Dandruff
dandruff; scalp; hair; flake; scale;
Contents
If your teenage child's head feels really itchy and you find small yellowish flakes falling onto his shoulders, the chances are that he has dandruff. Some people can also have dandruff in their eyebrows, but this is unusual.
Wearing dark coloured clothes can be embarrassing, as the flakes show up particularly well on dark colours.
What is dandruff?
The skin of the scalp has many layers. Cells start growing in the dermis at the bottom, and eventually they move up to form a layer of dead cells on the surface of the skin. Normally, these dead cells fall off in tiny flakes which we don't even notice. Washing or brushing hair helps to get rid of the flakes.
These tiny flakes are not dandruff!!
Dandruff is a type of dermatitis (called seborrheic dermatitis).
- This dermatitis causes itching and flaking on patches of the scalp.
- The scalp sheds many bigger greasy flakes, and these are what we call dandruff.
- Dandruff can be distressing for the person who has it, because the flakes can be seen in the hair and on clothes.
- Some people might think people with dandruff don't take good care of their appearance, even when the person is trying hard.
- Really, most other people won't notice these flakes as much as the person with dandruff does!
Why do some people get dandruff?
It is not clear why some people get dandruff and others don't, but there are some things that we do know about it.
- It seems to start happening around puberty, when a lot more oil is made by glands at the base of each hair. This oil holds the tiny flakes together to make bigger, more noticeable flakes. Boys get more oily hair than girls, and boys have dandruff more often than girls.
- A tiny fungus seems to be part of the reason people get dandruff. This fungus is called Malassezia (mal-a-sea-zee-a) or sometimes Pityrosporum (pit-ee-rose-por-um). This fungus makes the skin cells grow much more rapidly, so there are a lot more dead cells, and these mix with the hair oils to make bigger flakes.
- There are some other things that can cause flaky, itchy skin, such as ringworm and other types of dermatitis. Your doctor would be able to look at their hair and tell if they have one of these problems, or just dandruff.
What can you do about dandruff?
The first thing is to work out if the person really has dandruff, or if they just have the normal tiny flakes of dead cells which everyone has. A lot of money is made from persuading people that they have dandruff, and that they just have to use this latest, greatest treatment or else be social outcasts.
- Have a talk with your doctor, to see whether there really is a problem.
There are several different things you can try to see if you can improve their scalp health.
- First, if the young person has oily hair, using a gentle shampoo every day will get rid of the extra oil. Since the oil holds the tiny flakes together, making big, noticeable flakes, getting rid of the oil is enough for some people.
- Avoid hair products like hair gels. These hold on to the tiny flakes, making bigger lumps as well.
- See if they can have a bit more zinc in their diet. Zinc is one of the things that seems to help keep skin healthy. Food sources for zinc include egg yolks, fish, meat, soybeans, sunflower seeds and whole grains.
- Make sure they get a little sunshine. This is not 'permission' to sunbake and develop a tan. The sun can still damage skin if they stay out too long, but a little bit of sun onto the scalp seems to help.
Dandruff treatments
There are treatments, such as anti-dandruff shampoos, which can be helpful if someone is having problems with dandruff.
- There are many shampoos available 'over-the-counter' at chemist shops.
- Different types of shampoos work in different ways, and some can affect the colour of hair, and some people can be allergic to some of the products. So have a talk to the chemist before you spend your money.
- When they use one of these products, it is important to leave it on their scalp for five minutes before they wash it off.
- They may need to use one of these shampoos every day for a while, then as the dandruff gets better, use the product about twice a week for a while.
If they have dandruff that is not getting better even when they have tried a couple of different types of products, go back to see your doctor who may be able to prescribe a different treatment which could work.
Remember dandruff is treatable.
Did you know…
Tea tree oil kills some fungus, and can be helpful for some people who have dandruff and who would prefer to use a 'natural' product - but be careful:
- 'Raw' tea tree oil can hurt broken skin, or irritate healthy skin.
- Some people are allergic to tea tree oil, which could cause even more itching and scaling.
You could look for skin or hair products which contain tea tree oil, and test the product on a different part of their skin before they try it on their head.
Further reading
Mayoclinic.com. 'Dandruff':
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00456
Reference
Harrison's Textbook of Internal Medicine 'Online' - Chapter 47. 'Eczema, psoriasis, cutaneous infections, acne and other common skin disorders'.
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.