Did you know that dandruff and a dry scalp affects around half of the Australian population at some point in their lives? We spoke with Professor Rod Sinclair about what causes dandruff and how you can get rid of it.
What is dandruff? "Dandruff is defined as the formation of large, individually distinguishable flakes of skin on the scalp, that are dislodged by mechanical action and visible either within the hair or on the shoulders or back."
What causes dandruff? "Dandruff is caused by a fungus called Malassezia. This fungus lives on everyone's scalp and over-activity speeds up the body's normal shedding of dead skin cells along with the production of new ones. Normally the process should take around 28 days but in a person suffering from dandruff this can accelerate to 7-21 days, resulting in flakes from hundreds, or even thousands, of dead cells."
Is there a difference between just having a dry scalp and having dandruff? "Yes there most definitely is! The main difference is flakes from dandruff are medium to large in size and visible to the naked eye. The scalp hair follicles are inflamed as a reaction to the colonization by the Malassezia yeast.
In contrast, dry scalp is characterised by smaller flakes and excessive itching and is due to an inflammation that occurs on the skin between the hair follicles, rather than within the follicles. Dry scalp is due to loss of moisture from the skin and can be aggravated by the application of soap or strong detergents. Dry scalp can be helped by only using shampoos that are recommended for everyday use."
Is dandruff curable long-term? "As dandruff is caused by the fungus Malassezia, which is a naturally occurring fungus on the skin, it is almost impossible to completely eliminate. However, regular use of anti-dandruff products such as Head & Shoulders Intensive Solutions shampoo (available June 2007) can help keep the signs, such as itching, flaking and dryness at bay. If you stop using anti-dandruff products the dandruff will eventually come back."
