What Causes Dandruff?
The exact cause of dandruff, also known as scurf or Pityriasis simplex capillitii is unknown. However, most experts do agree that it is not caused by poor hygiene. Rarely, dandruff can be a manifestation of an allergic reaction to chemicals in hair gels, sprays, and shampoos, hair oils, or sometimes even dandruff medications like ketoconazole. There is some evidence that excessive perspiration and climate have significant roles in the pathogenesis of dandruff.
The condition of your hair is a reflection of your body’s general health. Its condition changes for the worse with stress, nutritional deficiencies, hormone shifts, and environmental factors. The real culprit when it comes to dandruff may be a fat-eating, yeast-like fungus called malassezia, formerly known as pityrosporum.
The Most Popular Causes Of Dandruff
- Yeast – People who are sensitive to yeast have a slightly higher risk of having dandruff, so it is logical to assume that yeast may play a part. Yeast-sensitive people who get dandruff find that it gets better during the warmer months and worse during the winter. UVA light from the sun counteracts the yeast. Some say, though, that during winter the skin is drier because of cold air and overheated rooms (exposure to extreme temperatures), making dandruff more likely. So, it is sometimes not that easy to know whether it is yeast or just dry skin.
- Malassezia – Malassezia is a fungus that lives on everybody’s scalp. Generally, it will cause no problems at all. However, it can grow out of control. It feeds on the oils our hair follicles secrete. When this happens the scalp can become irritated and produces extra skin cells. These extra skin cells die and fall off; they mix with the oil from the hair and scalp, and turn into what we see as dandruff.
- Dry skin. simple dry skin — the kind you get during winter when the air is cold and rooms are overheated — is the most common cause of itchy, flaking dandruff. Flakes from dry skin are generally smaller and less oily than those from other causes of dandruff, and you’ll likely have symptoms and signs of dry skin on other parts of the body, such as your legs and arms.
- Seborrheic dermatitis (irritated, oily skin) This condition, one of the most frequent causes of dandruff, is marked by red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales. Seborrheic dermatitis may affect not only your scalp, but also other areas rich in oil glands, such as your eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone, your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.
- Psoriasis. This skin disorder causes an accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick, silvery scales. Psoriasis commonly occurs on your knees, elbows and trunk, but it can also affect your scalp. It may be difficult to differentiate from seborrheic dermatitis if only the scalp is involved.Eczema. If you have eczema anywhere on your body, it could also be on your scalp, possibly leading to the development of dandruff.
- Other illnesses – Adults with Parkinson’s disease and some other neurological illnesses are more prone to having dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Patients recovering from heart attacks and strokes, and some people with weak immune systems may have dandruff more often than other people.
- Diet – Some experts say that people who do not consume enough foods that contain zinc, B vitamins, and some types of fats are more prone to dandruff.
- Mental stress – Experts believe there is a link between stress and many skin problems.
- HIV – A study found that 10.6% of people with HIV have seborrheic dermatitis.
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