Dandruff is a skin condition that causes your scalp to get flaky and itchy.
According to studies, dandruff actually doesn’t cause hair loss directly.
But somehow it is responsible for the itchiness and flakiness of the scalp.
The itchiness causes damage to the hair follicles causing your hair to fall eventually.
Similarly, dandruff may result in androgenic alopecia i.e baldness in both males and females.
So, if dandruff does cause hair to fall to some extent, how does it and what can be done to stop it. Let’s know them first.
What causes dandruff?
Dandruff is caused by different factors such as:
Oily or irritated skin
Many people believe dandruff is caused by the dryness of the scalp. But in reality, that is not the whole case.
If your scalp produces the natural oil more than necessary then, the hair follicles get blocked by the oil.
This results in a medical condition called Seborrheic dermatitis causing dandruff on your scalp.
Shampooing
Not shampooing your hair enough also results in dandruff in your hair.
If you are suffering from a dandruff problem and you choose not to wash your hair more often then you are likely to get more dandruff due to more oil production and dead hair cells.
So, you should wash your hair properly with medicated shampoos two to three times a day.
Malassezia
Malassezia is a fungus that causes your scalp to dry and get itchy. Generally, it is found in adults’ scalps which feeds on the natural oil of the scalp and leaves out the oleic acid in the scalp.
Most people are sensitive to the oleic acid causing their scalp to get dry, flaky, and itchy in no time.
Dry Scalp
Many people have dry scalps that worsen when the weather is dry as well.
So, the dry skin on the hair is likely to cause dandruff in the hair.
You can use shampoos that are moisturizing in nature to avoid the problem.
Conditions that cause dandruff and hair loss
If you are having a problem with dandruff and frequent hair fall, you should consult a doctor before trying any remedy on your hair.
There are several conditions that let your hair to get full of dandruff and hair loss too.
Scalp Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a noncontagious, autoimmune, and long-lasting disease that causes the skin of your body part to get dry, itchy, dark, scaly, and red.
So, people might suffer from scalp psoriasis causing their scalp to get dry, flaky, itchy resulting in dandruff and eventually hair fall.
Ringworm
If you get contaminated with ringworm in your hair then you are likely to get itchy, dry, and flaky scalp causing hair to fall instantly.
Folliculitis Decalvans
Folliculitis decalvans is a medical condition that causes inflammation of your scalp. It results in swelling and redness of the scalp which leads to hair fall.
Lichen planopilaris
Lichen planopilaris is a rare, chronic, inflammatory, and immune-mediated disease.
It causes scaly scalp and redness in hair follicles with bald patches, pain, burning, and itchiness.
How to get rid of dandruff and hair fall?
Hair fall from dandruff can be treated if the real reason behind it is found.
Find out the cause of the dandruff
As already mentioned dandruff can be caused by several factors such as:
- Oily or irritated skin
- Dry skin
- Malassezia
- Shampooing
After you get diagnosed with the cause of dandruff you can consult your doctor to treat the root problem.
Wash your hair with a medicated shampoo
Shampooing is very much needed to get rid of dandruff from your hair. But the question is what kind of shampoo do we have to use to treat dandruff.
There are plenty of shampoos in the market advertising to treat dandruff instantly.
However, you shouldn’t blindly hear out to them. Instead, you should go for medicated ones with ingredients like:
- Pyriothione zinc
- Salicylic acid
- Ketoconazole
- Selenium Sulfide
Does dandruff shampoo cause hair loss?
No, anti-dandruff shampoo doesn’t cause hair loss and doesn’t contribute to it either in any way.
In fact, anti-dandruff shampoos improve your hair quality making it look healthy and beautiful.
All the ingredients present in an anti-dandruff shampoo are mild and actually prevent the inflammation and irritation of your scalp.
Oil your hair and massage it well
One of the very reasons for dandruff and hair fall is dry skin or dry scalp.
So, to treat a dry scalp, you don’t have to work your ass off. You need to keep moisture in your scalp so it doesn’t get dry and flaky and the irritation will also go away.
You can try several oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, rosemary oil, onion oil, etc. on your hair and massage it well for over 10-15 minutes and wash off after 1-2 hours.
Be careful with the oiling cause too much oiling can cause your hair follicles to get blocked causing more dandruff and ultimately hair fall.
If your hair is more on the drier side, then you can switch to moisturizing hair conditioners instead.
Avoid some hair products
If you are having a problem with dandruff and hair fall, you should definitely avoid some hair products that cause inflammation and irritation to your scalp.
Some of the hair products and ingredients in them that cause hair fall and dandruff are:
- Hair dye
- Hair bleach
- Formaldehyde
- Artificial fragrance
- Alcohol
- Detergents
Don’t stress yourself
Stress is also a culprit for hair fall and dandruff problems. It may not cause the problem directly, but it somehow affects the immune system of a person causing weak hair problems.
Also, people who are more stressed are prone to have quick contact with Malassezia.
You can avoid stressing if you get engaged in several activities such as:
- Yogas
- Meditations
- Weight training
- Swimming
- Good music
- Cycling
- Hiking
Get good amount of Vitamin D
Vitamin D also helps to keep your hair healthy and lovely. Even though UV rays from the sun are harmful to your skin and are likely to cause cancer, a little bit of sunshine won’t do any bad to your hair.
If you don’t like to get tanned, then you can get some vitamin D supplements instead.
Conclusion
Hair is the essence of a person’s body. Caring for it not enough can only result in losing it slowly or instantly.
So, before it gets too late, be attentive to dandruff and hair fall problems, get yourself diagnosed, and try to treat the problems in the best possible way.