This is an issue that troubles many. You try many remedies
but it never seems to go. It gets under control but then again flares up. So what
exactly is dandruff?
Dandruff is an early stage of a skin problem known as Seborrheic
dermatitis (SD). Seborrheic dermatitis presents as redness of involved skin with
greasy-looking scales and is said to occur because of a fungus named Malassezia furfur or due to its yeast form,
Pityrosporum ovale.
This fungus is normally
also present on our body, but in this condition its amount is increased and
also the body response to it is aggravated. It is mainly present in areas with abundance of sebaceous
glands, like; scalp, face, chest, back, behind the ears and in flexural areas.
Most commonly it is seen over scalp. The area involved is brownish in color and is
covered with greasy scales. These scales are what come as white flakes in our
nails when we scratch the scalp. The area involved can increase to extend over
the whole scalp and even beyond the frontal hairline. The important thing to remember
is that dandruff if causes hair loss, it is reversible as there is no damage to
scalp skin. Also, there can be small boils on scalp which often pain when we
touch them.
Seborrheic dermatitis can also be seen on face. Here it is
seen to involve eyebrows, eyelid margins, around opening of nose, moustache,
beard and behind the ears. These areas have redness and some scaling. This redness
and scaling can also be seen on chest, upper back, shoulders, axillary region
and in groin area.
Don not get too carried away by the above description. It is
not a very serious problem and is easily manageable. However the only problem
with dandruff is recurrence. It is a manageable issue but cure is difficult.
It is only because in these patients the body is more
responsive to the responsible fungus than others, and since this fungus is normally
found on skin of even healthy people it cannot be wiped out completely. When you
take treatment it reduces the number of the organisms, with clearing of the
condition, but recolonization occurs on stopping the treatment.
So What to do?
If you have a problem of recurrent dandruff, use the
antidandruff shampoo regularly to keep the amount of fungus under control. If it
gets aggravated and you get above mentioned symptoms, consult your
dermatologist for proper treatment.
To conclude, do not worry if you have recurrent dandruff. It
is normal for you like some people have acne and some don’t. Consult your
dermatologist for proper treatment.
