How to Get Rid of Dandruff Naturally at Home?
Regardless of the season, a flaky scalp can be a hassle. Almost everyone experiences this problem at some point in their life. How to get rid of dandruff? Here are some tricks that might help if you have experience with this problem — to finally wear black again without worrying about flakes!
Dandruff is caused by a type of fungus called malassezia, that naturally lives on the skin, but overgrows and causes dandruff in some people. Our skin is constantly losing and acquiring cells. But, an increase in the malassezia fungus triggers the skin to lose and produce cells faster. This can be caused by a variety of factors such as age, hormones or stress.
Dandruff, which you can sometimes notice as white flaky skin, is a common form of seborrheic dermatitis. It can also be behind your ears, eyebrows and in the creases of your face. It might be red and itchy or just one of those; in any case it’s best to get it diagnosed by a doctor With yeast and oil as the prime ingredients, it’s understandable why dandruff has an oily appearance.
Types of Scalp
1. Dry Scalp
If your scalp starts to feel dry and itchy, you should know that there may be no need for concern as it’s actually a common condition. This can often be a result of cold weather or inadequate provisions for humidity where we work. If you find that the problem is just in the scalp then this may still signal other cases of dry skin elsewhere on the body. Dry scalp can be caused by using hair care products or by hair care processes such as blow drying hair with heat, colouring, or chemical straightening.
2. Sensitive Scalp
An irritated scalp can result from sensitivities or allergies to hair products or the hair care process, and cause a red, itchy, scaly scalp.
3. Dandruff
There is a skin condition known as dandruff that causes flaking on the scalp, due to the larger size of the flakes. This type of scalp is typically itchy, oily and produces small, loose, gray or white flakes.
4. Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis is a type of inflammatory condition found in oily areas of the body, like the scalp, face, eyebrows, ears, eyelids and breasts. Frequently, oily hair is accompanied by yellow or white scaly or crusty patches on the scalp, eyebrows, beard / moustache area. The skin may come with redness, inflammation, and itchiness. Seborrheic dermatitis is considered chronic. Recurrences and flare-ups are common.
5 Simple Home Remedies to naturally get rid of Dandruff
1. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil has traditionally been used to treat many different types of skin conditions such as acne & psoriasis.
It’s also been proven to have powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, which means it may help with symptoms of dandruff.
Many studies of tea tree oil have shown that it is effective at fighting the specific strain of fungus that can lead to seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff.
A separate study found that applying a tea tree oil-soaked placenta on skin lesions was more successful at treating this fungus than a prescription antifungal treatment.
2. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is renowned for its multitude of health benefits, but it also has natural properties which can be used as a remedy for dandruff.
Coconut oil has many skin benefits and may even be more effective than mineral oils for those who need extra hydration.
3. Minimise stress levels
We know that stress has a huge impact on health and wellness. It can even make existing conditions worse or cause new ones.
Stress does not cause dandruff but it may worsen the symptoms like dryness and itching.
Long-term high stress levels may suppress your immune system’s activity, which could make you more vulnerable to certain types of fungal infections and skin conditions that lead to dandruff.
Read also: How to remove black heads
4. Baking soda
Baking soda is a quick and convenient household item that can get the job done in a pinch when it comes to curing dandruff.
It’s believed that sugar scrubs act as a gentle exfoliant and remove dead skin cells, reducing scaly patches and itchiness. They also have antifungal properties which could be of benefit to those suffering from dandruff.
5. Avoid certain foods
More research is needed on the relationship between diet and dandruff, but for some people, it may help to limit consumption of certain foods. For instance, those who suffer from inflammation may find relief by limiting their intake of dairy & eggs.
In addition to that, some studies suggest dietary modifications can prevent fungal infections by controlling yeast growth as well as improving gut microbiome. This might also help with various conditions like dandruff treatment.
Foods you may want to stay away from include:
- refined carbs such as white bread, white pasta, tortillas and crackers
- red meat
- processed foods
- fried foods
- sugary foods & beverages
Summary
Although dandruff can be quite a difficult problem, there are a lot of natural remedies that may reduce the symptoms and provide relief.
The next time you start to notice some flakes, try an old-fashioned home remedy like apple cider vinegar to help support a healthy scalp and decrease dandruff.
If you are still not seeing any relief from these remedies on how to get rid of dandruff, we recommend consulting a dermatologist as they will be able to offer other treatments to provide long lasting relief.
Read also: How to remove face hair, How to remove oily skin naturally