Our scalp hair is our biggest asset and it is also responsible for our good personality and beauty. Once, our hair starts to shed down, it takes away our complete adolescence. The person who starts losing his hair in the in his/her younger age felt with grief and loss all their self esteem.

Some people stop paying attention to their personal grooming and even their look. They fell with the negative thinking that they will never look jaunty and beautiful again. Nevertheless, few people head out towards the treatment.

Dandruff is a very common skin condition that nearly all people experience at one point in their lives regardless of age or ethnicity. It affects the not just the scalp, but also the ears, eyebrows, sides of the nose, beard, and less commonly the central (often hair-bearing) part of the chest. Dandruff can affect any hair-bearing area or an area with even very small hair follicles. Other names for dandruff or seborrhea dermatitis, and seborrhea.

Dandruff has seen in all ages from babies to the elderly. In infancy, scalp dandruff is commonly known as "cradle cap." In the ten years it has been called "druff" for short. Some people are simply more prone to dandruff, and others experience periodic clearing cycles and periodic flare-ups of the condition.

Dandruff typically looks like dry, fine flaky skin on the scalp, sometimes with areas of pink or red inflamed skin. Many individuals have no scalp symptoms, but simply complain of white flakes on their shoulders, particularly noticeable on dark clothing. More advanced cases may cause intense itching, burning, and unstoppable scratching.

Some people are more prone to dandruff, and dandruff tends to be a chronic or recurrent disorder with periodic ups and downs. It is generally quite easily controlled with proper skin and hair hygiene. In babies, cradle cap usually clears after a few months. It may recur later in life as typical dandruff. For some, dandruff may worsen with time. Although it may occur for a short period, dandruff tends to recur throughout a person’s life.

Severe dandruff may be a very difficult and frustrating condition. An ongoing combination treatment of multiple shampoos, washes, and creams and lotions may be required to treat resistant cases. Overall, dandruff treatments are very safe and effective.

To combat the onslaught of increased dandruff, men and women alike have flocked to health stores and drug stores for OTC or over-the-counter products. Since the early nineties, the market has been deluged with different approaches to treating dandruff (or its symptoms). Most of these products are bogus, or are inadequate in addressing the needs of the majority of dandruff-sufferers.

Human skin cells are forever renewing themselves. As skin cells in the scalp are renewed, the old (dead) ones are pushed to the surface and then out of the scalp; they are literally expelled.  Dandruff is a shedding of the skin on the scalp that leads to white flakes on the head, neck, and shoulders.

For people with dandruff, the new cells are produced at a faster rate than they die, resulting in more skin being shed, making dandruff more noticeable. If the skin is exposed to extreme temperatures, the risk of developing dandruff is greater.

Dandruff caused due to dry skin is one of the most common types. Mostly during winters, washing your hair with warm hair tends to make it dry and flaky.

The next common cause is the accumulation of sebum oil secreted from your scalp. Improper or irregular cleansing habits often lead to this type. If your hair and scalp is not clean, the sebum/skin oil combines with all the dead skin cells and dirt forming itchy flakes.

Malassezia, a fungus, is naturally found on the skin and scalp. Normally, this fungus has limited growth. But, excessive oil on the scalp serves as food for this fungus, thus helping them grow immensely. This fungus produces oleic acid as a metabolic by-product. This oleic acid in turn produces an increased turnover of skin cells, causing unwanted white flakes.

Serious causes may include infections related to the scalp. For instance, Psoriasis Causes excessive production of skin cells on the scalp. This leads to scaly skin. They shed and combine with dirt and sebum oil causing dandruff. Similarly, eczema also causes the skin to become itchy and flaky.

Common symptoms of dandruff include white, oily-looking flakes of dead skin in your hair and on your shoulders and an itchy, scaling scalp. Your scalp can be either excessively dry or oily. Skin specialists called dermatologists commonly refer to dandruff as seborrhea or seborrhea dermatitis.

The hallmark sign of dandruff, or seborrhea dermatitis of the scalp, is white flakes on the scalp and in the hair. If the person is wearing dark clothes, the flakes will be more noticeable when they fall on their shoulders. The scalp may also feel itchy, tight or sore.  Adult individuals with seborrhea dermatitis of the scalp may have red, flaky, greasy patches of skin. White flakes on shoulders of dark clothing.

One of the most common and often the first symptom of dandruff can be white flakes seen on dark clothes. Scalp itching may be another common first symptom. In some, the initial noticeable symptom is simply dry facial skin without any other rashes. Patients may see their physician complaining of dry skin that fails to respond to daily lotions and creams. Often they have used every lotion possible from the drugstore or more expensive department stores. Frequently this is caused by undiagnosed scalp dandruff that is causing problems "downstream" on the face.

Dandruff can be located in areas of the body that have any hair follicles. It is most typically found on the scalp, ears, face, and middle of the chest. Seborrhea is not seen on the palms and soles where there are no hair follicles.

The exact cause of dandruff, also known as scurf or Pityriasis simplex capillitii is unknown. However, most experts do agree that dandruff is not caused by poor hygiene.

