Why do we get more dandruff during winters?

Dandruff is the flakes which are dead skin cells that fall off your scalp. Scratching the scalp or rubbing your head, makes dandruff fall on your shoulders and dress. The scalp gets red and itchy because of dandruff.

Dandruff can occur on the scalp, eyelashes, ears, sides of nose, neck, breastbone etc. anywhere. Dandruff is not contagious and it does not mean that the person is not being hygienic or not cleaning the hair properly.

Dandruff can occur due to many reasons such as Pollution, stress, improper diet and sleep, chemicals in hair products and the medical conditions of the skin. Winters might be one of the reasons.

Winter Blues

• It is true that cold and dry winter weather can trigger dandruff and increase it if one already has dandruff.

• Hair follicles and oil glands make an oil called Sebum, which could develop yeast and fungus.

• Sunlight suppresses the fungus that causes dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. But it is during winter that sunlight is low and the chances of having favorable conditions for the fungus production is high.

• People with seborrheic dermatitis are more likely to have dandruff. This is linked with a fungus called Malassezia that lives on the scalp and feeds on the sebum.

• There are other types of dandruff most of which are caused by fungal infections and winter is an active time for these.

• The hair coloring and styling products can also cause dandruff.

Remedies

• Dandruff can be reduced by managing stress as it can also trigger dandruff.

• It is better to shampoo more often so as to keep the scalp clean.

• A Little sunlight would also help control dandruff.

• Shampoos with ingredients such as Ketoconazole, Selenium sulfide, Zinc pyrithione, Coal tar, Salicylic acids, tea tree oil etc. help in the reduction of dandruff. Some of them use dandruff shampoos regularly. But it is better to stop using them, once your hair is free from dandruff.

• Once the dandruff was treated, it is better to keep a habit of cleaning hair using the natural products only as the chemical filled shampoos leave a trail on the scalp that has chances of triggering dandruff more often.