What is dandruff?
Dandruff, or seborrheic dermatitis, is a red scaly skin complaint seen not only on the scalp, but sometimes also on the sides of the nose and eyebrows.
Who suffers from dandruff?
about 5% of population have this problem;
both infants (in the first three months) and adults (in their 30’s to 60’s);
sometimes dandruff cannot be distinguished from scalp psoriasis in its early stages;
fat people suffer from dandruff more;
it is more common for people who have acne;
it is more likely to get it if you live in dry or cold climate.
What brings about dandruff?
increased oiliness of skin;
stress;
some drugs, such as cimetidine and gold;
heavy drinking of alcohol;
dandruff is not infectious;
the patients have increased quantity of Pityrosporum yeast.
How to treat dandruff?
You can use a number of shampoos to treat dandruff, which are better to be applied daily. These are different types of medical shampoos, each with a different ingredient:
Selenium sulfide (i.e. Selsun),
Ketoconazole (i.e. Nizoral),
Zinc pyrithione (i.e. Head and Shoulders),
Salicylic acid (i.e Sebcur),
Tar shampoos (i.e T-Gel).
If you have a dandruff on your face, use a hydrocortisone cream, anti-yeast cream or a 15% propylene glycol cream. In other cases the doctor can prescribe you antifungal pills to decrease dandruff.