• Do you have dry, flaky scalp?
• Your scalp is itchy?
• Do you feel tightness on your scalp?

MAY BE YOU HAVE DANDRUFF…

 What is Dandruff?

Dandruff is a chronic skin condition, affecting the scalp and it causesitchy, flaking skin without visible inflammation..Dandruff is another name for a condition called seborrheicdermatitis (inflammation on the skin) that occurs on the scalp. It is a common problem affecting almost half of the population of either sex. The severity of dandruff fluctuates with season and become worst in winters.Dandruff causes flaky, white, or yellowish skin to form on the scalp.

Types of Dandruff

Dandruff can be classified into two categories-

Mild to moderate itching with dry, thin white or greyish coloured scales. Usually occurs to people with dry scalp.

Slight itching with waxy, greasy and yellowish thick scales. It causes thinning of the hair followed by loss.

Symptoms of Dandruff

• White flakes of dead skin in the hair or on the shoulders which is itchy and dry in nature.

Causes of Dandruff

• Stress
• Dry skin
• Overproduction of skin oil (sebum) in the oil glands and hair follicles
• Fungal infections
• Extreme cold or hot weather
• Fatigue
• Incorrect diet
• Energy loss due to an illness or infection
• Artificial styling products
• Harsh shampoos

 Conditions resulting from dandruff:

• Dry Scalp: It results due to loss of moisture on the scalp and is characterized by small, dry flakes, tightness of the scalp and itchiness.
• Seborrheic Dermatitis: It is characterized by heavy flaking, severe itchiness, redness and inflammation.

Ayurvedic Perspective in Treatment of Dandruff

Dandruff in Ayurveda is categorized under Shodraroga and is called as Darunak. It appears due to imbalance of pitta (heat and fire) and vata (dry and rough) doshas. Production of ama (impurities) deep into the tissue of scalp results in itchiness which further leads to problem of dandruff. Some herbal plants used in anti-dandruff shampoo and cream are:

Lippianodiflora, Wrightiatinctoria, Ziziphus jujube, Acacia concinna (shikakai), Sapindusmukorossi (reetha), Ocimumsanctu (tulsi), Azadirachtaindica (neem), Rosmarinusofficinalis, Vitisvinifera, Fenugreck (methi).

Some other remedies of dandruff are:

• Scalp massage with different oils (sandalwood, coconut, sesame, almond and olive oil), eggs and mixture of juices (lemon juice and amla juice) helps in eradicating dandruff.
• Applying yoghurt and paste of methi, neem, amla and shakakai also helps in treating dandruff.
• Head massage with warm mustard or coconut oil with lemon juice is a common treatment of dandruff.