In Todays article, we will tell you the best treatments for dandruff. We will split this into three sections.
- Prevention of Dandruff or its Recurrence
- Medical Treatment of Dandruff
- Natural Remedies for Dandruff that really work.
The First thing you should know is Dandruff is harmless except if its severe like the seborrheic dermatitis or secondary infection due to excessive scratching. So Just relax and be stress free. And the good news is you can treat dandruff at home without any prescription from a doctor.
First will look into the Medical Treatment of Dandruff and then some natural cures for dandruff that work and finally important points on how to use these plus how to prevent dandruff from coming back.
So lets begin with: Medical Dandruff Treatment: the mainstay of medical treatment for dandruff are
Dandruff Shampoos: All dandruff shampoos are not the same. There are different ingredients on medications or a mixture of two or more substances that work wonders to control dandruff.
The most important point to remember while using any anti dandruff shampoo is you leave it for atleast 5 minutes after applying it on your scalp and then rinse thoroughly with adequate amounts of water. Otherwise this may not be effective.
Also remember, the frequency of application of these shampoos depends on the severity of your dandruff. The protocol you can follow is: Initially you use it weekly thrice for 1 month, then weekly twice for the second month and then weekly once thereafter to prevent relapse of dandruff.
Well now the Shampoo Formulations that are available over the counter without any prescription:
- Ketoconazole Antifungal Shampoo (Common brand is called Nizoral available in 1 percent or 2 percent depending on the dandruff severity).
- Selenium Sulfide Shampoo, Again this is also an antifungal shampoo with brand names like Selsun or the famous Head and Shoulders shampoo.
- Salicylic acid shampoo (like Neutrogena) specially if its an itchy dandruff or the severe seborrheic dermatitis.
- Salicylic acid plus sulfur combination like Sebex shampoo.
- Pyrithione zinc like selsun blue or head and shoulders blue, specially for itchy dry scalp.
- Coal Tar Preparations (like Denorex). Coal tar causes the skin to shed dead cells from the top layer and slows skin cell growth.
Now
Natural Home remedies for Dandruff that work:
- Aloe vera gel: The fresh aloe vera gel in the leaves of the plant is proven to control dandruff. So better start growing aloe vera plant at home. It is a very easy to grow and easy to maintain plant which requires very less watering like about once or twice a week.
- Tea Tree Oil, Coconut Oil or Olive oil massage. Be careful using any oil as discussed in my previous episode on the mechanism of formation of dandruff, the fungus malassezia metabolizes the oils and forms more dandruff. If you have not watched those two episodes on dandruff, I will link those episodes at the end screen of this video and also in description below.
Remember, Use these oil remedies only if you have dry skin with dandruff. If you already have oily skin, it can explode your dandruff and can lead to severe seborrheic dermatitis. - Baking Soda: specially if you have oily scalp. There is a bit of controversy in the use of baking soda for dandruff due to ph changes of the scalp. Try it once and if you see any irritation, then stop using it. To counter this some advice using 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar mixed with 1 spoon baking soda and apply on the scalp and leave it on for 15 minutes before rinsing.
Then To Prevent Dandruff Recurrence, Follow these important points:
- Avoid Stress
- Exercise
- Avoid excessive use of hair styling products like gels and creams.
- Using the shampoo or treatment regularly like once a week or so to prevent recurrence.
Hello Nazir, I would like to thank you for sharing these amazing home remedies on dandruff. I have been looking for some of the natural ways to combat dandruff and that is how I discovered your article. It was indeed an informative article and will definitely try these remedies at home. Thanks again for spreading the knowledge. Keep up the good work!