What
causes dandruff you ask? Dandruff, also called scurf is the bane of some
people’s lives; those pesky white flakes that appear on your shoulders and make
wearing black simply out of the question.
Skin cells
die and are replaced naturally all the time, but, when that process of skin
renewal is speeded up, that’s when the dead skin cells become more prevalent
and noticeable in the form of dandruff. Science knows what is happening, when
you have dandruff, but the cause is a little less clear. There are, in fact,
many things linked to dandruff: from stress to serious illnesses, such as AIDS
and Parkinson’s disease. Not that you should be taking dandruff as a sign that
you might have a serious disease, but it has just been noted that dandruff is
more common in people with these illnesses.
Some
common causes of dandruff are as follows:
Washing
your hair too rarely or too often
Some
forms of dermatitis
Fungal
infections
Excessively
oily skin or very dry skin
Emotional
stress
A
weakened immune system
Overuse
of product on your hair
Its
pretty obvious it’s difficult to tie down what might be causing your dandruff
but, thankfully, dandruff is quite easy to treat. There are plenty of
pharmaceutical shampoos available for the treatment of dandruff and there are
also many natural home solutions too. You can also help reduce the occurrence
of dandruff by watching what you eat and drink, as diet is also thought to be a
contributing factor.
If
dandruff is a problem for you, then we’ve explored 25 of the best ways to treat
dandruff and to keep it away, so read on, and you might find some ideas that
you haven’t tried yet:
1. Brush
your hair regularly
The
first, and very simple, way to reduce your chances of developing dandruff is to
brush your hair more often. If you don’t brush your hair, then the dry flakes
of skin will build up in your hair and brushing aids the process of shedding
the dead skin cells.
2. Lime
wash
Another
good home remedy on how to get rid of dandruff naturally is to use lime or
lemon wash. Boil the peels of five limes (or lemons) in water and then, allow
the solution to cool. Use the solution as a rinse after each shampoo and, if
you keep on using this treatment, twice a week, you should start to see a reduction
in your dandruff.
3. Ginger
and cucumber hair mask
This home
remedy is a little messier! Grind together some fresh cucumber and a little
ginger into a smooth paste and then massage into your scalp and leave it on for
half an hour before washing out again. Or, if you can bear it, leave it on all
night and wash off in the morning!
4. Olive
oil
One of
our favourite beauty ingredients, olive oil, also gets a mention here. Gently
warm some olive oil in a pan, not too hot though, and then, massage it into
your hair and scalp, leave on for, at least, a couple of hours or overnight
before washing off. This treatment is especially effective, if you have
dandruff, combined with generally dry skin as well.
5. Add
baking soda to your normal shampoo
You can
create your own dandruff fighting shampoo by simply adding a teaspoon of baking
soda to your regular hair wash. Baking soda will give your hair and scalp a
good, deep down clean and you will be surprised at how effective such a simple
remedy can be.
6. Garlic
and Aloe Vera
Garlic is
also said to be a good natural cure for dandruff. Mix a couple of garlic cloves
with 5 tablespoons of Aloe Vera gel (preferably freshly made, but beware of
spikes) into a paste, massage it into your scalp and leave it for half an hour,
before washing out with a gentle, scented shampoo. It is the antibacterial and
antifungal properties of garlic and nourishing properties of Aloe Vera that
will help here; it is especially helpful, if your dandruff is being caused by a
skin infection.
7. Black
pepper powder and yogurt
Mix
together one teaspoon of black pepper powder with a cup of natural, plain
yogurt and massage it into your hair and scalp, and leave on for approximately
half an hour. The yoghurt will smooth and nourish your scalp, while the pepper
will fight any fungal infections.
8. Apple
juice
Another
good tip on how to get rid of dandruff naturally is to use apple juice. Fresh
apple juice is a great way to remove the accumulation of dead skin cells from
your scalp. Just juice one or two apples and rinse your hair with the juice,
then leave it on your hair for about ten minutes before rinsing out again with
warm water.
9. Simply
Aloe Vera juice
You can
find that Aloe Vera is listed as an ingredient in many commercially available
dandruff shampoos. Aloe vera is soothing and it also has antifungal and
antibacterial properties. Massage some Aloe vera juice or gel into your scalp
and leave it for ten minutes before washing out with a gentle shampoo, and it
will help to control your dandruff.
