Is dandruff just caused by insufficient cleaning?

This article was reviewed by: Xiaobo Zhou, Doctor of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Do you also have this kind of trouble:

Even if you wash your hair every day, dandruff still looks like white "snowflakes" embedded in the hair in large pieces;

If you move a little, it will fall on your shoulders, which is very embarrassing;

Over time, they will be labeled as "sloppy" and "unhygienic", and even their lives and work will be affected...

Where do these annoying dandruffs come from? How should we "eliminate" them? How should we choose the common "anti-dandruff shampoo" on the market? Today, let's talk about dandruff~

Where does dandruff come from?

Dandruff is actually the keratin cells that fall off the scalp. During the metabolism of epidermal cells on the human head, dry dead cells fall off automatically in the form of scales or flakes, which is called dandruff.

Everyone has dandruff. Under normal circumstances, the shedding and regeneration of cells are in a dynamic balance. Keratinocytes shed less and in a slow cycle. The diameter is about 0.02mm and is rarely seen by the naked eye. So once dandruff becomes visible to the naked eye, it is no longer normal.

If you occasionally find a small amount of dandruff, it may be that the scalp environment is too dry, or you have bad living habits, such as frequent scratching of your head and irregular lifestyle, which causes the scalp cuticle to metabolize too quickly and clump and fall off.

But if you have adequate cleansing and moisturizing and have good living habits, but dandruff is as heavy as snow and flying all over the place, you need to consider a common condition - seborrheic dermatitis!

Seborrheic dermatitis:

The most common causes of dandruff

Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis, also known as seborrheic eczema, is a chronic papular and scaly inflammatory skin disease that generally occurs in sebaceous gland-rich areas such as the scalp, brow arches, cheeks, upper chest, and groin.

When it occurs on the scalp, it can cause increased dandruff with mild itching symptoms, or severe itching, leakage of tissue fluid, and even cause a large amount of hair loss. The affected area may also have dark red patches with clear borders and slightly yellowing, covered with greasy scales or scabs.

Malassezia fungus is often associated with

The pathogenesis of dandruff caused by seborrheic dermatitis is not completely clear, and it is generally believed to be caused by a combination of factors, such as genetic susceptibility, endocrine disorders, mental stress, staying up late, excessive sweating, etc. In addition, there is also a view that the disease is related to an oil-loving fungus, Malassezia.

Malassezia needs oil to grow. When the scalp secretes more sebum, Malassezia may over-reproduce and produce a large amount of irritating unsaturated fatty acids, causing scalp inflammation and abnormal scalp metabolism. At this time, problems such as scalp itching and scalp erythema will appear, and the production of dandruff will be further accelerated.

Studies show that people with dandruff have 1.5-2 times more Malassezia on their scalp surface.

Be careful to distinguish it from psoriasis

Psoriasis, commonly known as psoriasis, is an immune abnormality, chronic proliferative skin disease caused by the combined effects of genetic and environmental factors.

The scalp of patients with psoriasis will have clearly defined red papules, plaques or maculopapules, covered with silvery white or yellowish scales, often distributed along the hairline. Its symptoms are somewhat similar to seborrheic dermatitis, but it generally does not cause hair loss, so it is necessary to be careful to distinguish it.

Tips

To identify psoriasis, you only need a small action: use a paper clip to gently scrape the area of ​​skin where the rash appears. If you see a thin film at this time, and some needle-like bleeding spots appear after scraping off the film, it is very likely a psoriasis rash.

How to choose shampoo to get rid of dandruff

When dandruff occurs, it is important to wash your hair frequently and keep the scalp environment balanced. But there are so many shampoos on the market, which one is more suitable when washing your hair?

To inhibit fungi, look for 4 ingredients

For dandruff caused by Malassezia, we can use shampoo with antifungal function. At present, there are four main active ingredients in antifungal shampoo that can remove dandruff:

Piroctone olamine salt: As a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, it is very low in irritation and is very suitable for people with mild dandruff. It not only inhibits bacteria and removes dandruff, but also helps reduce hair loss.

Zinc pyrithione (ZPT): It can effectively kill the fungi that cause dandruff, and is very suitable for people with oily scalp and mild dandruff. Most of the anti-dandruff shampoos we can buy in supermarkets contain this ingredient.

Ketoconazole: It has very strong anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects, has a strong ability to inhibit dandruff, can eliminate symptoms such as itchy scalp, and has a therapeutic effect on seborrheic alopecia. However, ketoconazole is a drug ingredient, and you need to go to the pharmacy to buy a 2% concentration of "ketoconazole lotion".

Selenium disulfide: It has antifungal and anti-seborrhea effects. It can be used to treat tinea versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis of the head, dandruff, etc.

Tips

① Anti-dandruff shampoo is often a strong cleansing and grease removal, which may dry out the scalp and cause more dandruff, so it can be used with a conditioner;

② If you have more serious symptoms such as seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis, it is recommended to see a dermatologist for diagnosis and medication.

Daily scalp care

5 Things to Do

Pay attention to the frequency of washing your hair

Generally, you should wash your hair every 2-3 days in autumn and winter, and every 1-2 days in spring and summer. If you wash your hair too frequently, it will damage your scalp and hair, making your scalp sensitive and your hair frizzy and dry.

But for people whose hair is particularly prone to oiliness, it is recommended to wash it every other day to avoid oil clogging the hair follicles in the scalp.

Avoid scratching your scalp

The scalp is actually thinner than the skin on the face and can easily break and bleed, so when washing your hair it is best not to scratch your scalp with your nails. Instead, use your fingertips to massage the scalp in circles.

If you are worried that your hair is not clean enough, you can use a comb for a while before washing it, instead of using your fingers, to comb out the dirt and dust deep inside your hair.

Control the water temperature when washing your hair

Water temperature that is too high can easily take away too much oil and nutrients from the scalp, making the hair more fragile and susceptible to damage; in order to protect itself, the scalp will secrete more oil, leading to more serious dandruff and oily hair.

But if the temperature is too low, it is easy to cause headaches and colds, and it is also easy to not wash thoroughly. Therefore, a water temperature of around 40℃ is just right.

Don’t apply conditioner to your scalp

Although conditioner can nourish hair, if it is applied to the roots of hair, it can easily clog the pores of the scalp, leading to hair loss; however, if you only apply conditioner to the ends of your hair and rinse it off immediately, it will also not protect your hair.

The correct way to do it is: apply the conditioner starting from the hair near the ears and move downwards, leave it on for about 5 minutes, and then rinse it off.

Pay attention to pillow hygiene

Many people only know how to wash their hair to take care of their scalp, but ignore the hygiene of their pillows. In fact, pillows that we use every day when we sleep are not only stained with saliva, body oil, sweat and other substances, but may also breed mites and bacteria, which can easily cause skin problems such as dermatitis and acne, and seriously endanger the health of the scalp.

It is recommended that pillows be replaced every 1 to 3 years and cleaned every 3 months. For buckwheat pillows, pour out the buckwheat husks and place them in the sun to dry. Down pillows, sponge pillows, etc. can be dried in the sun if desired.

Source: I am a great doctor official microblog (ID: woshidayisheng)

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