Beauty & Fashion 

Advertisement

Dealing With Dandruff

Your scalp's itchy and you're afraid to wear anything black. But, there's no reason to live in fear of another dandruff attack. With so many great products on the market, this is one cosmetic blight that's easily overcome

Dandruff is a common affliction and one that will affect most of us at some point in our lives. Hairdresser, Beverly Cobella, says, 'True dandruff is caused by the overproduction of a naturally occurring fungus known as Pityrosporum Ovale, which can be triggered by a hormonal imbalance, an excessively oily scalp or a dietary deficiency'. Cobella adds that while we all shed dead skin cells, dandruff sufferers have a higher cell turnover than most. Because there's a tendency for these cells to cluster together, the flakes are very visible. In some cases, however, what appears to be dandruff is simply the natural flaking that results from a dry scalp.

Getting the treatment
Most cases of dandruff are successfully treated with an over-the-counter anti-dandruff shampoo, available at your local chemist. Active ingredients worth looking for in some popular products include: Zinc Pyrithione, Climbazole, Octopirox and Ketoconazole. In severe cases, your doctor will prescribe a stronger solution.

Some products are designed for use every time you wash your hair, while others only require occasional use. It is important to that you read the label on your shampoo and follow the instructions carefully. Philip Kingsley, a trichologist - an expert on the hair and scalp - believes, 'You should alternate between using an anti-dandruff shampoo and your usual shampoo.' Although opinion is divided on this advice, the best course of action is to experiment with both kinds of shampoos and see what kind of regime works best for you. If you find that switching back to your regular shampoo causes your dandruff to return, then stick with an anti-dandruff shampoo until you've been dandruff-free for a few months.

Many of today's brilliant, high-tech products also allow you to choose the right shampoo for your hair type, such as Head & Shoulders Extra Volume (£3.79 for 400ml) or Neutrogena T/Gel Anti-Dandruff Shampoo for Damaged and Fragile Hair (£4.99 for 125ml). Other products worth trying include Wella Vosene Anti-Dandruff Conditioner (£2.09 for 250ml) - the only specialist anti-dandruff conditioner on the market - and Garnier Fructis No More Dandruff Fortifying Mask (£1.99 for two 20ml sachets).

Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon

  Get the latest iVillage news on your desktop    Sign up for more iVillage RSS feeds

© iVillage Limited 2000-2008. All rights reserved. | © iVillage inc. 1995-2008. All rights reserved.
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB