Dandruff or pityriasis is a very common scalp anomaly that affects people of all ages.
Dandruff , often accompanied by itching of the scalp, manifests itself with abundant flaking of the hair and the appearance of small whitish flakes of skin, i.e. residues of dead cells whose turnover occurs in an accelerated and abnormal form.
Dandruff should be considered an anomaly of the scalp that causes an unpleasant "snow effect", whereby, when combing or brushing the hair, flakes of dandruff fall from the head and land on clothes.
There are two types of dandruff :
1 Dry Dandruff
The skin of the scalp is dehydrated and the fine, whitish scales come off without any particular signs of skin irritation.
The production of dry dandruff increases in the winter period and can further increase in periods of greater stress.
Itching in the head is a symptom that manifests itself in a not excessive form, but such as to arouse the need to scratch.
There is no hair loss, but the unsightly effect is evident.
2 Oily Dandruff
The scalp of the hair is oily and produces thick, yellowish scales that detach from the scalp.
Seborrhea is often accompanied by flaking, making the hair greasy and the skin oily.
Oily dandruff also causes severe itching of the head, with the risk of seborrheic dermatitis and hair loss.
To effectively combat both dry dandruff and oily dandruff it is necessary to distinguish between:
- Physiological Dandruff
- Occasional dandruff
- Pathological Dandruff
1 Physiological dandruff
Physiological dandruff is the stratum corneum of the epidermis that constantly flakes.
In the epidermis, cells are born and develop through a series of layers until they reach the most superficial one: the stratum corneum.
Due to external agents such as excessively dry air, washing with aggressive shampoos, combing and brushing, the skin, at the level of the stratum corneum and within certain limits, naturally flakes, producing physiological dandruff .
Physiological desquamation is inconspicuous and does not cause hair loss as the horny particles that detach are small and unimportant.
2 Occasional dandruff
Occasional dandruff can originate from three types of external causes:
- microorganisms (infections);
- incorrect hygiene treatments;
- aggressive mechanical treatments.
DANDRUFF CAUSED BY PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS
Among the microorganisms responsible for occasional dandruff is Malassez's Pityrosporum ovale also known as Malasezia, a parasitic fungus that nests in the stratum corneum of the epidermis.
Mycosis caused by Malassez's Pityrosporum causes severe itching and abundant pityriasis . There are numerous types of Malassezia (furfur, restricta, obtusa, globosa) and some recent scientific studies have associated each type with a specific geographical area of our planet.
In the United States and Japan, for example, Malassezia globosa and Malassezia restricta are the most widespread.
Other microorganisms that nest in dandruff , an ideal source of nourishment for them, are:
- Staphylococcus Aureus;
- Staphylococcus Albus;
- Cederkreutz's Coccus Polimorphus. This bacterium creates an inflammation of the skin with the presence of a serum that mixes with the dandruff scales forming a kind of slime that can easily be mistaken for seborrhea.
DANDRUFF CAUSED BY INCORRECT HYGIENIC TREATMENTS
Incorrect hygiene treatments, responsible for many scalp and hair problems, are:
- shampoos that are too drying . Washing your hair with excessively alkaline shampoos and the use of very degreasing shampoos often causes the depletion of skin sebum, with the consequence that the epidermal layer, no longer adequately protected, breaks down, producing dandruff ;
- lotions that are too alcoholic . Alcohol acts on keratin with a rather intense dehydrating and drying action; the application of very alcoholic hair lotions can lead to flaking of the stratum corneum causing dandruff ;
- abuse of alkaline substances . These substances have keratolytic characteristics, that is, they break down keratins. The abuse of alkaline, reducing and oxidizing substances can lead to the production of dandruff flakes;
- hairdryer or helmet with overheated air . Too dry heat tends to dehydrate the keratin and make it fragile, causing dandruff ; this effect is made more intense if the stratum corneum has been freshly hydrated with a wash.
DANDRUFF CAUSED BY AGGRESSIVE MECHANICAL TREATMENTS
Subjecting the scalp to stress with nails, brushes, combs, etc., often leads to small abrasive and excoriative lesions which can give rise to localized inflammation in the skin followed by flaking and dandruff .
Pathogenous microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) can penetrate through these lesions so that, in certain cases, dandruff is accompanied by sebaceous hypersecretion so that the dandruff scales stick to the sebum that abounds on the scalp.
This type of dandruff is called steatoid pityriasis .
Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp is an inflammation characterized by small scaly lesions spread on the scalp, behind the ears and inside the ear canal.
Sometimes it also affects the eyebrows and chest hair.
The formation of oily scales is the result of accelerated proliferation and turnover of skin cells, combined with sebaceous hypersecretion.
By removing the scales you may notice red and moist skin.
Dandruff or pityriasis , in its most serious forms, is a condition that is difficult to distinguish from seborrheic dermatitis, to the point that they can be confused with each other upon initial superficial diagnosis.
The main difference is that in seborrheic dermatitis the inflammation of the skin is decidedly more important than in pathological dandruff.
