At one point or another, many of us have had to deal with an itchy or flaky scalp. No one likes dandruff. It can be extremely uncomfortable and sometimes (gasp) visible—preventing us from wearing our favorite black top. Symptoms of dandruff include white flakes and an itchy and dry scalp. The good news is that no matter how severe, there is always something you can do to reduce the appearance or presence of dandruff.
What Causes Dandruff?
If you don’t know what’s causing your dandruff, you can’t properly treat it. The most probable culprits are:
The Wrong Shampoo
There are tons of poor-quality shampoos out there that contain harmful chemicals that dry out the scalp and cause dandruff. It’s important to make sure you are using moisturizing and naturally formulated shampoos that are easy on the scalp. Avoid sulfates at all costs!
Dryness
This kind of goes without saying, but when your scalp lacks moisture, dandruff is almost inevitable. There can be a multitude of reasons why your scalp might not be getting all the moisture it needs, whether it be the climate where you live or the texture of your hair. If you think dryness may be the problem, make sure your scalp gets extra love!
Stress
As if stress didn’t cause enough problems already. Unfortunately, since stress quite literally affects our entire body as well as our mind, one of the symptoms can also be the appearance of dandruff.
Not Washing Your Hair Regularly
This rule can seem a little contradictory because washing your hair too often can also have negative effects. In the age of dry shampoo, sometimes we can just go a little too long without washing our hair. To prevent dandruff, you have to make sure you get rid of the oily, dead skin build-up that comes from not washing your hair.
Brushing Your Hair Irregularly
Brushing your hair is not just for detangling or styling! Brushing your hair regularly also helps get rid of dead skin build-up on your scalp, stimulates hair growth, and distributes your natural scalp oils through your strands.
Applying too Much Heat to Your Hair
When you use too many heat styling products, such as curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers, all that hot air can dry out your scalp, encouraging dandruff.
An Unbalanced Diet
Your diet affects every aspect of your health, including dandruff. Incorporating foods that are high in Vitamin B and healthy fats into your diet you can prevent the appearance and development of dandruff and keep your hair healthy and shiny.
Tips for Getting Rid of Dandruff:
- Make changes to your daily diet.
- Find stress management techniques that work for you.
- Make sure to not go too long before washing your hair.
- Try a moisturizing hair mask.
- Buy a good dandruff shampoo and make sure to check for clean ingredients! (See below).
- Remember to protect your scalp when you’re in the sun by wearing a hat.
- Resist the urge to scratch your scalp. It will only make things worse.
- Try to limit the number of products and heat you use on your hair.
- Try an exfoliating scalp treatment.
- Experiment with some natural ingredients you can find at home such as olive oil, coconut oil, or aloe.
Our favorite dandruff shampoo collection is from Head & Shoulders (click here).