How to get rid of dandruff at home: treatment with folk remedies

Severe dandruff and itching are sure signs of seborrhea, a disorder of the sebaceous glands. Seborrhea can be dry, oily, mixed, tubular, etc. - in accordance with the types of dandruff and its location. If your head itches, scales flake off and hair falls out slightly, these are symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis, an unpleasant disease that affects the scalp and hair. Most often, fatty and large scales of yellow or yellowish-white color appear.

If no measures are taken, alopecia areata will develop, that is, all the hair on the areas of the head affected by seborrheic dermatitis will gradually fall out. But no matter what type of seborrhea a person suffers from, it is necessary not only to fight dandruff, but also to eliminate the cause of its appearance. Any type of dandruff can be cured using various means, and this article contains the most effective ways to treat dandruff at home. But before that, about the types of seborrhea: knowing them will help you choose the right remedies.

Types of seborrhea and their symptoms

Infectious types of seborrhea that are transmitted from person to person include the following.

• Dry seborrhea. Dry dandruff appears (usually large), there is constant itching and inflammation of the skin in places where dandruff accumulates, and the hair is brittle and dry. The color of dandruff is usually white, and if the skin is severely inflamed, it is red, or rather reddish.
• Oily seborrhea. The hair becomes greasy, quickly becomes dirty, can stick together into separate strands, greasy yellowish-white dandruff appears, which is difficult to remove from the skin and is difficult to comb out. In the liquid form of oily seborrhea, acne and boils can form on the skin, in the thick form - atheromas, which can fester and other large purulent formations. If the symptoms are not eliminated, seborrheic dermatitis develops, which leads to hair loss. The color of dandruff with seborrheic dermatitis is yellow.
• Mixed seborrhea. Symptoms of both types of seborrhea appear, but in different places. So, if dry dandruff forms on the head, oily scaly formations may appear on the face, covering the areas around the nose, ears, forehead, and cheekbones.(1)

Among the non-infectious seborrheic disorders, tubular seborrhea stands out, when white dandruff forms directly on the hair. Tube dandruff is small, and the skin itches and turns red when combed. In most cases, tubular seborrhea is a concomitant phenomenon with hormonal changes and most often occurs in adolescents during puberty.

Brown or black dandruff may also be observed. This is what acne peels and scales with dried blood look like, and treatment in this case is also necessary. Now about what helps best against dandruff.

Changes in diet and hair care

It is important to remember that dandruff is not just a cosmetic problem. In order to get rid of dandruff, you need to normalize the functions of the scalp. It is important to review your diet and exclude sweets, fatty, smoked and canned foods from your diet. Oatmeal, fish, liver, vegetables, especially white cabbage and broccoli, as well as dried fruits have a beneficial effect on dandruff.

You also need to take proper care of your hair. It is not advisable to wash them frequently; it is enough to do this once every three days. The water should not be hot. When washing, shampoo is not applied directly from the bottle to the head. First, it is foamed in your hands. Conditioner does not need to be rubbed into the scalp - it is intended for hair, not skin. If your hair is dyed, it must be moisturized with a special shampoo or masks. Do not comb wet hair immediately after washing. You should not use a hairdryer, and if you have to, the air stream should be cold.

During treatment for dandruff, combs and hair accessories should be regularly treated with antiseptics or even replaced with new ones.

For dandruff treatment to be effective, you need the following:

• proper and complete, balanced nutrition;
• lack of stress and nervous stress;
• taking vitamins A, C, group B;
• walks in the fresh air and adherence to a daily routine;
• the use of specialized products: antifungal, soothing skin, relieving irritation;
• avoiding excessive use of styling products during treatment.

It is important to be consistent in treatment, that is, use medicinal products until a lasting result is obtained, otherwise you will not get rid of dandruff.