Dandruff and hair loss
In some cases, dandruff causes hair loss and prevents the normal regrowth cycle. This occurs when dandruff favors the onset of infections caused by microbes of various types that generate itching, triggering a perverse cycle of itching, scratching, resulting in lesions. superficial and increasingly serious infections.
From an aesthetic point of view, dandruff produces a feeling of a neglected and unclean person, especially in the case of greasy dandruff , oily skin and greasy hair that gives off bad odors.
3 Causes of pathological dandruff
The main causes of pathological dandruff have to do with the alteration of the biological hydro-lipid-protein complex and are:
- hyperhidrosis : a lot of water on the surface;
- dyshidrosis : little water on the surface;
- seborrhea : lots of fat on the surface;
- asteatosis : little fat on the surface;
- hypertrophy : many protein substances;
- atrophy : few protein substances.
CAUSE OF DANDRUFF: HYPERHIDROSIS (MUCH WATER ON THE SURFACE).
The water balance in the superficial tissues is given by sweating (perspiration). In the presence of excessive sweating ( hyperhidrosis ) and as a consequence of particular skin conditions, such as psoriasis, eczema and acne, a change in the alkaline pH of the hair and scalp occurs, resulting in the formation of dandruff .
CAUSE OF DANDRUFF: DYSHIDROSIS (LITTLE WATER ON THE SURFACE).
It is known that the skin, through sweat glands and superficial vessels, also performs the function of thermoregulation (regulation of body heat).
Faced with a defect in sweating ( dyshidrosis ) and therefore in hydration, the hair scalp becomes dry, parched and dehydrated, with consequent flaking and the production of dry dandruff .
CAUSE OF DANDRUFF: SEBORHEA (LOT OF FAT ON THE SURFACE).
An excessive amount of sebum on the scalp, caused by sebaceous hypersecretion (seborrhea), softens the stratum corneum of the epidermis and causes it to rapidly flake.
In cases of dandruff and oily seborrhea , i.e. oily dandruff , the application of anti-dandruff products is almost useless because they act on the symptom and not on the cause; in this case positive results can only be obtained with treatments based on good anti-seborrheic products.
CAUSE OF DANDRUFF: ASTEATOSIS (FEW FAT ON THE SURFACE).
The lack of fats on the scalp (dry scalp), often caused by sebaceous hyposecretion (poor sebum production), easily leads to dry hair and dry dandruff .
CAUSE OF DANDRUFF: HYPERTROPHY (MANY PROTEIN SUBSTANCES).
Proteins are complex substances responsible for forming the structure of cells.
Obtained through food, they are transported by blood vessels and also provide nourishment to the hair.
In case of hypertrophy, the germ cells are overfed and the process of mitosis (cell proliferation) causes thickening of the skin and a phenomenon called hyperkeratosis. The result is, once again, the flaking of the cells and the creation of dandruff scales.
CAUSE OF DANDRUFF: ATROPHY (FEW PROTEIN SUBSTANCES).
If the hair germinative cells are not sufficiently nourished, the mitosis process slows down and inadequate cell proliferation reduces the thickness of the stratum corneum of the skin.
This, weakened by the action of external agents (cosmetic treatments, sun, pollution, etc.), flakes extremely easily and causes dandruff .
CAUSE OF DANDRUFF: DYSTROPHY (CELLULAR MALNUTRITION).
If the germinative cells are not adequately nourished, through a diet that provides all the main nutrients, dystrophy (malnutrition) can occur which accelerates cell turnover, producing abundant dandruff .
Anti-dandruff shampoo and lotions
Washing your skin every day to combat dandruff is a useful practice for eliminating the most unpleasant effects of dandruff.
Anti-dandruff products sold on the market can also be used daily to reduce the problem, but be careful not to scratch your head too hard, risking producing abrasions that can lead to infecting the scalp.
It is important, however, not to be under any illusions about the vaunted miraculous properties with which anti-dandruff shampoos and lotions are advertised on TV.
Eliminating or seriously combating dandruff requires specialized treatments that use scientifically tested products that do not contain the substance Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate (SLES).
Taking into account that even so, in the most serious cases, the remedy for dandruff is not definitive, but must be repeated to contain the problem within reasonable limits.
Do you want to solve the problem?
Then follow our advice
Practice these good habits to prevent and fight dandruff :
- wash your hair daily with a specific product that helps fight dry dandruff, avoiding further accumulation of sebum on the skin;
- in case of oily dandruff , however, avoid too frequent washing and prolonged scalp massages, so as not to stimulate the production of excess sebum too much;
- take care of your diet . Ensure the intake of sulfur amino acids, omega-3, antioxidants and B vitamins, present in fruit, vegetables, lean meats and fish;
- reduce the use of non-professional cosmetics. Unsuitable gels, hairsprays and mousses can be irritating to the scalp, making it weaker and increasing the itching associated with dandruff ; this statement is generally all the more truthful the cheaper the product used.