How is your hair day? We have all seen that dusting of white powder on our shoulders that signifies dandruff is becoming a problem. You can brush it away, but it will still be back, along with itching and redness on your scalp unless you address the root cause. Whilst it is often nothing to worry about and is extremely common, having dandruff can make you feel self-conscious, as it is difficult to hide, as well as the uncomfortable feeling of the constant itching.

Dandruff can happen to anyone and at any age, so it is important to find a way of dealing with it that will suit the whole family. Dandruff might be something that occurs once in your life or comes back regularly, so it is good to have a remedy to get rid of dandruff quickly, easily and reliably. This will make you feel more confident and lets you bring those black t-shirts back out of the wardrobe!

What is dandruff?

Simply put, dandruff is the white flakes that float down from a dry, itchy scalp. They can be seen in our hair or on our clothes and are difficult to hide. It is sometimes thought to be the result of poor hygiene, but this is not the case.

What causes dandruff?

The microbe Malassezia globose can be found on every scalp and it feeds on the natural oils that are found there, and as this breaks down, it creates the fatty oleic acid. This is something that your scalp can be sensitive to. It can be difficult to see, but there is often a rash at the heart of a dandruff problem.

This can be red or silvery and is usually itchy or inflamed and is caused by the oleic acid. The inflammation causes the scalp to shed skin cells faster than normal, and that becomes the dandruff that you can see. Dandruff can sometimes be made worse by other factors such as cold weather, hormones, stress or diet.

What is the best way to stop dandruff?

The most common way to get rid of dandruff is through a specialist anti-dandruff shampoo.

The best shampoo for dandruff

Dandruff shampoos can vary so you need to make sure that you follow the instructions carefully, as many contain active ingredients that need to be used properly.

You might also wish to do a spot test before application, to make sure that the product does not further irritate your skin. You should use the shampoo regularly to help keep dandruff away, and if applicable, couple it with an anti-dandruff conditioner for an all-round approach. The most common ingredients in these anti-dandruff hair treatments include zinc pyrithione, salicylic acid, selenium sulphide, ketoconazole or coal tar.¹

Natural dandruff products also contain ingredients such as coffee, tea tree and seaweed, as these have well-known soothing properties that can offer relief to the itching and irritation whilst also moisturising the scalp to ease the problem fully. Miaderma Shampoo has been licensed to relieve itching, redness, dandruff and irritated scalp.

Scalp brush for dandruff

Another method of tackling dandruff is by using a scalp brush. This is something that you can use while you are washing your hair or whilst applying hair oil. This helps to remove the dandruff build-up on your scalp by loosening dry flakes and brushing them out of the hair. They also help to reduce the amount of product that can sit on the scalp.

These brushes can also improve circulation, bringing more nutrients to the hair follicle and stimulating the oil-producing glands which can help to moisturise the scalp.² There are manual or vibration dandruff brushes available and a different firmness of bristles. Make sure that you do not use something that will scrape your scalp as it can make the situation worse instead of better.

Vitamins and supplements for your hair

There are also supplements available which can provide support for your hair such as zinc, biotin copper and selenium. There are a number of proven ways to target dandruff, and whichever one you choose, you should start to see results fairly quickly.

If you do not see any improvement in your dandruff after using any particular remedy for a period of time, you should consider swapping to a different one. If the problems still persist, it might be worth speaking to your GP to investigate further. By tackling dandruff effectively, you can be sure of always having a good hair day!