specialists called dermatologists commonly refer to dandruff as seborrhea or seborrheic dermatitis.

The signs and symptoms include:

• White flakes on shoulders of dark clothing
• Itchy scalp
• Dry facial skin
• Recurrent ear “eczema”
• Facial rash by eyebrows, nose, and ears
• Oily scalp and facial skin with dry flakes
• Eyebrow dandruff
• Beard dandruff
• Chest rash with dry flakes and red spots

One of the most common and often the first symptom of dandruff can be white flakes on dark clothes. Scalp itching may be another common first symptom. In some, the initial noticeable symptom is simply dry facial skin without any other rashes.

Dandruff can be located anywhere on the body that has any type of hair follicles. It is most typically found on the scalp, ears, face, and middle of the chest. Seborrhea is not seen on the palms and soles where there are no hair follicles.

Treatment of dandruff:

The challenge of treating dandruff lies in the successful control of its relapse. It is not very difficult to treat dandruff for once. However, it is not easy to treat dandruff forever!

The treatment for dandruff should aim at controlling the underlying causing factors as well as the symptoms.

Conventional treatment:

The conventional treatment often treats the end result rather than the root cause of dandruff. Most commonly measures are use of

a. Use of Anti-dandruff shampoo’s
b. Ketoconazole
c. Antifungal shampoo
d. Selenium sulphide

Suggestion about homoeopathy treatment:

Homeopathic treatment aims are treating dandruff in totality. In other words, it treats the underlying cause of dandruff (please check the causes as described above) and hence helps preventing recurrence of dandruff.

The medicines uses for dandruff are geared towards altering the activity of the scalp tissue and therefore slow down the multiplication of the cells of the scalp. Homeopathic medicines possibly depress the abnormal multiplication of cells of the scalp called ‘stratum corneum’.

Homeopathic medicines are unique in the respect that they can act as immune-modulators and possibly enhance the action of the immune-system in clearing away the irritating factors in dandruff.

Homeopathic treatment is safe and very effective for dandruff, which is strongly recommended.