Dandruff or seborrhea captis as it is commonly known medically. There is a common condition that can affect the scalp and also the skin. Often it affects almost 20 to 50 % of the population. It is an inflammatory condition of the scalp that is characterized by flaking, itching and even sometimes tiny red bumps on the scalp, which the patients may find painful. It often affects the patients self-esteem and is presence at his workplace and at social events and it affects the patients self-esteem and needs to be treated for both psychological and physiological reasons. so before we treat dandruff, it is important for us to know what is actually causing the dandruff, so dandruff, can be worsened by excessive sun exposure, by excessive oil secretion of the scalp, which is quite common in certain individuals predisposed to it. Some people may have scalp allergies and allergies to specific substances that trigger dandruff. Pollution in the air, day to day stress can trigger or worsen dandruff and even seasonal changes like onset of winter can worsen dandruff. Now it is important to identify what is actually causing dandruff. It could even be a bad shampoo or change of shampoo that has worsened dandruff. So it is important to identify the cause and then treat it accordingly. Treatment of dandruff involves the use of good shampoo, Shampoos to target the fungi that have colonized the scalp. If dandruff is severe, we might have to give oral medications for a short while. Oral medications are also indicated when dandruff is involving other parts of the body such as the chest, face or the back. Before we treat dandruff, we need to know what is triggering dandruff. We understand the patients scalp, hair texture, and try to understand from the patient s history what is actually causing or worsening the dandruff. Several home remedies have been advised from coconut oil, but it is important to understand that certain home remedies may work, some won’t and some can even worsen dandruff. So it is important that you maintain good scalp hygiene by using a good shampoo. Discuss your home remedies with your dermatologist before you try out anything on the scalp.
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