FAQ
DANDRUFF CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS
What is dandruff?
Dandruff is a common scalp condition that affects more than 50% of the population and is characterized by visible white flakes in your hair
Contrary to some common myths, it’s not caused by poor hygiene – the two factors that cause it are found on everyone whether they wash every day or not.
It’s caused by a naturally occurring microbe, Malassezia globosa, which is present on everyone’s scalp. Here’s how it works:
- Oleic acid is produced as Malassezia globosa breaks down the scalp oils in your hair
- Your scalp becomes irritated if you’re sensitive to oleic acid – around 50% of the population are – leading to itching, dryness and redness
- Your skin cells renew quicker than before as they respond to the irritation by increasing their turnover rate
- The excess skin cells form visible clumps which appear as white flakes in your hair and on your scalp – these flakes are the main symptom of dandruff
There are also a number of different factors which can exacerbate a dandruff problem or make it seem worse. These include:
- Heat
- Sweat
- Pollution
These don’t cause the problem, but can make it seem worse at certain times of the year or when doing particular activities like sports.
My dandruff always comes back. Why does that happen and what should I do?
There is no cure for dandruff, so if you stop using your anti-dandruff shampoo then it’s likely your dandruff will come back
Often, people use an anti-dandruff shampoo to treat the symptoms and, once they're gone they go back to their cosmetic shampoo again.
But dandruff is a recurring condition, so you need to treat the symptoms regularly if you want to stay flake-free.
To prevent dandruff coming back, here's what to do:
- Choose an anti-dandruff****shampoo - and make sure it's one that works too. Head & Shoulders shampoo has been clinically proven over 200 times and contains a unique Zinc Pyrithione active formula that tackles the root cause of dandruff
- Wash your hair regularly - for the best results, use your anti-dandruff shampoo every time you wash your hair rather than switching between that and a beauty shampoo. Head & Shoulders uses some of the best ingredients from cosmetic shampoos so you'll still get great-looking hair.
- Don't forget the conditioner - many people forget to use an anti-dandruff conditioner too. These have been designed to complement anti-dandruff shampoos and lock in the dandruff-fighting power - other conditioners may wash away the active ingredient in the shampoo so they won't be as effective
Do I have dandruff?
If you can see white flakes on your hair or clothes, you might have dandruff. But flakes aren’t the only symptom…
Dandruff can also cause the scalp to feel:
- Dry
- Tight
- Itchy
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be caused by dandruff. Try to treat the problem by washing your hair with Head & Shoulders shampoo regularly to remove the flakes and reduce itching and dryness associated with dandruff.
When are you most likely to experience dandruff?
For some people, dandruff is present all the time. For others, the visible signs might seem worse at particular times
There are a number of factors, which can affect your dandruff, that change over time and are affected by the environment you’re in.
Here are the times when you’re most at risk of dandruff:
- Puberty – as your hormone levels start changing during puberty, your body begins to produce more scalp oil. The dandruff-causing microbe, Malassezia globosa breaks down those oils into other substances that are irritating to the scalp. This is why so many people experience their first case of dandruff in puberty.
More about dandruff and puberty
- Increased body temperature – when your body temperature increases, it creates the ideal conditions for Malassezia globosa to thrive. So when you raise the temperature of your head – like when you wear a hat – you are more at risk of scalp irritation and dandruff.
- Stress – this can weaken your body’s natural defences, leaving you less able to respond to irritation on your scalp. That’s why many dandruff sufferers complain of the problem being worse when they’re particularly anxious
- Environmental factors – there are plenty of factors all around us like pollution and UV rays which can damage the scalp’s natural defences against dandruff. So when you’re out in the sun or spending a lot of time in busy urban environments, you may find your dandruff becomes aggravated as your scalp defences are damaged
- Skin Sensitivity – unfortunately, your skin’s sensitivity can also change over time, becoming irritated by substances that never bothered it in the past
If you do get dandruff, it’s because your skin is reacting to dandruff irritants that have formed on your scalp.
Using Head & Shoulders regularly helps remove those irritants, to get rid of dandruff.
When does dandruff start?
Dandruff can start at any time, but it’s most likely to appear when you reach puberty
It all depends on your body’s production of sebum – a natural process that is begins during puberty
Sebum is essential to keep your hair and scalp moisturized. But it’s also one of the key ingredients needed to cause dandruff.
Malassezia globosa, a naturally occurring microbe on the scalp, breaks sebum down to produce irritants like oleic acid. It’s a completely typical process that takes place on everyone’s scalp.
However, around 50% of the world’s population is sensitive to these irritants – the scalp reacts by increasing the rate of cell turnover. These excess cells clump together to form the white flakes associated with dandruff.