Method number 1. Antifungal shampoos

It is known that dandruff appears due to disruption of the sebaceous glands, which can produce both insufficient and excessive amounts of secretion. In the first case, dry dandruff appears, in the second - oily. But excess sebum is not enough for dandruff to appear: flakes are formed as a result of the proliferation of the Malassezia fungus, which also lives on healthy skin, however, with an increase in the secretion of the sebaceous glands, an increase in Malassezia colonies is observed, which leads to the formation of dandruff. With insufficient sebum production, the epidermis becomes inflamed, and the fungus also begins to multiply, resulting in dandruff. Itching is a reaction to chemically active waste products of the fungus. Antifungal shampoo helps remove excess fungus, returning the amount of sebum to its normal value of 46%. (2). This shampoo contains ketoconazole, a drug that has a strong antimycotic effect, which has been proven by clinical studies of the effectiveness of ketoconazole. (3)

Other factors that contribute to dandruff

Seborrheic disorders in adults and children can also occur for reasons other than those described above:

• Using aggressive scalp and hair care products. [7] For example, shampoos that contain components such as parabens, [8] sodium lauryl sulfate, [9] triethanolamine (TEA) in concentrations above 5%, [10] diethanolamine (DEA). [eleven]
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and internal organs. Increased activity of the Malassezia fungus has been proven as a result of colitis, dysbiosis, liver disease and other diseases, as well as frequent constipation. [2], [13]
• Also, the occurrence of seborrhea can be caused by increased sweating and/or sebum secretion, frequent wearing of a hat at times when one can do without it. [2]

Method No. 3. Masks, lotions and oils on a natural basis

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These folk remedies help relieve itching and temporarily eliminate the formation of dandruff. The following mixtures of natural lotions are usually used:

• burdock oil, onion juice and vodka;
• carrot greens, lemon juice, mint and water;
• lemon juice with olive and castor oil;
• walnut shells with diluted alcohol.

Masks are made from raw eggs mixed with nettle infusion and vegetable oil, as well as from castor oil, which is used either alone or together with calendula tincture.

Essential oils that help in the fight against dandruff are lavender, cedarwood, eucalyptus, geranium, mint, rosemary, tangerine, basil, as well as tea tree and patchouli oil. You can also prepare a rinse from natural ingredients, which will serve as an auxiliary remedy for eliminating the symptoms of seborrhea. Rinses are made using lemon zest, chamomile and sage, as well as birch leaves.

Can you get dandruff from a comb?

When combing the scalp between the teeth of a comb or massage brush, dirt, falling hair, and all kinds of skin detachments accumulate, which may contain microorganisms that are the source of the disease. Using someone else's household item, a person transfers microorganisms to his scalp that can become a source of disease. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to use only individual hygiene items and not share them with others, relatives, or colleagues. In everyday life, regular cleaning of the comb and rinsing is required.

Method number 4. Other means

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• The top anti-dandruff remedy traditionally includes baking soda. When rubbed, baking soda gives a temporary antifungal effect and also cleanses the head even of oily dandruff, acting as a scrub.
• Henna is well suited for the treatment of seborrhea at the initial stage - it is used both separately and together with other remedies. An important addition: to prevent your hair color from changing during the procedures, buy colorless henna.

Method No. 5. Hair masks made from natural products

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• Onions, garlic and black pepper have sufficient chemical activity to temporarily relieve the symptoms of seborrhea. For treatment, onion peels are mixed with vodka (8), garlic with burdock oil (9), and ground pepper with various fermented milk products, for example, kefir, after which the resulting mixtures are applied to the scalp. (6)
• Citric acid is another strong irritant for the pathogenic fungus that attacks hair and skin during seborrhea. Just do not use compresses made from pure lemon juice, as this will lead to skin irritation. You need to mix lemon juice with any oil: olive or essential oil that suits you.

Seborrheic dermatitis

This is the general name for diseases associated with the increased proliferation of the fungus Malassezia Furfur, in which all of the above symptoms occur, and crust-like formations appear on the skin, which are flaky and itchy, which can result in significant redness of the skin. Seborrheic dermatitis can sometimes be accompanied by other diseases of an infectious (for example, lichen) and non-infectious (neurodermatitis, psoriasis) nature, so the patient also needs to be checked for their presence. The reasons for its appearance are the same as for other types of seborrhea (6).

What should you not do if you have seborrhea?

