Does dandruff bother you even though you wash your hair often and use anti-dandruff products?
The skin of the scalp plays a central role in the dandruff problem!
Like the skin on the face and inner body, the skin on the scalp can also be dry, oily or combination.
And what determines it? It depends on the sebum!
What is sebum and what does it have to do with dandruff?
Sebum is an oily substance that is produced by hair follicles. Its function is to protect the skin and keep it hydrated.
If the sebum production is too much , we are faced with greasy and oily skin , often even impure . It can also happen to the scalp. In fact, the sebum on the scalp also accumulates at the base of the hair and weighs it down, making it greasy. At the same time this deposit of sebum accumulates and can cause itching of the skin and oily flaking .
And if the sebum is too little ? The skin is dry and can give rise to flaking . With an excessive production of sebum we encounter greasy dandruff, with a low production we encounter dry dandruff.
What are the differences between dry dandruff and oily dandruff?
Excessive sebum production on the scalp can cause greasy dandruff.
The skin flakes off in whitish or yellow, greasy and usually thick pieces. Dandruff is caused by an increase in cell turnover of the skin "suffocated" by excess sebum.
The flakes of greasy dandruff are difficult to remove by moving your hair or shampooing.
The causes of greasy dandruff can be many , below are the most common ones , from which to start to remedy them!
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Hormonal factors
A hormonal imbalance or a particular hormonal condition , adolescence for example, can significantly increase the production of sebum.
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Oily facial skin
If you already have oily and blemish-prone facial skin, it is very likely that your scalp is also oily and has oily dandruff.
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Unbalanced diet.
We are what we eat! Nutrition has a huge impact on the health and consequent appearance of our skin and hair! Choose healthy foods and drink lots of water!
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Stress.
Stress triggers cortisol and other hormones! Responsible for worsening inflammatory conditions and oily and impure skin.
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Washing too frequently
Oh yes! Do you see dandruff and wash yourself more frequently? Maybe with aggressive shampoos? Know that the scalp becomes even more unbalanced and the production of sebum increases!
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Using aggressive shampoos
As above, a harsh shampoo does nothing but irritate and weaken the skin barrier and the skin responds by protecting itself, increasing the production of sebum!
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Scalp microbiota dysbiosis
The skin microbiota is the skin ecosystem that includes all the microorganisms naturally present on the skin: bacteria, viruses and fungi. Some are "good" and others "bad". If the latter take over we are faced with dysbiosis, a significant imbalance.
When you have sensitive and irritable skin that quickly reddens, burns and flakes easily, you have dry dandruff!
Even for dry dandruff a lot depends on our skin type , if you have dry and sensitive facial skin you could encounter the formation of dry dandruff on the scalp!
Dry dandruff is characterized by small, very small white flakes that settle on the skin and hair . Dry dandruff is also associated with an aesthetic discomfort and an annoying itching.
There are many causes of dry dandruff , here are the most common ones , from which to start to remedy them!
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Dry and dehydrated facial skin
If you already have dry facial skin, it is very likely that your scalp is also dry and prone to flaking!
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Unbalanced diet
We are what we eat! Nutrition has a huge impact on the health and consequent appearance of our skin and hair! Choose healthy foods and drink lots of water!
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Washing too frequently
If you have dandruff and wash yourself more frequently, perhaps with aggressive shampoos, then know that the scalp becomes even more unbalanced and the production of sebum increases!
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Using aggressive shampoos
As above, a harsh shampoo does nothing but irritate and weaken the skin barrier and the skin responds by protecting itself, increasing the production of sebum!
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Invasive hair treatments
Coloring, bleaching and perming also affect the scalp and alter its balance.
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Mechanical damage
If it itches, don't scratch it hard and go easy on the brushes and combs!
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Skin aging
As we age, our skin produces less sebum and becomes dehydrated.
Natural remedies for dandruff
Just above I was telling you about the microbiota, maintaining that balance and taking care of the lipid skin barrier is essential to remedy greasy dandruff.
We must therefore pay attention to our habits !
Here are some suggestions:
- Use a gentle anti-dandruff shampoo that does not contain SLS and SLES
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Take care of your hair with pre-treatments with purifying lotions and scrubs that remove dead cells without affecting the microbiota and barrier!
- When you wash your hair , massage your scalp to stimulate microcirculation! You will give more nutrition to the hair bulb!
- When drying your hair , keep the hair dryer at a good distance from your scalp. Excess heat stresses the hair and liquefies the sebum, making hair immediately greasier.
- Use gentle styling cosmetics
Dandruff can also be caused by shampoos that are too aggressive or by using them too frequently. Alternative, natural and delicate hair washes may be useful, as they do not stress the scalp, minimizing the risk of dandruff. Find out everything in our guide to alternative shampoos .
Don't miss all our hair care tips in our guides and tutorials section!
