What is Dandruff?
Dandruff is
very common to people around the globe especially for a man. And you know what,
dandruff is not really a big problem because it’s not affect human health and
body but it’s really disturbing especially when it creates itchiness. Dandruff is a common skin condition that causes flakes of dead skin to
appear in the hair. Dandruff can also make the scalp feel itchy.
The condition is not contagious and does not usually pose a threat to health,
but can be unpleasant and embarrassing. Dandruff can range from mild to
severe.
What causes
dandruff?
Dandruff can
be a natural process in the body even it can be abnormal. Dandruff can be formed when the natural cycle of skin renewal is speeded
up. This leads to patches of dead skin forming on the surface
of the scalp, which come away into the hair, resulting in the flakes
associated with dandruff. There are several factors that affect the skin
renewal cycle to speed up. I take several possible causes dandruff from nhs.uk.
As follows:
1. Seborrhoeic dermatitis – a common yet poorly understood condition that causes oily skin; people with seborrhoeic dermatitis can also experience flaking on other parts of the body such as the eyebrows, the side of the nose and anywhere where skin folds together, such as the armpits.
2. Malassezia – a type of fungus that normally lives harmlessly on skin but, if it grows out of control, can accelerate production of new skin. These are thought to be interlinked. The presence of the fungus on skin may provoke an abnormal response from the immune system (the body’s defence against infection), which can then cause skin to become oily. In turn, oiliness of the skin may encourage further growth of the fungus, which then triggers symptoms of dandruff.
3. emotional stress
4. not washing your hair or, conversely, washing your hair too much – some people can irritate their scalp if they shampoo their hair too often
5. using other hair products such as hairspray, hair gel and hair mousse
other skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema – two common skin conditions that can cause skin to become dry, red and flaky
6. having a weakened immune system, which can be the result of a condition such as HIV or as a side effect of a treatment such as chemotherapy
7. For reasons that are unclear, people with Parkinson’s diseaseoften develop both dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis.
1. Seborrhoeic dermatitis – a common yet poorly understood condition that causes oily skin; people with seborrhoeic dermatitis can also experience flaking on other parts of the body such as the eyebrows, the side of the nose and anywhere where skin folds together, such as the armpits.
2. Malassezia – a type of fungus that normally lives harmlessly on skin but, if it grows out of control, can accelerate production of new skin. These are thought to be interlinked. The presence of the fungus on skin may provoke an abnormal response from the immune system (the body’s defence against infection), which can then cause skin to become oily. In turn, oiliness of the skin may encourage further growth of the fungus, which then triggers symptoms of dandruff.
3. emotional stress
4. not washing your hair or, conversely, washing your hair too much – some people can irritate their scalp if they shampoo their hair too often
5. using other hair products such as hairspray, hair gel and hair mousse
other skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema – two common skin conditions that can cause skin to become dry, red and flaky
6. having a weakened immune system, which can be the result of a condition such as HIV or as a side effect of a treatment such as chemotherapy
7. For reasons that are unclear, people with Parkinson’s diseaseoften develop both dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis.
How
to Treat Dandruff
The common
treatment for dandruff is using anti-dandruff shampoo regularly. There are many
kinds of anti-dandruff products in store that you can easily get. The different
types can work in different ways. If one type fails to clear your head from
dandruff, it’s always common to change another product until you get the better
one. Another way to remove dandruff and avoid itchiness is applying natural
ingredients such as lemon, aloe vera, or menthol/mint.
I’ve
taken a sample herb recipe from BBC.UK. It’s just a simple recipe and
ingredients. You can get all the ingredients from market.
Anti-Dandruff Hair Oil
6 tbsp fresh rosemary
3 tbsp fresh thyme
3 tbsp fresh lavender
250ml coconut oil
20 drops peppermint essential oil
3 tbsp fresh thyme
3 tbsp fresh lavender
250ml coconut oil
20 drops peppermint essential oil
1. Wash and chop all the plants and place
in a glass heat-proof bowl. Stir in the coconut oil. Cover the bowl with a lid
and place over a pan of boiling water to create a double boiler. Heat on a
medium to low flame for 1 hour. Leave to cool.
2. When cool, stir in the peppermint
essential oil. Strain and pour the hair oil into bottles.
USE: Apply 3 teaspoons to hair and massage
well into the scalp. Wrap hair in a towel and leave for 30 minutes. Then wash hair
a couple of times with normal shampoo to get the oil out completely. Use 3
times a week for the first 2 weeks, and once a week as a preventative measure.
CAUTION: Avoid the eye area, and if you feel
any discomfort, wash off immediately.
STORAGE: Will keep for up to 1 year in a cool
dark place.
Sources:
Garden
herb recipes.
About the Author
RSS
Like
Follow
0 comments: