Moisturizing your scalp won’t get rid of dandruff. But this will.

Who here wants to get rid of dandruff — fast? People often think dry scalp is the culprit for the flakes of skin in their hair and may try to rid them by moisturizing their scalp. But this won’t work for dandruff.

These relatively large, sometimes oily flakes are believed to be mainly caused by an inflammatory reaction to yeast on our skin. To treat the condition, you need to target this yeast and inflammation. Dr. Chris Adigun, a board-certified dermatologist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, walks us through how to do just that.

How do you get rid of dandruff?

To figure out how to get rid of dandruff, let’s get a better understanding of what causes it in the first place. Dandruff is a milder form of a common condition called seborrheic dermatitis. This condition also manifests as scaly patches on the skin and arises in areas of the body that produce lots of oil. With dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis is localized to the scalp.

Dandruff — and seborrheic dermatitis more broadly — is believed to be caused by an inflammatory reaction to the yeast Malassezia furfur, which is found on everyone’s skin. Adigun says this yeast builds up on your scalp until your body can no longer tolerate it and reacts.

To get rid of dandruff, you may need a two-step process. You need to address the quantity of yeast on the scalp. Reducing the amount of yeast will give your skin less substance to react to. You can achieve this by using an antifungal shampoo like Head & Shoulders or Selsun blue, among many others. For many cases of dandruff, this antifungal shampoo will be enough of a treatment. For more inflamed cases you need to also treat the inflammation of the skin. You can achieve this with a liquid anti-inflammatory agent, which a board-certified dermatologist can prescribe to you, says Adigun.

How often should you wash your hair if you have dandruff?

How often you need to wash your hair varies depending on whether you’re currently experiencing dandruff or not.  If you’re facing a flare-up, then Adigun recommends that you wash your hair daily with antifungal shampoo until your dandruff is under control. If you need to use an anti-inflammatory agent, use this daily as well. Keep in mind that steroids used to treat inflammation can only be used for a short duration of time. Adigun says, if you don’t see improvement using this substance after a few days, talk to your dermatologist.

Once you have treated your flare-up, you can take preventative measures. The key thing to remember is that your body may develop dandruff when there’s too much yeast on your scalp. How often you need to wash your hair to prevent this yeast build-up varies by person. Some people can go two weeks without washing their hair before dandruff develops, others can only go one or two days. You can test out different shampooing schedules to find out what is right for you.

Can you get rid of dandruff permanently?

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to completely cure dandruff — or other manifestations of seborrheic dermatitis. However, the condition is very manageable and responds to treatment.

Key takeaway: If you are prone to dandruff, wash your hair with an antifungal shampoo to prevent a flare-up. How often someone needs to wash their hair before the condition flares varies from person to person. Find the schedule that’s right for you, and stick with it.

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