Ever noticed white flaky substance appearing on the hair and fall onto the shoulders and clothes. This is dandruff, and it can ruin your day. Being noticed with all that white flakes over your fresh suit can be a daunting experience. Dandruff is a common scalp condition in which the dead skin is shed producing irritating white flakes. Dandruff frequently accompanies scalp disease and is a primary cause of baldness and general hair loss. Generally, Dandruff is not a disease but a symptom for other diseases. These may be digestive disturbances, excess stress or depression. It can also be caused by yeast or fungal infections.

Commonly used high alkaline soaps and shampoos are a major cause of dandruff and can also trigger or increase hair loss.

Not just on the head, dandruff may also appear on other body parts e.g chest, legs and forearms. It may be accompanied by irritation on the skin, and/or redness. Dandruff may also be seasonal e.g. on the onset of winters. In acute cases it can be chronic - staying on for long periods without any improvement.

Natural Remedies for controlling Dandruff

• Atleast 20 mins before bath, have a oil massage with Coconut or Almonds oil, slightly warmed. After oil massage, a towel wet with hot steaming water can be wrapped around the head for giving steam therapy to your hair. This is considered a excellent therapy to control dandruff and better hair.
• Citrus limon (Lemon, Nimbaka) is a natural rich source of vitamin C and prevents oxidative skin damage. You can apply lemon juice to hair roots with a cotton swab 10 mins before having a bath. It is very effective against dandruff, and makes hair look silky.
• Similiar effect can be achieved by mixing two tablespoons of cosmetic vinegar and six tablespoons of hot water. You can apply this solution on the scalp with a cotton and leave it overnight. For added benefit, you can add a tbls of ginger juice to this composition.
• Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary, Rusmari) is an effective antibacterial and antifungal agent. It is useful in treating dandruff and other scalp infections. Santalum album (Sandalwood Tree, Chandana) is used in skin diseases to alleviate itching and inflammation. These can be obtained in oil form and can be used for massaging the hair before bath.
• Reduce the use of shampoo on the hair. If required, use it only once or twice a week. Specially, if you observe that dandruff increases on use with a particular brand of shampoo, dont use it.
• The digestive system should be functioning properly for long term well-being of hair and relief of dandruff. Traditional Indian Medicine recommends a composite herbal preparation containing equal proportions of the fruits of three myrobalans, Amlika(Emblica officinalis, Indian Gooseberry), Haritki(Terminalia chebula,Chebulic Myrobalan) and Vibhitaki(Terminalia bellirica, Bellirica Myrobalan). This is known as triphla, and it provides overall support for the digestive function. It also relieves constipation.

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