Some people think their dandruff is caused by their scalp being too dry. Dandruff is a condition of the scalp that causes flaking of skin to appear. Dandruff is a common condition, which is marked by itching. In some cases it can be embarrassing and not easy to treat. I we look at the possible causes of dandruff as well as potential treatment options. The following are factors that may contribute to dandruff:

• Constipation

        Constipation has a very great influence on the health of your hair. Constipation levels or disruption in a man and woman can make hair turn dull.  It is very common. In the World, more than 65 % people – that's 1 in 3 people – suffer from the discomfort of constipation each year. Constipation is an entirely curable and manageable condition, all you need to do is keep the name of Divya sanjivni Kabz Mukta in mind and you should be well on your way to a happy morning. Most cases temporary and for most people, it's an awkward subject. If the problem is severe or frequent and causes you a great deal of discomfort, however, it is important that you discuss it with your health care provider. In most cases dietary and lifestyle modifications alone suffice and there is no real need for any treatment.

• Dry skin

        People with dry skin tend to get dandruff more often. Winter cold air, combined with overheated rooms is a common cause of itching, flaking skin. People with dandruff caused by dry skin tend to have small flakes of dandruff; the flakes are not oily.

• Not enough cleansing

        Some people say that if you don't use cleanser enough, there can be a buildup of oil and dead skin cells, causing dandruff. However, many experts doubt this is true.

• Not enough hair brushing

        People who do not comb or brush their hair regularly have a slightly higher risk of having dandruff - this is because they are not aiding the shedding of skin that combing or brushing provides.

• Yeast

        People who are sensitive to yeast have a slightly higher risk of having dandruff, so it is logical to assume that the yeast may play a part. Yeast-sensitive people who get dandruff often find that it gets better during the warmer months and worse during the winter. UVA light from the sun counteracts the yeast. Some say, that during winter the skin is drier because of cold air and overheated rooms (exposure to extreme temperatures), making dandruff more likely. So, it is sometimes not that easy to know whether it is yeast or just dry skin.

• Seborrhea dermatitis (irritated, oily skin)

        People with seborrhea dermatitis are very prone to dandruff. Seborrhea dermatitis affects many areas of the skin, including the backs of the ears, the breastbone, eyebrows, and the sides of the nose, not just the scalp. The patient will have red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales.

• Certain skin conditions

        People with psoriasis, eczema and some other skin disorders tend to get dandruff much more frequently than other people.

• Some  illnesses

         Patients recovering from heart attacks and strokes and some people with weak immune systems may have dandruff more often than other people.

• Reaction to hair or skin care products

        Some people react to some hair care products with a red, itchy, scaling scalp. Many experts say that shampooing too often may cause dandruff as it can irritate the scalp.

• Malassezia

        Malassezia is a fungus that lives on everybody's scalp. Generally, it will cause no problems at all. However, it can grow out of control. It feeds on the oils our hair follicles secrete. When this happens, the scalp can become irritated and produce extra skin cells. These extra skin cells die and fall off; they mix with the oil from the hair and scalp, and turn into what we see as dandruff.

• Diet

        Some experts say that people who do not consume enough foods that contain zinc, B vitamins, and some types of fats are more prone to dandruff.

• Mental stress

        Experts believe there may be a link between stress and many skin problems.

Usually it takes about fifteen days after treatment started before the first indication that the therapy is working will be noticed.

Afterwards it can take up to twenty days or one month to know for a fact that the Dandruff cure is working.

That's why it is important that an individual knows exactly what is causing their hair problems so they do not waste time discovering the best way to fix the issue.

*Application time of medicines may be less or more according to nature of patient’s disease and how long this disease.

Spinach is a great source of iron, vitamin A and C and protein. Iron deficiency is the main cause of hair- fall and spinach is not only iron-rich, it also contains sebum which acts as a natural conditioner for hair. It also provides us with omega-3 acid, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron. These help in maintaining a healthy scalp and lustrous hair.

Sneak carrots in your diet for those long and lustrous locks. Known to be good for the eyes, carrots contain Vitamin A that also improves hair growth. Sweet potatoes are also packed with beta-carotene that converts to vitamin A in our body. A deficiency of vitamin A may lead to dry and itchy scalp.

Milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs etc. are loaded with essential nutrients such as proteins, Vitamin B12, iron, zinc and Omega 6 fatty acids. Dairy products are also a great source of biotin (Vitamin B7) that is known to fight hair loss.

Include a big bowl of oats in your morning meal to bid goodbye to hair fall. Oats are rich in fiber, zinc, iron, omega-6 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that stimulate hair growth and will make your hair thick and healthy.

Add walnuts to your diet to prevent hair loss. It is the only known nut to contain biotin, B vitamins (B1, B6 and B9), Vitamin E, plenty of protein and magnesium, all of which strengthen hair cuticles and nourish the scalp. It helps protect your cells from DNA damage which may be caused due to sun exposure.

Lentils are loaded with protein, iron, zinc, and biotin. Besides this, lentils are full of folic acid which is necessary for restoring the health of red blood cells that supply skin and scalp with the much-needed oxygen.

Poultry meat is rich in high quality protein which strengthens fragile hair and prevents breakage. Since hair and nails are composed of proteins, one should include them in their daily diet.

Strawberries contain high levels of silica. Silica is a trace mineral vital for hair strength and hair growth. Other silica rich foods include rice, oats, onion, cabbage, cucumber and cauliflower.

Yogurt is packed with Vitamin B5 and Vitamin D that are known to promote hair follicle health. Alternatively, you can also use yogurt to make a hair mask every once in a while.

Vitamin C supports the absorption of iron in our body, the deficiency of which may lead to hair loss. Vitamin C is also known for its antioxidant properties which reduces the damage caused by free radicals that may make your hair brittle and weak. Add fruits like oranges, papaya, blueberries, lime and kiwi to your diet. Vitamin C also helps in the production of an essential protein called collagen which strengthens blood vessels that supports the hair shafts.