What Is Dandruff?
Dandruff – those dry, white flakes of skin you constantly find yourself brushing off your collar or shoulders – typically poses no health risk whatsoever. But it can be a source of embarrassment, and the itchiness that may come with it is a genuine nuisance. Many people incorrectly assume that the problem has something to do with hygiene and how often you wash your hair. Although it’s true that shampooing infrequently can aggravate an existing case of dandruff, it will not bring one on. What actually lies behind dandruff is a simple difference between people in a natural process we all undergo every day: shedding skin cells. The difference is that some of us shed more than others. Skin cells that grow and die off too fast are the cause of dandruff, but doctors do not know why this happens. One possible cause is a fat-eating fungus called Pityrosporum ovale, which is present in most people but to excess in dandruff sufferers. This fungus lives on the scalp of most healthy adults without
