Home remedies to get rid of dandruff- 7 natural treatment
What is dandruff? Is dandruff contagious? Is dandruff lead to hair fall? Can dandruff be treated naturally? These are few common questions which arise when we hear the common word dandruff. There are much more things which you can find in this article about dandruff.
Dandruff is something which is commonly seen these days with change of atmosphere, climate and increase in pollution. Yes, this is true dandruff is related to these changes. Let us find more about dandruff.
Dandruff which is commonly misinterpreted as the hair problem is actually a skin problem, it is something which is related to your scalp. Dandruff is a fungal infection caused by the fungus named as Malassezia that is present on the scalp of people. In some people, this fungus results in the flaking of the skin called dandruff. There is no specific reason for the growth of this fungus but may be related to increased production of oil in the scalp, changes in hormones, stress related, some rare like a neurologic problem like Parkinson's disease, not shampooing frequently, unhygienic lifestyle.
What dandruff actually is?
Human skin cells keep on getting generated (that means older cells are shed and newer cells are generated) as cells in the scalp skin are generated, the old (dead cells) are expelled out. For people suffering from dandruff, the new skin cells are generated at a faster rate than they die, this results in more shedding of the skin, making dandruff more visible. The risk of developing dandruff is much greater, if the skin is exposed to extreme of temperatures.
Dandruff may occur for longer term or evade after short period of time depends on triggers. People with dandruff usually have irritation and redness on the scalp, sometimes extreme flaking of the skin may be caused by some serious illness like psoriasis. Some people with severe dandruff may have psychological issues like social problems,lack of confidence, depression etc. So, serious treatment part become more important for physiological as well as psychological reasons.
What causes dandruff?
1. Dryness of skin: dryness of the skin is one of the most common reason of dandruff. Flakes which are due to dry skin are mostly smaller and are much less oily than those from other reasons of dandruff, and dryness skin can also be seen in other parts of the body like legs and arms.
2. Oily skin (seborrheic dermatitis): This condition is one of the common cause of dandruff, it is present with red, oily greasy skin covered with white or yellow flaky scales. Seborrheic dermatitis affects usually the area rich in oil glands like scalp, eyebrows, sides of the nose and the other area is back of the ears, groin area, and rarely armpits.
3. Unhygienic or not shampooing regularly: If one do not regularly wash hairs, skin and oil can lead to dandruff.
4. Underlying skin illness: People suffering from skin conditions like eczema, any inflammatory skin conditions or psoriasis in which a skin rapidly build up dry and rough, dead skin cells which then forms thick scales which appear to be like dandruff.
5. Contact dermatitis (sensitivity to chemicals): Sometimes sensitivities to some chemicals in hair products or some hair dyes can cause a redness, itchy scalp or scaly scalp. Using too frequent hair styling products can also lead to irritation of scalp, causing dandruff.
6. Less hair brushing: People who do not regularly comb (brush) their hair are slightly at higher risk of having more dandruff because they are not helping the normal shedding of skin that is provided by combing or brushing.
7. Diet: Some research also says that people who consume fewer foods containing zinc, vitamins especially B are more susceptible to dandruff. Hence, healthy eating is highly recommended.
8. Stress: there is research showing the relation between stress and skin problems, so there may be a possibilities that dandruff is related to stress.
Home remedies for dandruff:
There are much treatments available for dandruff, but these days people prefer more natural way of treating dandruff which is totally chemical free, easily available, and surely harmless.
Following are some easy steps which can help you get rid of dandruff in a natural way:
1. Indian lilac (NEEM): Neem has very strong medicinal qualities like antifungal and antibacterial properties which help to treat dandruff and other related problems like acne on the scalp, irritation on scalp (itching) and hair fall.
Preparation: boil some neem leaves (handful) in 4-5 cups of water, allow it to cool down and then strain the mixture. You can use this to rinse your hair for two to three times a week.
2. Coconut Oil: This is the most common and easily available, it has great antifungal properties which help to eliminate dandruff and dry skin, it nourishes dry skin and give relief from irritation and itching of the scalp, you can also add lemon juice to the coconut oil and massage it on your scalp, you can do this 30 minutes before shower and then wash your hairs. For better results apply it three times a week.
3. Baking Soda: It is mild exfoliant, it helps to remove the excess oil and removes dead skin. It can also help balance pH on the scalp which reduces the fungi growth which is causing dandruff. You can use this directly on your wet hairs and then after 10 minutes can rinse out with water.
4. Olive oil: Olive oil has the great quality of moisturizer and can help cure dry scalp with regular use of it. Apply warm oil and massage it properly, keep it overnight and rinse with shampoo on another day. You can do this twice a week.
5. Tea Tree Oil: As we all know dandruff is caused by fungal infection, this tea tree oil has the great antifungal property which help to cure dandruff from its root cause. You can add some drops of this tea tree oil in your shampoo and wash your hair. Or you can also add olive oil or coconut oil in tea tree oil. Apply it on your hairs and rinse it.
6. Juice of lemon: It relieves the irritation on the scalp. Just before shampooing your hair you can apply lemon juice mix with water.
7. Aloe Vera: It is rich in antifungal and antibacterial properties, so one can use it directly on the scalp for better results.
Prevention of dandruff:
There are few things by which you can do to prevent yourself from this dandruff problem.
1. Management of stress: Stress can have serious effects on your overall health, it can make you easily susceptible to a many serious health disorder. It can even aid trigger your dandruff or aggravate your existing symptoms.
2. Frequent Shampoo: If you have an oily scalp, then you should wash your scalp more frequently with mild or herbal shampoo.
3. Avoiding hair styling products: All hair products are rich in chemicals like Hair sprays, hair styling gels if used can make your scalp oilier and more dandruff prone.
4. Healthy diet: A diet that is rich in zinc, all types of vitamins (especially vitamin B) can help to prevent dandruff.
5. Sunlight: Sunlight may prove helpful for reducing dandruff. But as more exposure to UV rays can damage your skin and increases chances of skin cancer, so avoid sunbathe. Instead, just spending some little time in the sun can be helpful, especially in a morning from sunrise to two hours of sunrise is considered to be beneficial.
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