Why does my hair have dandruff? Dandruff is the most common scalp condition in the United States. It affects about half of all people at some point in their lives, but it’s not always easy to diagnose or identify. In most cases, dandruff is just a mild case of dry skin on your head—but some other causes can cause more severe symptoms.
What is dandruff?
Dandruff is a scalp infection caused by an overgrowth of yeast. The most common causes are:
• Dry skin
• Too much washing (or not enough shampooing)
• Using shampoos with strong fragrances and dyes
Hair care practices that can cause dandruff
Several different hair care practices can cause dandruff. Some of these include:
• Overwashing your hair – If you wash too often or use harsh products, your scalp may become irritated and susceptible to dandruff.
• Using an electric blow dryer on wet hair without using a heat protectant spray first – The heat from the blow dryer can irritate the scalp, which is often what triggers dandruff in the first place!
• Using styling gel or hairspray on damp strands as opposed to when they’re dry (which helps prevent clumps) – This applies if you do not have curly/wavy texture since it will help hold up those curls better than simply letting them hang freely during styling time – however, this does require a few tries before learning how much product should be used based upon whether its application was necessary.
Dehydration
Dandruff also stems from dehydration. Here are some tips to prevent dehydration:
• Drink more water.
• Don’t drink too much caffeine or alcohol.
• Lessen your intake of salty foods.
Diet and nutrients
Dandruff is caused by an imbalance in the scalp, which a dietary deficiency or excess can cause. The most common nutrients that are deficient include zinc and selenium. Zinc helps to strengthen hair follicles and prevent them from falling out; in addition, it reduces inflammation throughout the body including your scalp. Selenium is another important nutrient because it helps maintain healthy skin cells as well as immune function. So if you’re looking for ways to prevent dandruff from recurring in your life, try adding some zinc-rich foods to your diet.
Weather
Dry weather affects your skin including your scalp. The drier your hair, the more likely it is to become dandruff-prone. During this weather, try using sulfate-free shampoo to prevent further dryness of the scalp.
Medical Condition
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Seborrhoea – this condition causes oily build-ups on your scalp that give rise to flakes of dead skin cells (dandruff). It’s usually caused by an imbalance between skin oils called sebum and sweat glands that produce too much oil for normal reasons (like PMS or pregnancy).
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Scalp psoriasis – this type of psoriasis is similar to eczema because it involves inflammation instead of just scaling up from baseboards; however, there are some differences between these two conditions including how they affect hair growth overall: while eczematous lesions can cause baldness at times because they cause loss/damage as well as itching due largely only being limited areas within contact with topical medications such as corticosteroids which aid healing but also sometimes cause side effects like headaches etcetera.