Here’s why the pesky dandruff is a recurring problem

If you ever had dandruff, you will be aware that it does not go away very easily, and most home remedies only work for a few days, before you are are back to square one. Before we unravel why does dandruff occur repeatedly, let us understand a little more about dandruff in detail:

What is dandruff?

Dandruff is a condition under which the scalp sheds a lot of skin, which is visible as tiny white particles on your hair. Medically, dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis is caused by a yeast called Globosa Malassezia that feeds off natural oils present on our scalp – usually produced by the sweat glands. In severe cases, it is accompanied by itching, scalp redness and change in colour of the flakes. In case you are experiencing any of these symptoms, we recommend you that you consult a dermatologist.

How to confirm if its dandruff?

This is a necessary step to figure out which treatment would work best. Many people confuse dandruff with dry scalp. While dandruff is caused by oily scalp, the shedding of dry scalp is not related to dandruff. Some medical conditions share symptoms with dandruff such as constant itching, flaky scalp, and redness. These include:

1. Scalp psoriasis
2. Eczema
3. Scalp yeast infection

Why does dandruff keep coming back?

Since our scalp keeps producing sebum/oil, it is natural for the yeast to keep coming back to feast on the oil and produce oleic acid that causes the skin to flake.  In short, your dandruff will keep coming as soon as you stop your treatment. However you can delay this process for longer as certain ingredients work better than others. We recommend reading this article how to remove dandruff for more details.

What works for dandruff?

As per the research paper published by S Ranganathan and T Mukhopadhyay under the ‘Indian Journey of Dermatology’, the following ingredients have shown significant results for dandruff issues:

1. Zinc pyrithione
2. Salicylic acid
3. Salicylic acid & Sulphur
4. Tar
5. Selenium Sulfide
6. Ketoconazole

Here are the common dandruff shampoos available in the market that offer these ingredients and are proven to give longer lasting results:

1. Zinc Pyrithione – Head & Shoulders
2. Ketoconazole – Nizoral 1%
3. Selenium sulfide – Selsun blue
4. Salicylic acid – T Sal
5. Tar – T-gel

In case these over the counter solutions do not bring you relief, we recommend getting in touch with your doctor to chalk out further course of action and to take advice if a prescription based solution would be required for you scalp.