Causes of Extreme Dandruff or Scurf and Its Simple Treatment Remedies

Extreme Dandruff

The human skin cells are continually renewing pushing outward into the skin surface and out of the scalp. People having dandruff are having faster skin cells renewal. This means that more dead cells are shedding off making dandruff more visible.

Dandruff can be chronic or short-term. It can also be due to certain factors that would trigger its appearance.

It can also be a symptom of an underlying problem like psoriasis, fungal infection, head lice, or seborrheic dermatitis. A Seborrheic Dermatitis is a skin condition in which the skin is inflamed and becomes flaky which is the severe form of dandruff. Unlike other types of dandruff, serborrheic dermatitis affects not just the scalp but includes all the skin in other body parts.

Extreme Dandruff Causes

Extreme dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis is more common in genetically-predisposed individuals who have seborrheic diathesis. Seborrheic diathesis means having increased sebum secretion in areas where there are more sebaceous glands such as the scalp, in between the shoulder blades and the front chest. Some triggering agents can make the skin in these areas a breeding ground for yeasts such as malassezia.

Once these yeasts breakdown, the composition of the sebum is altered. It then triggers an inflammatory response in the skin intensifying sebum secretion. This cycle is repetitive and includes symptoms such as:

• Red, scaly, and irritated skin.
• Itchiness especially in acute and active state.

Meanwhile, some of the triggers for seborrheic dermatitis include:

• Stress and fatigue
• Hormonal triggers
• Environmental triggers such as low humid conditions
• Low immune state
• Food sugar consumption
• Drugs and medications
• Other diseases such as Parkinsonism and HIV infections

Remedies to Treat Extreme Dandruff

• Treatment for seborrheic dermatitis is similar to other dandruffs. Pharmacological treatments include antifungal preparations to reduce colonization by lipophilic yeasts and certain anti-inflammatory agents.
• Other remedies include the use of topical steroids like hydrocortisone cream.
• There are also oils such as mineral, olive, and peanut that can treat this scalp condition. These oils can soften the scales efficiently especially if they are left on the scalp overnight.
• In the morning, instead of using a regular shampoo, use coal tar shampoo to rinse the oil and flakes. Using tea tree oil shampoo also shows good results.
• Food that triggers allergic reaction should also be avoided since it causes excessive dandruff as well.
• For severe cases, products such as salicylic acid and coal tar are used to reduce the density of scale.