Q & A with BB: Brush Your Shoulders Off

Q. Hi Bre, I love your blog! I was wondering if you could help me with a hair issue. I’m dealing with a really dry scalp and embarrassing flakes. I’ve tried some drugstore dandruff shampoos and they aren’t really working. Is there anything else I can do or try? Thank you! Sammi

A. Thank you for the great question Sammi. Dandruff can be an embarrassing problem, however it is very common. Shedding skin cells is a natural process that we all do everyday, the difference being some of us shed more than others. Skin cells that grow and die off too fast are the cause of dandruff. The potential culprit is a fat-eating fungus called Pityrosporum ovale, or p. ovale for short. This fungus is present in all humans. It lives on the scalp and feeds on the oil secreted by hair follicles and sometimes its numbers grow out of control. This increases skin cell shedding and the end result is dandruff. The p. ovale fungus can be exacerbated by hormone fluctuations, infrequent shampooing, and stress. Even the time of year can play a part. Cold, dry winters can cause dandruff or make a current dandruff problem worse. Now that you know the root of the problem {I love hair puns} is a fungus you can treat it accordingly with the proper shampoo.

You need a shampoo that slows the growth of the fungus or kills it altogether. Look for ingredients on the label such as: selenium sulfide, ketaconzaole, or pyrithione zinc, a common one in dandruff shampoos. A shampoo that exfoliates with salicylic acid would also be beneficial. Instead of alternating between two different shampoos, there is a new one available over the counter that contains pyrithione zinc and salicylic acid to combat flakes. Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Intense Cleanse Shampoo claims to control dandruff for 48 hours after just one wash and leave hair completely flake free with continued use. I have recommended this shampoo to friends and they have found success with it. The pyrithione zinc slows the growth of the p. ovale fungus, while the salicylic acid and polyethylene beads help lift dead skin from the scalp so that it can be rinsed away. Just like with facial skin care, salicylic acid allows other products easy passage to penetrate and be that much more effective. In addition to the treatment shampoo, there are a few tricks to really help kick your dandruff to the curb.

1. Leave the shampoo on your head for at least a minute so it has time to penetrate and work.

2. If you have dry hair, apply the treatment shampoo only to your scalp, rinse it out after a minute, and then use a hydrating shampoo before you condition as usual.

3. If the dandruff does not improve with continued use of your treatment shampoo, see a dermatologist who can give you a prescription shampoo. If this does not work, or your dandruff migrates to your eyebrows or ears, the problem you’re experiencing may be psoriasis, in which case your dermatologist would prescribe a steroid treatment.

I hope my advice helps and the shampoo I recommended works for you. Thank you for a fantastic question, I’m sure there are a lot of other readers out there who have the same issue.

What about you? If you have any questions please leave them in a comment or send me an e-mail. Your question could turn into a post!

{The only kind of flakes you want in your hair image from weheartit.com}

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