Flaky Scalp – Dandruff, dry scalp or products? + Remedies

The first thing we need to clear out is the difference between dandruff, dry scalp and product related flakes.

Dandruff

Your scalp flakes all the time as part of the natural cell turnover but the flakes are too small to see with the naked eye. Dandruff is when the flakes are large enough for you to see.

Causes of dandruff

1. Excessive sebum production on your scalp – This could because of hormonal changes, environmental factors, stress etc.
2. Excessive yeast(Malassezia) on the scalp – There is yeast resident on everybody’s scalp(which is why dandruff is not contagious) and they feed on your sebum and produce oleic acid as a byproduct which is a scalp irritating chemical. When they fungi grow huge in population, the oleic acid also increases in proportion.
3. Sensitivity to oleic acid – If your scalp is sensitive to oleic acid, you are under a greater risk of dandruff.

When the scalp is irritated, the body responds by increasing the rate of cell turn over and the cells clump to form flakes. Dandruff is greasy and yellowish white in color. The flakes are larger than dry scalp flakes and are harder to come off the scalp. You may have itching and scalp odour.

Cures for Dandruff

Look out for these ingredients in shampoos –

• Zinc pyrithione: Antifungal
• Tar: Reduces cell turnover
• Salicylic acid: Exfoliant(removes flakes)
• Selenium sulfide: Antifungal
• Sulfur: Antifungal
• Ketoconazole: Antifungal
• Tea tree oil: Antifungal

You can experiment with these ingredients and see what works for you as an individual and for the species of yeast that is currently residing on your scalp (Sounds gross!). Here are some good anti dandruff shampoos –

1. The Body Shop Ginger Anti Dandruff Shampoo Review
2. Head & Shoulders Anti Dandruff Smooth and Silky Shampoo
3. Schwarzkopf Bonacure Scalp Therapy Dandruff Control Shampoo
4. Wella Professional Clean Anti Dandruff Shampoo
5. Matrix Biolage Anti Dandruff Shampoo
6. L’oreal Professional Instant Clear Shampoo
7. Jason Natural Dandruff Relief Shampoo(Sulphate free) reviewed here.
8. Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo(Sulphate free)

And how to apply them – How to wash & condition curly hair . You can also check – 4 ways to make your shampoo less harsh – The best alternative to sulphate free shampoos

• Consume Omega 3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory) and probiotics (anti-fungal).

Since dandruff is caused by excessive sebum (scalp oil), applying oil on the scalp WILL NOT help your case and will aggravate it. Oiling helps only if your issue is dry scalp.

Dry scalp

Dry scalp is dry skin, just like you see on the rest of your body. And so it will respond to moisturizing and oiling. You can also reduce drying agents like harsh shampoos or frequent shampooing.

The 3rd kind – Caused due to products

Flakes can also be caused by product build up, product reactions or using certain types of products (like dry shampoo). These flakes can be removed by a thorough shampooing.