ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Dandruff

What is dandruff?

4 May 2021

It is a common condition in which the scalp is affected, causing it to flake. Although it is not a serious or contagious condition, it is annoying and many times it is not so easy to eradicate, because it can be recurrent.

Actually, dandruff is a light seborrheic dermatitis, similar to what is called cradle cap in babies.

Signs and symptoms Dandruff

Symptoms are more intense in times of cold or drought, also responding negatively to stress.

The main ones are:

  • Scalp desquamation.
  • Itch.
  • Appearance of white crusts in babies.

If you experience these symptoms and they don’t go away or get worse after using dandruff shampoo for a few weeks, see a dermatologist for specialized treatment and to avoid possible complications.

There are several causes for the appearance of this condition, including:

  • Poor hygiene.
  • Excessive skin oil.
  • Extreme dry skin.
  • The presence of the Malassezia fungus.
  • Hypersensitivity to chemicals in hair products.
  • Psoriasis.
  • Eczema.

Potential risks:

Although dandruff can affect people of any age, gender, and race, certain factors contribute to its appearance:

  • Weakened immune system.
  • Being over 20 years old.
  • It is more frequent in males.
  • Parkinson’s disease.
  • HIV/AIDS.
  • Using too many chemical hair products.
  • Being under constant stress.
  • Unhealthy diet.

Diagnosis and treatment Dandruff

Once your dermatologist analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, he or she will perform a physical examination in which it will not be difficult to diagnose dandruff, although if he or she suspects an underlying condition, he or she may request additional tests to identify it.

The treatment to follow will be the use of an anti-dandruff shampoo with a specific medication, since there are multiple types of products with different substances, so your doctor will determine which one is the most suitable for your case, or if deemed necessary, he or she will prescribe two or more shampoos that you will have to combine to solve the cause and control the symptoms.

If you have an allergic reaction to any of the products, tell your doctor right away so they can change the type of shampoo. If the reaction is severe and you have a severe rash, redness, intense burning, or breathing problems, go immediately to the ABC Medical Center Emergency Room because it could be triggering a serious allergic reaction.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Dandruff

Internal medicine
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • topdoctors.es
  • medlineplus.gov
  • mayoclinic.org
  • msdmanuals.com
  • cun.es
  • medigraphic.com
  • Trejo AJR, Soria UF, Rodríguez AMC. Prurito en piel cabelluda. Rev Cent Dermatol Pascua. 2011;20(1):27-29.
  • Bernárdez CY, Curbelo AM, Cabrera AGC, et al. Afecciones dermatológicas en pacientes con virus de inmunodeficiencia humana. Medisur. 2015;13(6):722-730.
  • Bonifaz A, Araiza J, Baños-Segura C, et al. Estudio comparativo de dos esquemas de tratamiento para dermatitis seborreica capitis con champú de ciclopiroxolamina/piritionato de zinc/keluamida (CPO/PZ/K). Dermatología Cosmética, Médica y Quirúrgica. 2015;13(3):188-193.
  • Medina CDE. Dermatitis seborreica: una revisión. Dermatología Cosmética, Médica y Quirúrgica. 2014;12(2):135-141.

How can we help you?

    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.