Dandruff

[xsampa]

I'm fed up with my usual strategy of dealing with the small bits of dandruff that appear in my hair. That strategy consists of taking my pointer finger and thumb, placing both at the base of a hair which has dandruff and pulling the fingers outwards from the scalp; it's annoying because it can pull out hairs. What do I do ?

[jacqueline101]

Have you tried dandruff shampoo? I used garnier dandruff shampoo and conditioner years ago it worked well. You could get a fine tooth comb and scritch your scalp. If you don't want to try that try a scalp scrub to remove it like dry skin on your body.

[Daylilly]

Have you tried EVOO on your scalp. It seems to help a lot of people. I put it on a dry scalp and leave it on for at least 30 minutes and do scalp massages. it can be tricky to get out though so apply shampoo to the scalp before you get it wet and let it sit a while.

[gwenalyn]

Head & Shoulders works for me. FWIW , you're probably not pulling out hairs that weren't ready to shed anyway, but the method you describe sounds time-consuming!

[FrostedLoki]

Seconding Head & Shoulders. Preferably the one with mint in it as your scalp feels so gloriously clean afterwards. Also, wash your hairbrush once a week. I find that helps loads.

[LeMimi13]

Just found some dandruff today... Hadn't found any in 2 yesrs.. tips to get rid of it?

[yogagirl]

Another vote for H&S. Only use it on your scalp though, as it can be quite drying to the length. I usually do CWC with H&S.

Once you get a handle on the dandruff, you can go back to your normal shampoo and use the H&S as needed or every other wash or so.

Good luck!

[jacqueline101]

I forgot monistat will help dandruff. It helped mine. I've been flake free for two years or longer.

[Anje]

I'm fighting a bit right now myself. :/

It's worth considering that there are several causes for dandruff. My tiny little flakes are probably the result of dry skin on my head. It's cold and dry dry dry here -- the palms of my hands are even flaking. So I'll likely slather some oil on my scalp a few hours before a wash and might make sure I get conditioner on it afterward (my conditioner and lotion have rather similar ingredient lists).

Other times, dandruff can come from some fungal growth that's taken up on your scalp. Head & Shoulders, Monistat, and Ketoconazole shampoos are great ways to deal with this, since they treat the overgrowth problem.

Other folks get flakes (often large greasy ones) from seborrhic dematitis, in which the scalp becomes irritated by its sebum. The treatment changes again to finding methods to reduce the oil on the scalp. A few people have reported that CO washing cleared it up, but it seems that more have good luck using relatively harsh sulfate shampoos frequently to keep their scalps squeaky clean.

There could also be other skin conditions, like eczema and psoriasis. If it's irritated and doesn't seem to go away with minimal treatment (like dry skin or a few weeks with a dandruff shampoo), it's probably worth getting a medical type to take a look and tell you what it looks like.

[Anje]

I'm fighting a bit right now myself. :/

It's worth considering that there are several causes for dandruff. My tiny little flakes are probably the result of dry skin on my head. It's cold and dry dry dry here -- the palms of my hands are even flaking. So I'll likely slather some oil on my scalp a few hours before a wash and might make sure I get conditioner on it afterward (my conditioner and lotion have rather similar ingredient lists).

Other times, dandruff can come from some fungal growth that's taken up on your scalp. Head & Shoulders, Monistat, and Ketoconazole shampoos are great ways to deal with this, since they treat the overgrowth problem.

Other folks get flakes (often large greasy ones) from seborrhic dematitis, in which the scalp becomes irritated by its sebum. The treatment changes again to finding methods to reduce the oil on the scalp. A few people have reported that CO washing cleared it up, but it seems that more have good luck using relatively harsh sulfate shampoos frequently to keep their scalps squeaky clean.

There could also be other skin conditions, like eczema and psoriasis. If it's irritated and doesn't seem to go away with minimal treatment (like dry skin or a few weeks with a dandruff shampoo), it's probably worth getting a medical type to take a look and tell you what it looks like.

[LeMimi13]

For the ladies : have you noticed any relation between your menstrual cycle and dandruff? My scalp usually feels sore during my period, and since I'm on it, I think it might be causing my dandruff