CAUSES OF DANDRUFF
Although the cause of dandruff is not fully understood, it is currently believed that one of the main causes is a breakdown of the scalp's natural lipid barrier, exposing it to infection from the microscopic yeasts commonly found in the scalp. When the yeast overgrows, it causes an inflammatory response that kills scalp cells at a rapid rate, which in turn slough off in sticky patches and flakes.
The condition is identified by:
- White or clear flakes on scalp, hair and clothing.
– Itchy scalp that may be red and inflamed.
Some young teens develop dandruff when they hit puberty because their hygiene habits haven't changed to meet the challenges of newly accelerated sebum production.
Stress, poor hygiene and poor diet can make the scalp more prone to dandruff. Foods high in sugar, in particular, are known to make yeast infections worse.
Hair should be brushed regularly to dissolve dandruff and stimulate blood flow to the scalp, which speeds up the natural immune response to infection.
TREATMENT OF DANDRUFF
There are few habits you can develop and natural treatments you can use to treat dandruff.
Diet: Excess sugar in the diet can make any yeast infection worse. Try reducing your intake of sugar and refined starches while treating dandruff.
Cleansing: Massage your scalp thoroughly with your fingertips while shampooing. This will help loosen and remove dead skin cells and prevent the infection from spreading. Wash your hair daily until the infection goes away.
Conditioner: Use a protective hair conditioner on the ends of your hair only. Avoid getting conditioner on your scalp, where it can clog pores and interfere with skin healing.
Other treatments:
– Massage: Massaging the scalp several times a day with just your fingertips stimulates blood flow to the hair follicles and helps to loosen dead skin cells.
- Brushing: Daily thorough brushing of your hair will help loosen and remove dead skin cells, increase the smooth flow of sebum along the hair shaft and increase blood supply to the hair follicles.
- Wash hands after brushing and grooming hair: Fungal infections of the skin are highly contagious and can easily be re-infected and spread to other areas of the body. That's why it's important to wash your hair every day and brush out loose flakes of dandruff - so that healthy parts of the scalp are not infected. Wash your hands after brushing, massaging and conditioning your hair to prevent re-infection or cross-infection.
The following herbs and nutrients have been shown to reduce dandruff infections:
Natural internal treatments for dandruff
Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vanadyl Sulfate, Gynema Sylvestre and Chromium are all natural regulators of blood sugar levels. This can help prevent infection by normalizing blood sugar levels.
Olive leaf and oregano leaf are both natural systemic antifungals.
Natural external treatments for dandruff
The following herbs can be used as a tonic to reduce yeast infections on a topical basis. Extracts of these herbs or a few drops of their essential oils dissolved in aloe vera gel or witch hazel can greatly relieve the symptoms of itching and flaking. Tea tree oil is particularly effective against fungal and bacterial infections
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