Dandruff has been my big secret since I was a young girl. On wash days, my mother would sit me down in the living room, turn on a Disney movie, and scratch the flakes out of my scalp before shampooing my hair. My mom would mumble on and on about how I inherited the flakes from my father and my grandfather, who have both used Head & Shoulders since before I was born.
Going to the hair salon, I always felt I needed to explain. “Sorry about the flakes! I have a really bad scalp,” is the way I would preface any trip to the shampoo bowl. And through my years as a beauty editor, I’ve found that there are a lot of misconceptions about dandruff. It’s a common scalp annoyance that no one really understands. So, SELF talked to two pros to bust all the myths about itchy, flaky scalps. Keep reading to get down to the root of the problem.
Myth #1: Dandruff is caused by a dry scalp. Actually it’s the exact opposite. Dandruff is more common for people with an oily scalp. “Skin cells on our scalp (just like those on the rest of our body) are constantly replaced and shed,” Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist at Philip Kinglsey Trichological Clinic, tells SELF. “If skin cells begin to divide too rapidly—faster than they are shed—this is what causes flakes.” An oily scalp in addition to this overgrowth of cells can cause skin cells to build-up on the scalp.
Myth #2: Dandruff can be cured. “The cause of dandruff is actually not a bacteria but a yeast called malassezia furfur,” Christine Choi Kim, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Santa Monica, CA, tells SELF. “You can’t eradicate it, but you can control it.” Furthermore some people are genetically susceptible to dandruff, meaning they’re more likely to get flakes. There is no cure, all you can do is manage the flakes by using the proper products.
Myth #3: Using an oil treatment will make dandruff better. A hot oil treatment is one of the DIY remedies I found while searching for dandruff solutions on the internet. To see the effects, you’re supposed to apply warm coconut or olive oil directly to the scalp. But does it work? “As dandruff is usually oily already, applying more oil will simply give you stickier and greasier flakes,” says Kingsley. “Rubbing oils into the scalp can also cause irritation.”
Myth #4: You should scratch away any flakes before shampooing. Flashback to my mom using a rattail comb on my head to dislodge the flakes. But talking to Kingsley, I realized that this wasn’t the right strategy. “If your flakes are so adherent and heavy that they need dislodging with a comb, chances are you have a different and more serious scalp condition,” says Kingsley. “Harsh or improper removal of scales can be painful and cause bleeding.” And a bleeding leaves your scalp susceptible to infection.
Myth #5: You should wash your hair less often if you have dandruff. You should actually shampoo daily to rinse away the flakes and debris. If this doesn’t fit into your schedule, you can apply a clarifying toner like Philip Kingsley Flaky Scalp Toner ($36, philipkinglsey.com). “In order to reduce the levels of this yeast, use a daily scalp toner and shampoo containing an anti-microbial agent that specifically targets it,” says Kingsley. Also look for a shampoo with active ingredients like piroctone olamine (which is in this Klorane shampoo) or zinc pyrithione (like in Neutrogena T-Gel).
Myth #6: You don’t need to exfoliate your scalp. “Applying an exfoliating scalp mask once to twice a week will help speed up recovery from a dandruff flare-up and can also help prevent them,” says Kingsley. “Exfoliating masks gently lift away flakes and helps to return the rate of skin cell turnover on the scalp to a normal, healthy level.” But stay away from DIY scalp exfoliators with sea salt as a main ingredient since it can irritate the skin. Instead, Kim recommends using a product that has salicylic acid or hydrocortisone like Scalpicin ($8, drugstore.com).
Myth #7: Your styling products are making it worse. There are lots of things that can spur on your dandruff—genetics, stress, your diet—but your styling routine isn’t one of them. Just make sure to rinse your hair of debris as often as possible (meaning daily).
Myth #8: Dandruff has nothing to do with hair growth. “Research and studies have shown that a flaky scalp can cause and/or worsen hair fall in certain individuals,” says Kingsley. If your scalp is in bad shape it can adversely effect hair growth. And thick, scaly patches can also attach to the hair follicles causing fallout.
Myth #9: Dandruff is worse in the summer. Winter is typically the time when flakes kick up. “People tend to eat more of the foods that commonly trigger dandruff during winter,” says Kinglsey. “These include full-fat dairy products, sugary and spicy foods, and champagne.” The colder months are also the time of added stress (holidays with the family). And most people cut down on shampooing due to the cold temperatures, which can also make flakes worse.
Myth #10: All flakes are a sign of dandruff. Dandruff is only the beginning when it comes to scalp flakes. You could also have seborrheic dermatitis or scalp psoriasis. Here’s how you tell the difference. SD usually appears as “thick, sticky, yellow-colored flakes.” It can also be itchy and inflammatory. Kim also notes that seborrheic dermatitis is not just limited to the scalp. You can find flaky patches in your brows, beard, ears, chest, and other skin folds.
Psoriasis is also another dandruff-like issue, but it looks a little different. “Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition. It causes a build-up of dark plaques,” says Kingsley. “Unlike dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis, psoriasis is often not itchy.” Typically if you have psoriasis on the scalp, you’ll also see patches on your elbows and knees.
Source: Dandruff Myths
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