Dandruff Debunked: Is there a Connection to Hair Loss?

Attributed by the following spokesperson: Mike Ryan – Trichologist, Brand Expert CLEAR Arabia

Sometimes people wonder if their hair loss is a result of their dandruff. This is a very common myth, and can be a bit tricky to answer for a few reasons. In general, dandruff is not a direct cause of hair loss. However, the scratching associated with dandruff can in fact damage the cuticular scale of your hair shafts. The cuticular scale is a protective covering on each individual hair and, when damaged, can lead to the hair falling out. In most cases, dandruff does not lead to such an amount of scratching, and therefore is probably not the reason for your hair loss.

There are a few different causes for dandruff, so there are many reasons that people could have it. Dandruff is mainly cause by a fungus that can be found in the atmosphere and can infect anybody. A few other causes of dandruff are high intakes of sugar and fats, prolonged exposure to sunlight, overuse of hair care products, and some dermatologists even think stress can cause dandruff.

If your case of dandruff does result in severe scratching, you may want to look into some treatments for your dandruff itself. If your dandruff is not caused by genetic reasons, it should be easy enough to treat. The best remedy for dandruff is available in over-the-counter shampoos and conditioners as these hair products contain certain chemicals like zinc pyrithione and selenium sulfide that prevent the regrowth of fungus on the scalp.

Contrary to popular belief, dandruff is not dry scalp. Most dandruff is oily so there is no point in putting on oil and rubbing it in – it will only make the oily flakes oilier sand stickier. Dandruff affects most people at some time in their life, often temporarily and fluctuating. Research indicates that it is stimulated by a micro-organism normally present on everyone’s scalp as part of the skin’s normal flora – so you can’t catch it as you already have it. The skin’s secretions control the organism, keeping it at a certain level. Adverse changes in the secretions, however, enable the micro-organism to flourish and cause the scalp to produce skin flakes faster – which in turn creates the dandruff flakes. The extra rapidity of skin production and an increase in sebum cause the flakes to become oily and stick to the scalp. Reasons for adverse changes in skin secretions can be stress, hormone changes in sexes, diet, cosmetic products and poor hygiene.