Effective home remedies for dandruff

Everybody struggling with dandruff – a pretty nasty scalp condition – knows how hard it is to cure it. More often than not dandruff is entailed with discomfort and embarrassment. It’s an exceptionally tough opponent therefore you should reach for all the weapons available to defeat it. The good news is that there are a couple of home remedies that can help you say goodbye to this unwanted guest.

Dandruff is often accompanied with itchiness and in extreme situations even seborrhea. To combat it, dermatologists often prescribe preparations designed specifically for curing dandruff, however, in order to make them more effective, you can combine the pharmaceutical products with home remedies for dandruff that often make use of natural substances.

What causes dandruff?

The main cause of dandruff is Malassezia, which is a genus of fungi. Where does it come from? The reasons are numerous: chronic stress, hormones and some medications. Sometimes we unconsciously encourage Malassezia to infest our scalp. Skin exfoliation is a natural process that occurs regularly, yet once the proper dead skin cell removal is disturbed, this is how the problem arises.

Do you use harsh hair care products? Using too hot airstream for styling the hair, exposes the scalp to rapid temperature fluctuation. This also happens when you wear hats. Undoubtedly, there are numerous factors that disturb scalps’ natural processes of exfoliation, which consequently leads to dandruff.

It’s also worth realizing that strong stress and developing bad eating habits have a negative impact on our scalp, which later increases the risk of dandruff. Is your hair often in contact with chlorinated water? It’s better not to let the hair be exposed to it because chlorinated water is known for causing irritations and contributing to skin dehydration, which again makes skin exfoliate excessively.

Types of dandruff

There are four types of dandruff: dry skin dandruff, oil related dandruff, tinea versicolor and pityriasis rosea. The latter two don’t occur on the scalp.

Dry skin dandruff reveals itself with flakes that are tiny and white – they almost resemble powder. In the most extreme situations, dry skin dandruff may cause numerous scabs on the scalp. This is the lighter form of dandruff.

When you deal with oil related dandruff, you notice seborrhea that is often accompanied with inflammation and strong itchiness. This condition is characterized by numerous scabs on the scalp.

Tinea versicolor affects the trunk and reveals itself as dark yellow spots that makes skin dry and itchy. The skin may be blemished for life unless you start the right treatment.

The last type of dandruff, which is pityriasis rosea, affects chest skin and displays itself in the form of a round pink spot. How will you know that this blemish is exactly pityriasis rosea? Its edges exfoliate and with time you will notice more and more pink spots appearing on the skin. The good news is that the human body is able to fight back pityriasis rosea within two months.

How to cure dandruff?

Surprisingly, there are many home remedies that deal with dandruff. Some of them appear to be more effective in solving the problem than the majority of the most expensive skincare products. Below you will find a list of things you can use to combat dandruff:

• anti-dandruff shampoos
  They are formulated with ingredients responsible for reducing scalp itchiness. The best results are produced by the shampoos that are supposed to be used no more than 2-3 times a week. On other days use a regular moisturizing shampoo.
• castor oil
  Dry skin dandruff can be combated due to castor oil applied to the scalp after shampooing. The oil has to be left on the scalp for 30 minutes and then taken off with a shampoo. Exceptionally thick, castor oil may be hard to remove from the hair, therefore don’t hesitate to re-wash the hair to get rid of the possible oily film.
• apple vinegar and water
  Apple vinegar combined with water makes one of the finest home remedies to combat dandruff. This solution is beneficial for the scalp and prevents the development of fungi. When treated with apple vinegar, hair wins healthy shine almost immediately. The best effects are achieved when the mixture is applied to the hair after every washing.
• lemon juice
  Rubbed into the scalp, lemon juice is supposed to bring you closer to get rid of dandruff. Let it sit for 20 minutes and rinse. If you keep using it for 2-3 weeks, you can expect it to soothe the skin. Sadly, lemon juice may irritate. In this case, you should discontinue the treatment.
• nettle / chamomile / horsetail / pot marigold
  Prepare nettle infusion using 3 spoons of dried nettle leaves for 1 liter of water. When the infusion cools down, pour it over the hair. Alternatively, you can treat both the hair and scalp with infusion made of chamomile, horsetail or pot marigold.
• natural yogurt
  Apply natural yogurt to the freshly washed scalp and let it sit for an hour. Wrap the head with a towel. This will help your skin restore its natural pH. Moreover, natural yogurt is supposed to soothe all irritations that appeared on the scalp.

Why does dandruff keep coming back?

Don’t neglect dandruff, otherwise it won’t vanish. If you take up some steps, yet you didn’t manage to combat dandruff completely, this means that probably you didn’t target the main cause of this scalp condition. Take anti-dandruff shampoos for example, which are the products responsible for combating the symptoms, not the cause.

Therefore, reach for some professional medicinal preparations that target fungi. Sadly, not everyone will find home remedies for dandruff useful and effective, which is why those people should visit a dermatologist and ask for professional help and treatment.

Sometimes we expose our scalp to the aggressors promoting dandruff. Following good personal hygiene habits is one of the best things to do to avoid dandruff. Also, you should steer clear of stimulants that encourage oily glands to produce too much sebum such as touching, rubbing and pressure.

Finally, it’s also a good idea to prevent fungal invasion and wash the hair with anti-dandruff shampoo even if your scalp isn’t affected with this condition.