Business & Finance Club - Beauty : Dandruff is the peeling of dead skin from your head at a rapid rate. Skin cells are often shed from the skin surface but they are too small to be visible. However, dandruff is shedding of skin cells from scalp in larger aggregates. Dandruff causes accumulation of toxins on the scalp and thus it could also lead to hair loss. Causes of dandruff are not known for sure. What is confirmed is that dandruff is not communicable. Merely using a comb used by person with heavy dandruff is not going to infect you.

Formation of dandruff primarily starts at adolescence and is virtually absent in case of children. Dandruff formation starts at the age of 10 - 13, increase and reaches maximum in early twenties.

Another myth is that dandruff formation is more in oily scalp. This is not true and removing oil from scalp does not decrease the formation of dandruff. Almost everyone has suffered from this problem one time or the other, to a certain extent. People who suffer from a higher degree of dandruff will experience itch on the scalp. If it is scratched causes further damage to it. Dandruff may be caused by a number of factors, chief among them being hormonal imbalance, excessive perspiration, allergic reactions, excessive stress, poor hygiene, poor nutrition/health and lack proper sleep. Extreme conditions of heat or cold can also cause dandruff. Though dandruff is known as the drying of scalp, it is very common among people with oily hair.

There is no cure for dandruff as yet. Once you have dandruff, you may suffer from it intermittently, but there are ways and means to keep it under control.

Remedies for dandruff:

1. If your problem is of milder nature, shampooing once a day or twice a day will definitely help in keeping it under control.
2. Begin with only milder shampoos only. Stronger shampoos can irritate your hair and make dandruff flaking worse.
3. If your regular shampoo is not helpful in getting rid of dandruff, go in for anti-dandruff shampoo and the situation will improve in a couple of weeks.
4. Finding the right shampoo for your hair could be a process of trial and error. Try out various shampoos and see which one works best for your hair. Even rotating shampoos often can be good for your hair.
5. Once you have discovered an anti-dandruff shampoo that is good for you, keep using it or your dandruff will return in no time.
6. While using anti-dandruff shampoos, lather and rinse twice. The first cycle cleans only your scalp and the second cleans scalp and hairs thoroughly.
7. Avoid using oil after shampooing as it considerably lowers the affect of shampoos.
8. If you have a feeling that your dandruff is a severe case of dandruff, it is better to have an appointment with a dermatologist.
9. Poor health or lack of proper diet can cause dandruff. Ensure to get enough sleep and eat safely.

Some of the effective and well-known anti-dandruff shampoos are those made from selenium sulfide basically dandruff shampoos such as Selsun and Exsel kill yeast and inhibit dead cell turnover. Salicylic acid shampoos such as T-Sal, Ionil and Sebulex are at times harsh and may turn the scalp excessively dry. Zinc pyrithione is the ingredient in popular brands such as Head and Shoulders and Zincon. Shampoos such as Nizoral contain Ketoconazole, an anti-fungal, and cure dandruff by eliminating fungus and yeast. Thus, the treatment for dandruff, being a combination of hygiene, healthy habits and medicines, is comprehensive.