Dandruff remedy
Dandruff
Dandruff, or pythiriasis, is a condition due to an acceleration of the cellular turnover, which, instead of lasting 4 weeks, takes place over the space of just a few days, resulting in the formation of small whitish scales all over the scalp.
These small scales, dry and pearly, are simply the remains of dead cells, the replacement of which occurs more rapidly than normal.
Although this presents an aesthetic problem, not a true illness, dandruff affects one third of the adult population. The most varied hypotheses have been advanced for its appearance; but it seems to be due to poor hygiene of the scalp and to the use of unsuitable cleansing soaps, as well as to aggressive treatments and/or environmental factors such as pollution and dust.
In fact, although some of these elements may effectively contribute toward the acceleration of dandruff, most likely they do not represent the principal cause. Indeed, in many cases the real culprit is a fungus called Malassezia furfur (also known as Pityrospum), which lives on the scalp of most people without causing any bother. Problems start when colonies of this fungus become too numerous and, nourishing themselves on the sebum which degrades into irritating fatty acids, accelerates the epidermic cell renewal.
Dandruff may be distinguished in two categories: dry and greasy.
• Dry dandruff is characterized by fine, dry, gray scales, resulting in aesthetic problems (the typical "snow on the collar"). It is accompanied by itching, but is devoid of any special signs of skin irritation.
• Greasy dandruff is characterized by fat-soaked scales which adhere to the scalp. Quite frequently, this aesthetic problem is accompanied by itching and red coloring, which may degenerate into real pathologies such as seborrhea dermatitis.
Products