• First of all, forget about rubbing with salt. Salt is sometimes recommended to be rubbed into the skin, which supposedly leads to the disappearance of dandruff. However, in reality, everything happens the other way around: rubbing with salt does give a certain effect, but it is short-lived, and then the already irritated skin will begin to peel off even more.
• For dry seborrhea, you should not use table vinegar, as it will dry out the skin even more, and for oily seborrhea, it is better to use only apple cider vinegar, since table vinegar is too aggressive.
• Even with severe itching, try to scratch the itchy areas less, as this will provoke further development of the process of dandruff formation, both dry and oily.
• If you have dry seborrhea, you should not wash your hair too often, and if you have oily seborrhea, you should not wash your hair too often. If you frequently wash a dry hair, the skin will constantly suffer from dryness, and if you rarely wash an oily head, the abundant secretion will heavily pollute the hair and skin, which will only worsen seborrhea.

What is dandruff

The medical name is “pityriasis”, translated from Latin as “bran”. This is a pathology caused by the desquamation of dead epithelial cells - the outer layer of the dermis of the scalp. As a result, dead skin particles are intensively exfoliated over a long period of time. The symptom is caused by a failure in the process of renewal and exfoliation of cells in the stratum corneum of the skin.

Dandruff is not an independent disease; its appearance is caused by various pathologies. The condition is often accompanied by severe itching of the scalp. The hair itself becomes either dull and dry or oily, depending on the type of dandruff.

How to cure dandruff forever?

It is not difficult to quickly get rid of dandruff on your head; it is much more difficult to make sure that it does not appear again. If it is not possible to eliminate the cause of malfunctioning sebaceous glands (heredity and some chronic diseases), the only key to healthy skin and hair is prevention. However, the main reason that causes increased or decreased sebum production and fungal growth is in most cases removable. The main factors that can lead to seborrhea and seborrheic dermatitis vary depending on the type of seborrhea.

• If your hair is washed too often and the wrong shampoo is used, the sebaceous glands cannot produce enough secretion. As a result, the skin dries out and the Malassezia fungus begins to multiply, resulting in dry dandruff.
• If you wash your hair too rarely, your hair and skin become dirty, which can lead to infection of the epidermis and the appearance of oily dandruff.
• Due to poor nutrition, both dry and oily dandruff can appear. Seborrhea occurs due to a lack of food rich in vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, as well as substances such as zinc, selenium and calcium. On the other hand, seborrheic disorders are also common in those people who eat too much fatty, spicy, fried and salty foods.
• Severe nervous tension and constant stress are another serious factor for the possible appearance of dandruff on the head. In these cases, the body works under increased load, which also affects the secretion organs, the functioning of which may be disrupted.
• Various diseases can also lead to the formation of dandruff: these are primarily diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system. Therefore, dandruff can be one of the signs of a serious disease.
• Another reason for the appearance of dandruff is weak immunity, which causes the activity of various fungi, including the yeast-like Malassezia.
• Dandruff can appear due to hormonal changes. It forms in adolescents during puberty, as well as when taking hormonal drugs. The sebaceous glands react to an increase in male hormones, so in adolescence, dandruff appears more often in boys.
• There is a hereditary predisposition to seborrhea, and this is one of the few causes that is not easy to eliminate. However, if you follow the rules of hygiene and proper nutrition, you can not only quickly remove dandruff from your head, but also reduce the likelihood of its further occurrence to almost zero. (1)

Among preventive agents, 1% ketoconazole, which is part of the Perhotal medicinal shampoo, which has successfully passed clinical trials, has a good effect. () The shampoo is available in two forms: with 2% ketoconazole for treatment and with 1% for the prevention of all types of seborrhea, seborrheic dermatitis and other skin diseases.

What not to do?

Absolutely forbidden:

• Scratch your head. Itchy dandruff can be very uncomfortable, but scratching and scratching your skin will make the problem worse. Through the slightest damage, infections can easily penetrate, which can lead to the formation of pustules;
• Use alcohol-based products, as they greatly dry out the skin;
• Dye your hair and use other chemical hair products;
• Use metal combs; the teeth of such a comb can damage the scalp and cause more dandruff to appear.
• Keep the use of hair dryers and curling irons to a minimum.