Dandruff is a problem that almost everybody has to deal with. We all have a yeast that lives on our scalps called Malassezia which likes to eat the sebum or oil we produce to strengthen our hair. Our body’s natural reaction to the Malassezia yeast often irritates our scalp and creates the harmless but slightly embarrassing white flakes we associate with dandruff. While some people have it worse than others, nearly everyone experiences this, and thankfully there are some easy ways that you can eliminate dandruff or try to prevent it as much as possible.
Anti-Dandruff Shampoos
The most common way to limit dandruff is to use an anti-dandruff shampoo two or three times a week. When using an anti-dandruff shampoo like Head & Shoulders or certain coal tar shampoos, you want to make sure that you rub the shampoo directly into your scalp rather than focusing on your hair. Allow the shampoo to rest for five minutes or so before rinsing it out to ensure it has a chance to work.
Specialized Brushes
A large part of getting rid of dandruff is less about what you put onto your skin and more about proper scalp and hair care. You can use a comb or hairbrush to start from your scalp and gently brush through, moving the flakes from the surface and spreading them out and away. For extreme cases, you may want to use a dandruff brush, which is often round and has specialized silicone teeth to stimulate blood flow on the top of your head and help remove flakes.
Natural Oils
One easy way to eliminate dandruff is to incorporate some natural oil into your hair and scalp routine. Of course, you don’t want to use dandruff shampoo too often, but adding a few drops of tea tree or coconut oil to your regular shampoo may help remove flakes. Another helpful tip is to apply some aloe vera gel to your scalp before shampooing, as the plant’s soothing properties may help reduce itchiness.