Dandruff (dandruff) – causes, treatment and prevention

Dandruff (dandruff) is a dandruff disease in the head area of ​​hairy heads that results from an accumulation of horny cells. Normally, such horny cells detach from the head, but gradually renew themselves.

However, if the formation of new cells is faster than the rejection of keratinized head cells, then the culmination of such cells – just mentioned – occurs. These are then referred to as “dandruff” in the end. In the case of dandruff, a distinction is made between dry (pityriasis simplex) and greasy (pityriasis steatoides) forms of desquamation.

causes

There are many causes that can lead to dandruff or dandruff. It is also possible that these are merely an accompanying symptom of a serious skin disease. Before the various causes are mentioned, it should be pointed out that a distinction is usually made between greasy and dry dandruff, since each of the two types of dandruff has other underlying causes.Dry dandruff is usually caused by a dry or stressed scalp. This susceptible scalp is caused, for example, by improper hair washing, allergies or tiny foci of inflammation, including fungi and bacteria . The cause of greasy dandruff, on the other hand, is usually a dysfunction of the sebaceous glands , through which the horny cells combine with a large amount of sebum.

When to the doctor?

If dandruff appears in the hair, it is not absolutely necessary to see a doctor. This symptom does not represent any particular health hazard and therefore does not necessarily have to be treated by a doctor. Many people suffer from dandruff, which can appear suddenly and go away on its own. Treatment by a doctor is therefore only really necessary in very few cases.

In most cases, the patient can fight the dandruff himself with certain shampoos. However, it takes a few weeks to see success as removing the scales is a longer process. However, if the dandruff does not disappear despite the special shampoo and is relatively severe, a doctor can be consulted. There are few options for treating dandruff. As a rule, these are removed, but come back over time, so that the removal has to be repeated.

If the patient suffers from psychological problems or depression due to the severe dandruff , a psychologist can be called in. It is not uncommon for dandruff to appear if the patient washes their hair too often or uses different hair gels. The use of such products should be avoided and the interval between washing your hair should also be reduced.

symptoms and course

Excessive sebum production, which can lead to dandruff, often occurs in phases of hormonal changes , such as during puberty. As is well known, this often leads to pimples on the face and, in contrast, to dandruff on the head.

If dandruff has already formed, this not only leads to a significant deterioration in the quality of the skin on the head, but also has unpleasant accompanying symptoms. This includes, above all, an intense and very penetrating itching or burning sensation all over the scalp. In addition, its sensitivity increases massively, which is also shown externally by severe reddening . These are usually intensified anyway by the scratching on the scalp – by the person affected by the dandruff. Often, this ultimately leads to inflammation and infection of the scalp, which usually results in a re-growth of inflamed scalp cells – i.e. dandruff.

Diagnose

It is advisable to consult a dermatologist for a precise diagnosis of possible dandruff. First of all, this would lead to an anamnesis interview in order to find out the medical history, which allows possible conclusions to be drawn about a scalp disease. This is followed by a description of the specific accompanying symptoms, such as itching or hair loss, necessary. As well as an account of other skin conditions one suffers from, as these are often associated with dandruff. Finally, the doctor will perform a physical examination on the patient in order to be able to get an idea of ​​the specific characteristics of the disease. He will thus be able to determine how intense, for example, the redness resulting from dandruff is. It is then possible for the doctor to suggest an adequate therapy method.

complications

The skin continuously renews itself by shedding dead skin cells and allowing new skin to grow back. Even if the skin sheds an unusual amount of dandruff, this is not a medical problem. There are also no medical complications from dandruff – problems are more of a cosmetic nature. Flakes of skin usually fall off without even being noticed. This is not so easy on the scalp, because the dandruff gets caught in the hair and thus remains visible. However, increased dandruff can be a medical complication of another condition.

Sensitive skin, for example, reacts to aggressive, poorly tolerated care products with increased dandruff formation. They also occur as a result of a dry scalp. Furthermore, various underlying diseases of the skin such as psoriasis or contact dermatitis due to an existing allergyresult in the (healing) scalp becoming increasingly flaky. Of course, regardless of the cause, it is important to remove the fallen dandruff. Otherwise they get caught in the hair and collect there, which can become a hygiene problem. However, most people are so bothered by the visual appearance of their hair that they don’t let it get that far. For these reasons, real medical complications from poor hygiene in dandruff are hardly known.

treatment and therapy

In the case of moderate symptoms, certain drugs from the pharmacy are used to treat the fungal growth – which is the cause of dandruff (dandruff). These drugs are mostly available in the form of various anti-dandruff shampoos. They are also known as antifungal or antifungal agents.Before using such drugs, however, it is essential to agree with the doctor treating you whether it is necessary to use them at all and which drug should be used exactly. This always depends on the exact cause, the intensity of the symptoms and the accompanying symptoms.

However, if the dandruff disease has either existed for a longer period of time or is very severe, the doctor usually recommends using salicylic acid. This is usually much more aggressive than the active ingredients in the anti-dandruff shampoos.

In addition, antibiotics can also be used if necessary to kill possible bacterial pathogens, as can cortisone-containing hair tinctures, which have a similarly strong effect as salicylic acid

prevention

Dandruff prevention is very similar to treatment as similar procedures can be used. It is now particularly important to protect the scalp from excessive irritation. This can be achieved through adequate hair care, which should be gentle on the scalp. In addition, a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet also guarantee a healthy scalp and thus protection against dandruff.