What do you know about dandruff

A skin condition that causes the scalp to produce flakes of skin is termed dandruff.  The word dandruff is highly likely to come from two words: "dand" (origin unknown) and "huff" of "hurf" which is an East Anglian word that means "scab" which is related to the Old Norse word "hrufa" that also means "scab". This word is known as "hruf" in Old High German which means "scurf".

Practically everyone develop dandruff in different degrees. It is commonly accompanied by an itching sensation in the scalp. Some people are embarrassed by their dandruff and some have dandruff that is hard to treat.

Dandruff is quite easy to treat and control. Dandruff that is mild may only require the person with this condition to use the right shampoo that is added with a gentle cleanser. For severe cases of dandruff, a medical shampoo is often required.

The body often renews the human skin cells. The constant renewal of the skin cells in the scalp causes the dead or old skin cells to go to the top of the skin and out of the scalp that are then expelled through taking a bath.

Individuals with dandruff usually produce new cells at a faster rate causing more skin shedding and making the dandruff more obvious.

The chance of developing dandruff increases when the skin is subjected to extreme temperatures.

A dry scalp does not cause dandruff – Contrary to popular belief that is often propagated by shampoo commercials, dandruff is not the result of the scalp being too dry. People who believe in the myth that dry scalp causes dandruff often erroneously treat their dandruff by washing the scalp less often or not wash their hair with shampoo because they believe doing so only worsens the dandruff problem.  Dry scalp differs from dandruff by the fact that dandruff often improves when you use the right type of shampoo frequently.

Most people suffering from dandruff observe that this condition gets better as they get older.

About half of people in North America and Western Europe suffer from dandruff.

Women more than men suffer from dandruff; people with oily skin are also more prone to developing dandruff.

Certain studies have revealed that spicy, sugary or salty diets that are combined with excessive alcohol aggravate dandruff.