What is Dandruff?

Main Causes of Dandruff

Dandruff is the large flakes of dead skin that build up on the scalp and fall from your head. While everyone sheds the skin on their hair, Dandruff is the more visible, larger flakes. Given it affects 50% of the population, it is very normal, and surprisingly badly understood by both science and the public.
It is usually caused by 3 main issues:
Imbalance in Scalp Microbiome
You scalp naturally has lots of different types of bacteria, yeasts and fungi living happily at the roots of your hair.
When these get out of balance, excess acids can be created which causing irritation and skin shedding.
Dry and itchy skin
Many people get dry skin on their bodies and this can be just as likely to form on your scalp. A lack of moisture in the skin can cause dandruff as flakes form and fall into the hair.
Everything from the temperature, to your diet, to the products you use can be responsible.
Psoriasis or Eczema
Often more difficult to diagnose (due to all the hair in the way), but Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) can happen on the scalp causing dryness and flakes that are very difficult to cure.
Psoriasis usually results in larger red patches where the body is producing too many layers of skin causing damage to the outer layers.

What is Dandruff

The definition of Dandruff is fairly straightforward - it is the small, white pieces of skin that flake off the scalp, gather in hair and are visible to the human eye - usually in the hair and on clothing, especially on the shoulders.

Everyone sheds skin from their scalp, just like the rest of their body. But for many people, the shedding of skin on the scalp happens in larger pieces that are more noticeable, and often accompanied with skin irritation, itchiness, redness and either a severely oily or dry scalp.

Around half of the world's population get dandruff in some form, and it is not isolated to certain countries or cultures. Doesn't matter what type of hair or skin you have, anyone can get dandruff. It is slightly more prevalent in men, and usually starts in adolescence rather than with children. For many people, as their hair changes in their teens, that can be a trigger for dandruff.

As you are a Dandruff sufferer, you are probably aware of the difficulty that this can cause. Skin conditions are very common, but Dandruff can make you feel particularly self conscious. Your head and hair is one of the first things people notice about you, and having visible flakes of dead skin falling out of it is not particularly desirable.

Hairetic was set-up as a forum to help people understand more about the condition and how to treat it, so you are in the right place. And because the solution is not always straightforward, we aim to build a community that can help support each other.

What Causes Dandruff?

When we started this project, we assumed that with over half the world's population suffering from Dandruff, that someone would have worked out exactly what the cause was. But it turns out, it is not that simple. Many studies and trials have attempted to understand the reasons for dandruff, and there is some clear evidence for various causes - but if you are looking for a specific gene, deficiency or quick fix then you may be disappointed.

However - the good news is that in the vast majority of cases Dandruff can be managed and prevented. Because of the different causes of Dandruff, the same options may not work for everyone. Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error, and what worked last week might not work this week. Don't panic, we are all here to help.

How can I stop people noticing my Dandruff?
Wearing a hat
Covering up dandruff can make the problem worse. Keeping your head permanently hot, sweaty and un-ventilated creates the ideal breeding ground for bacteria and fungus - the two main causes of dandruff. Your hair can also end up more greasy and wearing hats indoors, while eating or in your favourite church is socially weird.
Sometimes a quick cover-up is the best solution, but beware when you take a hat off and you have dandruff. This can make a subtle problem seem far more obvious.
Avoid going out
You might be able to avoid clubs with UV lights, but you can't avoid leaving the house. Having any type of skin or hair condition can be a real cause of anxiety but staying away from the rest of human kind is not an option.
We are here to help you find a solution so that you can enjoy your life without fear of socialising or living your life.
Stop wearing dark clothing
Dark clothing makes dandruff particularly noticeable. Even for people that don't suffer from dandruff will notice bits of dust (usually skin) show up on dark t-shirts and jackets. This can be especially bad under artificial light, and more noticeable to people around you.
Wearing lighter clothing is usually a good option for people as they find ways to cope with dandruff, but it obviously doesn't solve the problem and one day you might need to wear a suit to a wedding, job interview or funeral and there is never a good excuse for wearing a white one.
Use excessive amounts of styling products
Enough hair gel or hair spray and you can lock your dandruff into you hair. As long as it isn't too windy outside you might be able to go a whole day with your hair held in place and any dandruff unable to escape.
In many ways, this is worse for your scalp health than wearing a hat. Your pores get clogged, your skin can't breathe, your hair is damaged by styling products and moisture is locked into the biome of your skin causes bacteria and fungus to thrive. Also, it limits what you can do with your hairstyles, leaves a sticky mess on your pillow and makes people not want to touch you.