Sorry if I am being rude just emailing you like this, but I have tried everything and cannot get my dandruff to go away. I got it somehow when I was serving in Iraq. I think it was because we could not take showers like a normal person. I keep my head baldish so anything you suggest won’t be a problem for me. Thanks!
Professional Hair Care Tips - You are not being rude at all! Dandruff is not contagious, but it can be inhibited by several factors. You can have [normal] dandruff, which is relatively easy to treat, or seborrhea, which is usually genetic and harder to get rid of. Normal dandruff presents as small white flakes, seborrhea is waxy, yellowish looking flakes that build up on the scalp. So the question begs, what do you see? White or yellow?
If you have normal dandruff, yeast is probably the culprit. We all have yeast on our scalps. Some more than others. Dandruff usually occurs when there is an overgrowth of yeast, which contributes skin cell turnover. When you treat dandruff, you must treat the yeast!
Sunlight, heat, and hats, (all typical for military service in Iraq), cause yeast on the skin to grow more rapidly, which produces more cell turnover, which causes more dandruff. I don't know your age, but it is also more prevalent in people in their 20's. This may be due to hormones if you're in your twenties.
Seborrhea, also called cradle cap, is like Psoriasis. It is a more severe form of dandruff, and must be treated differently.
From your query, I suspect you have a normal-type dandruff. The most effective treatment is an anti-yeast shampoo containing ketoconazole.
To use shampoo's that treat dandruff:
Wet your hair
Rub the shampoo onto your scalp and rinse off.
Repeat shampooing, leaving the shampoo for 3–5 minutes before rinsing the second time.
Use it twice a week for 2–4 weeks to clear up dandruff, and then once every 2 weeks, using a normal shampoo in between.
Nizoral AD shampoo, Neutrogena T Gel Shampoo, and Jojoba oil or Tea Tree Oil shampoos are all good shampoos to use. Tea tree and jojoba do not have ketoconazole in them, but they are very good clarifiers and have been known to work well for some people.
Try not to itch your scalp though. That can damage hair follicles and may cause more cell turnover. When you shampoo, use your fingertips to gently massage the shampoo into your scalp.
If you have seborrhea, you might try Biotin. Biotin is a B vitamin which can help the condition. Biotin also helps keep your hair healthy, and is one of the best vitamins for your hair, skin, and nails. The same shampoos which help regular dandruff, also help it's condition however, seborrhea is harder to get rid of. It is also usually genetic in nature.
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