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Dandruff or Scalp Problems ?
White, transparent flaky scales that may be dry or greasy on the scalp and
an itchy scalp which may be red and inflamed.
What Causes Dandruff ?
The cause of dandruff is unclear, but the presence of a yeast may be the reason for the faster turnover of the scalp skin. Dandruff is not infectious, and is not a sign of bad hygiene or not keeping hair clean.
People with oily dandruff usually have the condition because of a hormonal imbalance. Overactive oil glands on the body can force a premature shedding of the skin. If that's the case, then dandruff is often present on other parts of the body too. Dry dandruff, on the other hand, is a result of blocked oil glands -- different looking flakes, same result -- except that it's mainly located on the head.
So What Can I Do ?
Dandruff can be treated by using a good quality shampoo. If dandruff does not disappear after a few weeks using a good shampoo, an anti-dandruff shampoo may solve the problem.
Look out for shampoo's which contain any of the following : salicylic acid, coal-tar, zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide and sulphur.
Shampoo daily if you can with shampoo's containing the above. Make sure you lather well and leave the shampoo on for a good few minutes to give the ingredients time to work.
If you find that one anti-dundruff shampoo doesn't work for you then try another brand containing a different active ingredient. Trial and error with brands.
Make sure you rinse extremely well after shampooing to wash out all the dead skin cells the shampoo has dislodged
If none of these have worked over a period of about 6 weeks it's time to ask for advice at your local pharmacy or doctor, especially if : The flakes are not over the whole scalp but just in one or more places, OR you have scabs on the scalp. You may have a more severe type of dandruff called "seborrheic dermatitis".
Any Recommendations for Me ?
Here are a few brief reviews of Anti-Dandruff products :
Vosene Anti-Dandruff Conditioner:"I always remember using Vosene Medicated I was about 12 years old. I used to think that they must be poor because they didn't have nice smelling shampoos. Now I know how wrong I was.
Over the last 8 months or so, I've developed either dandruff or Psoriasis on my head. I started off using nasty smelling shampoos which did clear it up but left my hair smelling too "medicated".
Then I came across Wella's Vosene Anti-Dandruff Conditioner. I took the lid off in the shop to sniff it, thinking back to my younger days. Well what a pleasant surprise, it actually smelt normal.
This conditioner contains soothing ingredients with Camomile extracts, which really do work. After only me using it twice I noticed the flakiness around my hairline had almost vanished. Whether that was the combination of using dandruff shampoo and this together helped, I will never know.
Saying that, I have used normal shampoo and Vosene Conditioner and it does keep it at bay.
My hair in general feels very soft afterwards and smells great too, nobody would know it was a product from the Vosene range.
The downside is, it's a bit runny, I prefer a thicker conditioner than this, but up to now haven't been able to find an Anti-Dandruff version.
I find that after washing my hair, I just towel dry the ends, then apply the conditioner, leave it in for 2 minutes then rinse out. I've tried it when my hair has been wet through, but with the liquid being so runny, it just slid off again."
Head & Shoulders Natural Menthol Shampoo : "I’ve often used Head and Shoulders in the past, not necessarily for its anti-dandruff claims as there are plenty of other shampoos that offer the same thing. Head & Shoulders is a name that I know and trust
ike any shampoo, Head & Shoulders is just applied to wet hair for use. Unlike some shampoos though, this really lathers up nicely, even in hard-water areas. By leaving the shampoo in for a minute or two, you begin to notice the menthol.
I would imagine that the scalp is not the most sensitive part of the body. However, once this shampoo begins to work, you can actually feel the difference that the menthol makes. The best way I can think to describe it is by saying that it feels cool. Not cool as in fashionable, but cool as in you can suddenly feel a draught on your head. Although it’s not a sensation that you would describe as overly nice, it isn’t unpleasant either, and it also seems to smell stronger once applied.
I wouldn’t say that Head & Shoulders is any better than other shampoos for my hair, merely as they all seem to frizz my hair. That being said, there’s no other shampoo that gives me the buzz in my hair that the Head & Shoulders menthol does either.
The shampoo leaves my hair smelling nice, and keeps it soft, which is all I ask of a shampoo. As an added bonus, it gives my hair that “buzz” which kicks in when the newly washed menthol hair hits the cold air.
Four stars out of five, with one being lost due to the price not being as low as I feel it could. The shampoo itself though is pretty damn good, and will definitely see itself back in my bathroom."
Nizoral Dandruff Shampoo
:"Nizoral is labelled as a dandruff shampoo, which normally means a flaky scalp, but it can also mean greasy scales, scabs, or in my case weeping skin – how lovely!
Dandruff (or seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp) is thought to be caused by either the proliferation of a normal skin inhabitant, a yeast called Malassezia furfur or the over-sensitivity of the skin to a fungus called Pityrosporum ovale.
Previously I had been prescribed Polytar or used Vosene, but I always felt that I needed to wash my hair again due to the dreadful smell. Both of these shampoos worked, but the smell was so vile that I was embarrassed using them. Then I saw an advert for Nizoral on the television and decided to give it a go.
After about three washes with this bright pink shampoo, my scabby, oozing patches had completely gone. The pink box it comes in states that it ‘contains an ingredient previously available only on prescription’ - this ingredient being ketoconazole.
The down side of this shampoo is the extortionate price - £8.75 for 100 ml or £5.75 for 60ml (from www.pharmacy2u.co.uk but similar prices at local chemists). Compared with my £0.99 for 200ml of Organics shampoo (from www.halfpriceorless.co.uk), I felt done! Fortunately you do not need to use much or often. The instructions say to use every 3 or 4 days for the first 2-4 weeks then use every 1 or 2 weeks as a preventative. They also say not to use the shampoo more often than this - use a normal shampoo if you need to wash your hair more often. I only use mine when I am having a bad bout.
You should leave the lathered shampoo in your hair for 3-5 minutes, giving it time to work. I suffer from greasy hair and I haven’t noticed any improvement or deterioration using this shampoo, but it does leave my hair nice and clean.
Very good! Very expensive! If you have scalp problems I can recommend giving this one a go, as it has worked on me and did not leave me smelling like a newly laid road.
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