It's not uncommon. It happens to a lot of people. It's not as disgusting as it's made out to be, and it can happen to anyone. How to get rid of dandruff with natural remedies: What are we talking about?
Dandruff, of course. Just about everybody flinches at the thought of dandruff. It is one of the many natural human 'ailments' that gets stigmatized heavily, much like body odor or sweat.
We're all susceptible to these things, and showcasing the symptoms of one or all of them doesn't represent severe health, lifestyle, or body problems, so there's no reason for panic.
But that doesn't mean that we should be fine with it and stop fighting it either. So, let's begin by getting to know our enemy, and then we can declare war and win it, with the solutions presented below.
What is Dandruff?
All of our skin constantly renews itself, and dead cells are shed daily in almost microscopic particles.
Dandruff is simply flakes of dead skin from our scalp, which is a by-product of the perfectly normal and natural process of skin renewal.
When dandruff occurs, it is because this process has been sped up in some way, which causes a greater amount of older skin to flake off here and there.
Different Types of Dandruff
Dandruff, based on scalp skin type, can be categorized as either dry or oily. Addressing dandruff based on its type is key to effective treatment and prevention.
Dry dandruff manifests as small, rapidly falling white flakes around the hair roots, forehead, and back of the head, often visible on shoulders, particularly with darker clothing.
This type is easily treated with suitable remedies. In contrast, oily dandruff adheres to the scalp, presenting larger flakes accompanied by itching.
It's crucial to refrain from excessive scratching or scrubbing to prevent further skin damage.
Oily dandruff, while more challenging to eliminate, won't be as visibly apparent and won't fall over your shoulders due to the presence of natural oils, providing some consolation despite its difficulty to manage.
What Causes Dandruff?
Many internal and external factors can cause dandruff. Here are the most common:
- Wrong hair care routine: Dandruff can stem from various internal and external factors. Incorrect hair care routines, featuring either overly aggressive or excessively mild products, may irritate the scalp or disrupt sebum production, leading to dandruff.
- Hormonal disorders: Hormonal imbalances during puberty, irregular menstrual cycles, or menopausal challenges can also trigger their appearance. Notably, dandruff is rare in children and tends to decrease with age.
- Stress: Everyday stress can impact the scalp's skin, weakening the immune system and hindering the cell renewal process, fostering dandruff. Interestingly, dandruff often mysteriously vanishes during stress-free vacations.
Additional causes include dry skin, imbalanced diets, environmental factors like dirt, and irritation from excessive styling products.
Recognizing these diverse triggers is crucial for effective dandruff prevention and management.
Some Tips to Get Rid of Dandruff
Now that we are more familiar with dandruff and its causes, we can easily get rid of it. Here are some of the best methods to get rid of dandruff:
Wash Your Hair Properly and Regularly
Ensuring proper hair care is a fundamental step that is often overlooked. While individual needs may vary, dedicating time to hair maintenance is essential.
Before washing, thoroughly dampen hair to avoid excess shampoo application. Massage shampoo into a lather, working from the back of the head upward.
Rinse and repeat, allowing the product to sit for 2 to 5 minutes before thorough rinsing. Incorporate a scalp massage during shampooing with gentle circular movements to promote circulation, being mindful not to irritate.
Regular washing and brushing not only cleanse the scalp of dead skin, preventing flaking in public but also supply the hair with natural protective oils.
Prioritize these practices to maintain healthy, flake-free hair and a nourished scalp.
Don't Wash Too Much, Though
There's a flip side to this hair maintenance solution, though. Washing your hair every day (especially with special anti-dandruff products that contain harsh chemicals) can affect the quality of your hair and irritate, dry out, and harm the scalp, which can cause even more dandruff.
The most you should wash your hair is three times a week, in order not to irritate the scalp. Look out for 'dandruff shampoos', specifically designed to get rid of dandruff.
They will not only wash the hair but also remove the dead cells from the surface of the scalp and effectively get rid of the extra fungus.
Try to Relax and Get Less Stressed
This is an old chestnut, right? It seems no problem in the world can't be solved by simply lowering your stress levels.
It's the flip side that's true: that stress causes an inordinate amount of problems in the world, of which dandruff can be one. Do you want to get rid of dandruff? Try to relax, exercise regularly, and tackle stress head-on.
Tips to Get Rid of Dandruff Naturally
There are a lot of alternative treatments for stubborn dandruff that one can try, all of which are natural, so there's no real harm in giving it a whirl. Here are the ones we recommend:
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda, when used over a long treatment schedule, can reduce the itchiness and irritability of a dry scalp, which lowers the flakiness of the skin in the first step.
Just rinse your hair and apply a handful of the powder to the problem area. Rinse with water only; no shampoo!
2. Plain Yogurt
Plain yogurt can combat a surplus of yeast in the scalp (one of the causes of stubborn dandruff) due to the bacteria contained in the yogurt itself.
This is a slightly longer treatment, requiring the product to be left in for half an hour before rinsing it out.
3. Lemon Juice
Due to the lemon, a fruit with multiple virtues, the lemon juice contained in the fruit can lower the pH level of the scalp, essentially lowering the chances of dandruff taking hold.
Simply juice a lemon, add around one tablespoon of the juice to one cup of water, and rinse with this solution until you get rid of the dandruff complications.
Other Quick Tips to Get Rid of Dandruff
- Address dandruff promptly to prevent its spread.
- For occasional and minimal flakes, alternate between regular and special shampoos while gently massaging the scalp during washing.
- In cases of periodic but substantial dandruff, choose an anti-dandruff shampoo suitable for dry or oily hair, based on your hair type.
- Use it consistently for at least two weeks, two to three times weekly.
- If persistent dandruff is an ongoing concern, opt for a specialized anti-dandruff shampoo with lasting effects.
- Complement it with a gel or lotion, depending on the itchiness.
- Perform this combined treatment twice a week for a minimum of three weeks.
With each session, your scalp's balance improves, emphasizing the importance of maintaining this equilibrium for lasting relief from dandruff.
Conclusion
To prevent dandruff from reoccurring, occasionally wash your hair with the special anti-dandruff shampoo that helps you get rid of it only in the first step.
These are just a handful of the solutions that could help you get rid of dandruff, and what you may notice is that there are hundreds of different treatments. Why is that?
Partly because it's a fairly simple condition to treat, but also because it's something that affects a lot of people, something that's not as disgusting as it's made out to be, and something that can happen to anyone.
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