Did you know that those troublesome flakes you see in your hair and on your shoulders from time to time is probably NOT dandruff? No! That’s Right. It’s far more common and far more likely to be caused by a dry scalp. Did you also know that treating dry scalp with dandruff shampoos can make it worse? No? Read on!
Contrary to popular belief, dandruff is not actually caused by the skin on your scalp becoming dry. Dandruff is actually caused by an excess of sebum which accumulates on the scalp and leads to an overgrowth of yeast and occasionally fungi. This causes skin cells to shed more frequently giving you that ‘fresh from a snowstorm’ look. Unlike dry scalp, dandruff has a yellowish tint and is greasy rather than dry and flaky.
Like many hair and skin issues, dandruff can be caused by a number of different things. There may be a physical cause such as poor nutrition (especially a diet too high in fat, sugar and/or starches), hormones, heredity and scalp sensitivity. Dandruff can also be a by-product of stress, being generally run down, infrequent hair washing and misuse or excessive use of styling products.
You would be familiar with the plethora of dandruff shampoos on the market. Well, these dandruff shampoos have some fairly strong medicated ingredients in them designed to sweep all the gunk from your scalp and inhibit regrowth of any gross stuff. These same ingredients will worsen a dry scalp so it’s always best to be sure what the cause of your shoulder snowstorm is before picking a treatment option.
A lot of people mistakenly believe that it is best to avoid shampooing often when dandruff is present, however, it’s actually the opposite! You need to keep the excess oil at bay so that yeast and fungi cannot proliferate. Washing every second day should be sufficient but if you’re noticing that your scalp still seems oily, it’s ok to wash every day with an anti-dandruff shampoo until the problem is back under control.
Dry scalp is exactly what it sounds like. Dry skin can occur anywhere on the body, including your scalp! Dry scalp is likely to be itchy and the flakes smaller, whiter and more brittle than dandruff flakes. The scalp is also easily overlooked when it comes to your sun protection regime which can lead to a peeling scalp – often mistaken and subsequently mistreated as dandruff.
If your “dandruff” is really the result of a dry scalp, then there’s lots you can do. Did you know that dry scalp can be a contributing factor to hair loss? So it pays dividends if you can get it under control.
- Use a good quality, natural shampoo. Scrubbing your scalp with cheap supermarket shampoo will, unsurprisingly, aggravate your scalp further. Nut Job’s soothing and nourishing Peppermint Hair Growth Shampoo has been formulated to care for an itchy, irritated scalp and restore your scalp’s natural balance. Plus, the cooling effect feels soooo good on an angry scalp. It doesn’t hurt that peppermint oil can stimulate hair growth either!
- Use conditioner! Yeah, nah, that shampoo/conditioner/body wash combo bottle you’ve been using for several years does not count as conditioner. It’s time to invest in an actual separate product if you want to stop showering people with your head flakes 🤢 Nut Job’s Peppermint Hair Growth Conditioner has been created with looking after irritated scalps in mind so it’s a great choice, especially when paired with the shampoo.
- Take care of your scalp in the sun. Make sure to wear a hat to protect any visible scalp from sunburn or damage. If you can’t do this/don’t look good in hats, you can use a cotton bud to gently dab sunscreen on any areas of your scalp not adequately covered by hair.
Look after your scalp and you will have thicker, more manageable hair along with no more of that embarrassing snowstorm.
