Dandruff

Dandruff

Dandruff is a chronic skin condition, affecting the scalp and it causes a rapid flaking of the skin.

Dandruff is a chronic skin condition that affects the scalp, since it is a rapid flaking of the skin, sometimes associated with dryness, itchiness or excessive oiliness, resulting in noticeable flakes or dandruff. The flaking scalp, falls like snow flakes and settles on one's brows, shoulders and clothes shedding the dead skin at a faster rate. The other scalp conditions resulting from dandruff are as follows:

Dry Scalp: results from a loss of moisture on the scalp and is characterized by small, dry flakes, tightness of the scalp and itchiness.

Seborrheic Dermatitis: characterized by heavy flaking, severe itchiness, redness and inflammation.

Symptoms of Dandruff:
Whenever the hair is brushed or rubbed the scaliness is increased. It may also appear as lumps or crusts on the scalp. Often there is itching as well, and the scalp may become red from scratching.

Causes of Dandruff:
Impairment of general health, toxic condition of the system-brought on mainly by wrong feeding, constipation and lowered vitality due to infectious diseases are the main causes of dandruff. The other factors contributing to dandruff are emotional tension, harsh shampoos and exposure to cold and general exhaustion.

Precautions for Dandruff:
Numerous medicated shampoos are available in the market for the treatment of dandruff. But most of these shampoos contain a lot of harmful chemicals in them and hence, instead of curing dandruff, cause irreparable damage to the hair roots. Thus, for a permanent solution to this problem, one has to undergo a large constitutional treatment for it. Given below are a few suggestive methods in avoiding this problem:

Care has to be taken to keep the hair and scalp clean, in order to minimize the accumulation of the dead cells.

Hair should be brushed daily to improve the circulation and remove any flakiness. The most effective way to brush the hair is:

i) Bend forward from the waist with the head down towards the ground, and brush from the nape of the neck towards the top of the head.
ii) Short or shoulder-length hair can be brushed right from the roots to the ends in one stroke.
iii) In the case of long hair, two strokes would be best to avoid stretching the hair.

Treatment of Dandruff by Home Remedies:
Several home remedies have been found useful in the treatment of dandruff. They all are as follows:

Exposure of the head to the rays of the sun is a useful measure in the treatment of dandruff. Simultaneously, an attempt should be made to keep the body in good health. This also helps clear dandruff.

One should also wash the hair twice a week with green gram powder in curd to prevent dandruff.

Badamrogan (or popularly callled Roghan-e-Badam) or any Vitamin E oil is also very effective against dandruff. Massage well into the scalp and then steam with a hot towel. This will open the hair follicles and clean out dandruff.

Dilute cider vinegar with an equal quantity of water and dab this solution on to the hair with cotton wool in between shampooing. Cider vinegar added to the final rinsing water after shampooing also helps to disperse dandruff.

The scalp should also be thoroughly massaged every day, just before or after brushing the hair, using one's fingertips and working systematically over the head. Since a massage stimulates the circulation of the hair, dislodges dirt and dandruff and encourages hair growth. For a proper massage, one should follow a simple procedure given below that takes only a few minutes:

i) Spread your fingers fan wise and slip them through the hair.
ii) With the thumbs pressed behind the ears, one should press down on the scalp with the fingertips.
iii) Then one should rotate the fingers in such a way, so that the scalp over the bony structure of the head is moved. After which, one can feel the skin move and the scalp tingle.
iv) Later, one can move up an inch at a time until the entire head is covered.

Treatment of Dandruff by Diet:
Diet plays an important role in the treatment of dandruff. Let us understand the proper diet.

The patient should resort to an all-fruit diet for about five days, where there should be three meals a day, consisting of fresh, juicy fruits, such as apples, pears, grapes, grapefruit, pineapple and peaches. Only unsweetened lemon or plain water, either hot or cold, should be drunk.

During this period, a warm water enema should be taken daily to cleanse the bowels and all other measures adopted to eradicate constipation

After the all-fruit diet, the patient can gradually adopt a well-balanced diet, where the emphasis should be on raw foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables: sprouted seeds, raw nuts and whole grain cereals, particularly millet and brown rice. Further short periods on the all-fruits diet for three days or so may be necessary at a monthly interval, till the skin's condition improves.

However, strict attention to diet is essential for recovery. Care should be taken to avoid Citrus fruits, bananas, and dried, stewed or tinned fruits. Even starchy, protein and fatty foods should be restricted. Meats, sugar, Strong tea or coffee, condiments, pickles, refined and processed foods all these should be avoided, as also soft drinks, candies, ice cream and products made with sugar and white flour.

Treatment of Dandruff by Aromatherapy
To 4 oz. sesame oil, add:
10 drops lavender.
10 drops yarrow.
10 drops cypress.
10 drops sandalwood.

Add six drops of rosemary and four drops of cedar wood oil to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of jojoba or avocado oil. Also add one drop of each essential oil to your final rinsing water after shampooing.

One should try massaging the following blend into the scalp twice a week before shampooing and leave on for thirty minutes before washing with a mild shampoo.

Treatment of Dandruff by Ayurveda

Two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds should be soaked overnight in water. The next morning, grind those softened seeds into a fine paste. This paste should be applied all over the scalp and left for &frac12 an hour. The hair should then be washed thoroughly with either soap nut solution or shikakai or a mild shampoo.

The use of a teaspoon of fresh limejuice for the last rinse, while washing hair, is equally beneficial. This not only leaves the hair glowing but also removes stickiness and prevents dandruff.Curd kept over 2 to 3 days, should be used for massaging one's head for about half an hour. Or the curd mixed with a few drops of limejuice with amla juice should be used every night, before going to bed.

Boil a handful of neem leaves in 4 teacups of water and use the filtrate to the wash hair.

Massage the hair with warm coconut oil and apply the juice of 2 lemons, then steam the hair and leave on oil for about 2 hours. This should be later on washed with a mild shampoo. This procedure should be practised about 2-3 times a week.

A mixture of one-teaspoon limejuice and 2-teaspoon vinegar, massaged well into the scalp, left for 20 minutes and then shampooed off, also gives good results.

Treatment of Dandruff by Magnetic Therapy
Wash the scalp with north-pole water at least once daily. Use the north-pole oil for hair grooming. Take mixed magnetized water four times daily which will also help in correcting the stomach disorders. In case the dandruff is very intense, use the north poles of CCM on the scalp by holding them at a distance of 2 to 3 cm above the scalp for 15 minutes once a day.

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