Written By: Dr Shuba Dharmana | Updated : September 25, 2014 2:45 PM IST
I have a dandruff problem which does not seem to go away. Which shampoo can I use to control it? For how long will I have to use the shampoo to see results?
Answered by Dr Shuba Dharmana, a cosmetic dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon
Dandruff is a dry, flaky, irritated scalp condition which is caused by the over growth of yeast called melassezia. This type of fungus lives on the surface of the skin in many but in some, it buries in the hair and lives there. The body reacts to it by causing excessive production of cells. The dead cells from the surface of the scalp shed every day.
It can be an embarrassing condition as it can show on the dresses you wear when it's actively shedding. Dandruff can be fine, powdery or flakes of dead cells. But first it needs to be identified and diagnosed from other similar dry, scaly scalp conditions such as psoriasis, fungal infection, etc.
There are a host of medicated anti-dandruff shampoos in the market. Mostly, these anti-dandruff shampoos contain sulfur or zinc compounds which inhibit certain enzymes of the yeast melassezia so that it is unable to grow. When dandruff is mild, it can be treated with OTC medicated shampoos such as:
Other scalp medications like Noskurf Lotion also work similarly. They need to be applied to the scalp, left for few hours and then washed off with a shampoo.
How often to use these shampoos?
Anti-dandruff shampoos need to be used regularly, every other day to start with if the condition is severe, and then dropping to twice weekly for 4 weeks or so and then once weekly for maintenance.
When using an anti-dandruff shampoo, leave the lather on for a few minutes for the medicine to act on the scalp before rinsing it off.
Anti-dandruff shampoos can be drying for the hair so you can follow up with a good conditioner to replenish the gloss and shine in your hair.
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