Page 51 - (DK) Home Doctor: Providing practical advice on home treatments

COMMON CONDITIONS: SKIN, HAIR, AND NAIL PROBLEMS 49

Dandruff

In this harmless but sometimes embarrassing condition, excessive amounts of skin cells flake off the scalp.
They show up as white flakes in your hair, and on your shoulders if you wear dark clothes. Your scalp may
also be itchy and red, and your eyelids, nose, and forehead may be affected. Dandruff is usually associated
with the growth of a yeastlike fungus on the scalp, or it can be a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis – a
scaly, itchy rash that can also affect the eyelids. Dandruff is more common in men and may be made worse
by stress, illness, and some hair products. Scaly, flaking skin on a baby’s scalp is known as cradle cap.
See also Itchy eyes, p.56; Cradle cap, p.151.

What you can do yourself
DRUG REMEDIES
Dandruff can usually be controlled with the
treatments below. You may need to repeat them Antidandruff shampoos (see p.177)
occasionally, because the condition tends to recur. should clear up your dandruff within a few weeks.
Follow the instructions carefully because different
● Use an antidandruff shampoo (see DRUG
brands have different treatment advice. Shampoos
REMEDIES, right) and wash your hair in warm rather may contain pyrithione zinc, selenium sulfide,
than hot water. Massage the shampoo into your or ketoconazole, which is particularly effective.
scalp and make sure you leave it on long enough Alternatively, use a shampoo that contains coal
to work – generally about 3–5 minutes. Rinse tar, or sulfur and salicylic acid.
thoroughly afterward.
● Keep using the brand of antidandruff shampoo
that you find works for you. If you develop
itchiness or a rash, however, stop using the
shampoo immediately and try switching to one
with a different active ingredient.
● Don’t blow-dry your hair because it may
aggravate the dandruff. Shampooing
After shampooing,
● Avoid alcohol-based hair products such as hair
rinse your hair
sprays, which tend to dry out the scalp, and thoroughly to
mousses, gels, and dyes, which may increase remove every
irritation and make dandruff worse. trace of antidandruff
shampoo.
● Treat itchy, flaky skin on your eyelids (blepharitis)
with a special cleaning regime (see PRACTICAL
TECHNIQUE: CLEANING YOUR EYELIDS, p.56).
Seek medical advice
Arrange to see your doctor if:
● The dandruff does not clear up after you have
been using these home treatments
● You develop sensitivity to an antidandruff
shampoo that persists for more than a few days
● Your scalp becomes red and develops sore
patches or crusts