What Causes Dandruff and How do I Treat it?

Dandruff is a common problem that affects millions of men and women worldwide.

While the condition can be embarrassing for the sufferer it is not in any way threatening to the individual.

Those unsightly white flakes that seem to appear like snow, are most often caused by a condition called Seborrheic dermatitis.

However there are other common causes of this condition which include not shampooing enough, dry skin, irritated skin, allergic reaction to the shampoo you are using, psoriasis, eczema, or a type of yeast growing out of control on the scalp.

There are several products out there used to treat flakes such as nizoral shampoo.

But as with everything else, nizoral shampoo can cause some unwanted side effects and many people prefer to play it safe, and use remedies for treating dandruff.

Believe me there are no shortages of home remedies for treatment of a flakey scalp as it is a widespread problem.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If your hair is thinning you may want to avoid the regular anti-dandruff shampoos as the main ingredient in them tends to cause hair loss! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pros and Cons of using Nizoral Shampoo…

Some positives that come from this medication are it promotes hair growth while almost every other dandruff shampoo promotes hair loss.

It does control a flakey scalp excellently, and helps to re-grow a fuller head of hair.

The cons are it is a chemical and it is readily absorbed through the scalp, this is what makes it effective.

While the topical application of this product on your scalp poses some risk of side effects, such as zits on the scalp, and abnormal hair texture, the consumption of the tablet can prove to be deadly for some.

Nizoral is also available in a tablet form and when taken orally it has caused hepatic toxicity and even death, therefore when taking this medication you must be extremely careful and have regular blood levels drawn.

Also, when taken in conjunction with certain medications it has shown to seriously effect your heart… in a very bad way! So, never take this unless under the supervision of a good doctor.

And do not take it while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Many people do take this drug. However, all of this seems like a high price to pay for non-flaky locks!!

A good alternative to treating a flakey scalp, and not affecting your liver or heart, is by using home remedies!

Home remedies for treating a flakey scalp.

The first and most obvious treatment, or home remedy for treating dandruff, is to shampoo and shampoo often. This will help to exfoliate your scalp and keep the scales from building up.

After all the majority of dandruff is caused by oily flakes, not dry! Although, if you suspect that your dandruff is due to dry over worked hair try a nice hot oil treatment.

If you still find you have a flakey scalp after you have bumped up your washing sessions to once a day, try some of these remedies for the flakes.

Vinegar is an all time favorite for all sorts of hair and cosmetic remedies.

While I can’t tell you from experience if it works or not, I can tell you that many of the medicated shampoos used for the treatment of a flakey scalp have an anti-bacterial property.

And vinegar…any type, possesses amazing anti-bacterial properties. It is thought that a vinegar rinse strips the hair and scalp of old built up residue and scales, while increasing circulation.

While there are several different recipes and concoctions, the main ingredient is usually always vinegar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After washing your hair perform a pure vinegar rinse using apple cider vinegar. This has proven effective at curing a flakey scalp time and time again. But be careful as vinegar can be drying; restrict this treatment to once a week. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some things to consider when deciding on a treatment…

Remember, that natural and herbal treatments are equally effective in most cases and don’t have half the side effects of the conventional medical options.

Another good tip to remember when treating dandruff is to treat it as soon as you notice it! Ignoring it will only allow the condition to worsen.

Dandruff remedies are plentiful and because the condition is so common people have a lot of advice to offer on what worked for them.

Search the web and read some suggestions and home remedies, pick a few and give them a try…good luck!!

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