As your hormones change during puberty, your sebaceous glands increase the amount of sebum you produce. More sebum means more oleic acid and if you happen to be in the 50% of the population that’s sensitive to it, you’re likely to experience dandruff for the first time.
If you’re reaching puberty, or experiencing an increase in your scalp oils for another reason, reach for Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner to help keep flakes away.
They’ve been clinically proven to tackle dandruff flakes as well as the symptoms associated with dandruff like itching and a dry scalp
Is there a link between acne and dandruff?
Dandruff and acne both have different causes, but many people find that they experience them both at the same stage – usually during puberty
That’s because they both occur as hormonal changes cause your body to produce more oil.
In the case of dandruff , this oil – known as sebum – is broken down by a naturally occurring microbe, Malassezia globosa. In around 50% of people, this results in dandruff because they’re sensitive to the oleic acid produced by this process.
Acne on the other hand is caused when an increase in oil production combined with surface debris causes pores on the skin to become blocked. This can lead to bacteria that normally live on the skin infecting the plugged pores, leading to the symptoms we know as acne.
So while dandruff and acne both have different causes, they are both triggered by oil production. This is why many people first notice acne and dandruff at the same time- because both can be linked to hormonal changes that increase oil production, like those that happen during puberty.
Does stress cause dandruff?
Stress doesn’t cause dandruff, however it can aggravate an existing dandruff problem and make it seem worse
Dandruff itself is caused by a naturally occurring microbe, Malassezia globosa, which is always present on the scalp. Its presence is not affected by stress.
However, stress weakens the body’s natural defenses, so it’s more difficult for your body to deal with the presence of *Malassezia globosa *and scalp irritation. You may notice that dandruff symptoms (dryness, flakes and itch) become more of a problem when you are under stress.
The vicious cycle - stress contributing to dandruff, which contributes to more stress- can be broken with the help of an effective dandruff shampoo like Head & Shoulders.
How to get rid of dandruff
Does cold weather in winter cause dandruff?
We often hear from people who tell us their dandruff appears worse in the winter months. But winter itself does not cause dandruff
Instead, there are other factors common in colder months which can make an existing dandruff problem appear worse. For example:
-
wearing a hat – dandruff-causing microbes thrive at higher temperatures, so when you pull on a wooly hat and raise the temperature of your scalp, you’re more at risk of dandruff. In fact, our studies have shown that it doesn’t take long to reach the optimum temperature for dandruff-causing microbes to thrive.
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dry air – central heating in homes and offices warms and dries the air around you. So if you’re prone to having a dry, flaky scalp, this can make the problem worse.
What you can do to protect your scalp
If you're at risk from environmental factors in the winter, there are some simple steps you can take to protect your hair and scalp.
Make sure you use Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo regularly. The invisible shield technology not only helps to get rid of dandruff but also provides protection against everyday factors that can aggravate dandruff.
So use it regularly to keep your protection levels high so you can keep dandruff at bay.
Is dandruff contagious?
No – you can’t ‘catch’ dandruff nor can you pass it on to anybody.
In fact, everybody already has all the factors that cause dandruff on their scalp – a microbe called Malassezia globosa and natural oils, known as sebum.
What makes someone suffer from dandruff is sensitivity to these factors. This is something that can’t be passed from one person to another so there’s no chance of catching dandruff from a sufferer or passing it on to someone else if you’re suffering from it.
Is dandruff a fungus?
Dandruff itself is not a fungus, although it is caused by the presence of a naturally occurring fungus, Malassesia globosa
Dandruff is caused as this fungus breaks down oils on your scalp called sebum. This process produces oleic acid – something which 1 in 2 people around the world are sensitive to.
If you’re sensitive to it, your scalp becomes irritated and increases the rate at which it renews skin cells in an attempt to get rid of whatever is irritating it. This causes skin cells to clump together, forming flakes that we associate with dandruff.
Anti-dandruff shampoos work to get rid of dandruff by preventing them from forming the irritants that cause dandruff.
Is dandruff hormonal?
**Hormones do have a role to play in causing dandruff – it’s why many people experience it for the first time in puberty **
One of the key ingredients needed for you to experience dandruff is sebum – it’s an oil your body produces on your scalp, as well as the face and chest. Its production is controlled by hormones.
Dandruff is caused as that sebum is broken down into irritants like oleic acid by a naturally occurring microbe, Malassezia globosa.
If your scalp is sensitive to oleic acid, it can become irritated and your scalp’s skin cells may start to flake off as dandruff.
More about the cause of dandruff
So the hormones controlling your sebaceous glands are essential to causing dandruff, providing the key ingredient needed to create the scalp irritant, oleic acid. It’s why many people notice dandruff for the first time during puberty
But hormones aren’t the only factor. You also need to be sensitive to oleic acid. Around 50% of the population is, so there’s a 1 in 2 chance you’ll suffer from dandruff at some point in your life.
