Dandruff is a very common but very unpleasant condition. While it doesn’t influence your health directly, it can affect the way you look and the way you feel. Society doesn’t help – itchy scalp and white flakes on your shoulders still seem like an embarrassing consequence of having questionable personal hygiene. Trust us when we say that dandruff is more common than you can imagine, and many things can cause it. Washing irregularly is rarely one of them. Most often, dandruff appears because of health issues, dermatological conditions, stress, imbalanced diet, unhygienic salons, or hair products. Read on to learn more about each of these causes, and find out how to get rid of dandruff once and for all.
Factors influencing dandruff development
Dandruff is a simple skin condition that usually isn’t too serious. However, if a person has an itchy scalp, it may get irritated by contact with other people, hair accessories, and clothing. It’s important to note that if your hairdresser is being unhygienic, you can develop dandruff. If you want to try cutting your hair at home we recommend picking up a pair of Jaguar Scissors from Scissor Tech, so you can practice safe hygiene from home. That’s why it’s important to learn how to prevent dandruff. Factors that can lead to dandruff development are quite common.
Risk factors for dandruff
Hormonal factors
There are different hormonal factors that can cause dandruff. The most common hormonal factor is a lack of estrogen in women who are in the menopause stage of their lives or in men who suffer from low testosterone levels. It can also be caused by certain medications, including hormone-based ones that are used to treat prostate enlargement and acne.
Dandruff, acne, and oily hair can also appear due to prednisone, a strong anti-inflammatory corticosteroid that is used in the treatment of severe infections. Although it’s a very effective medication, it can cause numerous side effects.
Wearing a cap or a hat
Experts agree that wearing a hat often can make the scalp drier and increase the risk of developing dandruff.
Personal hygiene
Lack of personal hygiene is usually not a cause of dandruff, but it can make the condition worse. If your scalp gets irritated by your regular shampoo, use a mild one that won’t aggravate your condition. There are also plenty of anti-dandruff shampoos out there, so make sure to try a few until you find the right one for you.
Environmental factors
Dry climate
Dry climate in general causes dandruff because it dehydrates your scalp. If you live in an area with low humidity, make sure to use a moisturizing lotion and coat your hair with it after each shower. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy, you can even mix olive oil with baking soda to get yourself an inexpensive but effective remedy.
Pollution
Air pollution causes skin dryness, one of the key factors of dandruff development. If you live in a big city, try to get to work or school via a green route, and avoid spending time outdoors altogether if you feel like it’s too polluted outside as it could be unsafe for you.
Age
Dandruff becomes more common from your 20s onward. That’s why if you’re in your 20s and you start developing white flakes on your head, don’t panic. It could be just a natural part of the aging process!
Heat
One of the most common causes of dandruff is direct exposure to heat sources over long periods of time. The best way to get rid of dandruff caused by heat is to avoid being exposed to heat sources for more than 30 minutes at a time, especially hot water.
Diet and nutrition as a cause of dandruff
Acne-causing foods
Since acne and dandruff are both inflammatory skin conditions, there is some connection between them. Many studies have identified certain foods as causes of both acne and dandruff. It’s still unclear what exactly these foods are and what makes them so acne-causing, but some research has shown that eating them can aggravate both conditions.
Sugars – The evidence is clear: excess sugar consumption, especially fructose, can worsen your skin condition faster than anything else. It’s interesting to note that this also includes fruit sugar, so if your diet includes over-consumption of fruit, it might be worth cutting back on it for a while to see whether it helps with your dandruff or not.
Milk products – Some studies claim that dairy products may lead to acne aggravation because they contain hormones and other ingredients that make your skin more susceptible to acne. Although some studies assert that this connection is unlikely, many people swear by it, so if you would like to try this one out, you can reduce milk intake for a month and see if it helps with your skin condition at all.
Food additives – Food additives like artificial flavors, artificial colors, and others can cause irritation and inflammation of your skin and aggravate existing conditions like acne and dandruff. The best way to avoid food additives is to cook only fresh ingredients, only then will you know for sure what you are putting in your body!
Condiments – Spicy food is great for your health in most cases, but spicy condiments may aggravate existing skin conditions like acne and dandruff. In fact, even a simple moderate consumption of condiments can provoke inflammation on its own. It can be worth giving up spicy condiments for a while if you want to get rid of dandruff once and for all!
Fatty foods – Fatty foods may cause the development of an inflammatory condition similar to acne called seborrheic dermatitis, which may then lead to dandruff! So if you want to get rid of dandruff naturally, try giving up fried and greasy food for a while, just to see what happens for yourself!
Salty foods – Like spicy foods, salty foods have both adverse and beneficial effects on your health, depending on individual tolerance levels and dietary habits. However, if you have seborrheic dermatitis or another inflammatory skin condition, a high salt intake can aggravate it. Give up salty foods for a few weeks and see whether it helps with your dandruff!
Spicy foods – Do spicy foods aggravate acne? You may also be wondering whether they affect skin conditions like dandruff as well, the answer is that we don’t know for sure. Some studies claim that eating capsaicin-containing food like peppers can aggravate acne, while others say it doesn’t influence the condition at all! So if you want to try this one out for yourself, keep a diary, then you will be able to notice whether spicy food is making your skin worse or not!
Dairy products – Some studies claim that dairy products may lead to acne aggravation because they contain hormones and other ingredients that make your skin more susceptible to acne. Although some studies assert that this connection is unlikely, many people swear by it – so if you would like to try this one out, you can reduce milk intake for a month and see if it helps with your skin condition at all.
Summary
While having dandruff might not be a life-threatening condition, it can seriously affect your quality of life. Having a dandruff problem can make you feel embarrassed and helpless. Don’t worry, there are many ways you can treat dandruff so you don’t have to feel embarrassed anymore. First, you should make sure that you don’t have any underlying medical issues so make sure to consult with your doctor. The next thing you can do is try to determine what could be the exact cause of your dandruff, whether it is where you live, what you wear on your head, your personal hygiene, or if something in your diet may be the cause. Go through this article and try something new every week, you are sure to find something that may be the cause of your problem. Dandruff can cause you stress and embarrassment, but it doesn’t have to stay that way!