Struggling with dandruff and itchy scalp every winter- Know how to deal with it from dermatologists

Struggling with dandruff and itchy scalp every winter? Know how to deal with it from dermatologists

With the arrival of winter, as temperatures plummet, dandruff often becomes an unwelcome companion. The cold, dry air strips the scalp of its natural moisture, leading to flakiness and itching.

According to experts, the combination of chilly winds and indoor heating exacerbates the problem, leaving a trail of tiny white flakes on shoulders. While warm sweaters and cozy blankets offer solace, the scalp demands special attention.

“It can be mild to moderate to severe as well. Mild dandruff does not require any more treatment than regular cleaning of the scalp with a shampoo, an anti-dandruff shampoo alternate day, and any other regular shampoo on the rest of the days. Moderate to severe might require some more treatment in the form of local application of stronger shampoos, lotions or even oral medicines may need to be given,” Dr Sonal Bansal – Consultant, Dermatology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram told Financial Express.com.

One thing that we have to understand about dandruff is that it can be very persistent, Dr Bansal explained.

There can be some exacerbations in dandruff episodes, especially with changing weather, stress, oiling of the scalp, usage of hot water, and some oral medicines, especially psychiatric medicines. If an adult suddenly gets dandruff, they should also have a re-look at the recent hair care products that they may have started using. When it gets severe, it can be seen on the face, especially eyebrows, corners of the nose, and beard in males as white flakes or red inflamed areas.

‘Excessive oiliness leads to dandruff’

Dandruff or flakiness of the scalp basically happens because of excessive oiliness on the scalp. “Oil production is mostly controlled by our hormones and our genes, and the scalp area is much oilier than the rest of the body. Every hair root has an attached oil gland next to it what we call a sebaceous gland and, on the scalp, the oil glands are much richer and in people where it is more oilier they not only have an oily scalp, but there is a fungus called the pityrosporum ovale or the Malassezia species,” Dr Seema Oberoi Lall, Consultant, Dermatology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram told Financial Express.com.

This fungus tend to colonize or stay in higher populations in some people in their scalp in that oily rich area because this fungus has an affinity for oily areas. And this is what is responsible actually for dandruff or what we call as seborrhea or seborrheic dermatitis, Dr. Lall explained.

When this fungus is present in larger population, it leads to excessive flakiness and the white flakiness that we typically call dandruff, she said.

Now why it happens is because some people have more oilier scalp, and some people are more prone to it genetically, she added.

Is it possible to get rid of dandruff?

Is it possible to get rid of it? The answer is both yes and no. According to Dr. Lall, in some people, as the oiliness or the tendency to colonise it goes down then the tendency to have dandruff also goes down. But in some people, if the oiliness or the tendency persists, then they may get troubled off and on.

Treatment is done according to the severity of the dandruff, but there are a few things that everyone would benefit from, whether suffering from dandruff or not.

“One should avoid using hot water to wash the scalp, oil should not be left on the scalp for more than half an hour and one should try and reduce the stress in their lives. Maintaining a healthy body and a healthy mind would go a long way in preventing the recurrence of dandruff, Dr. Bansal said.

Just because you have flakiness doesn’t mean you have a dry scalp. So please do not oil your scalp, do not keep your scalp oily, Dr. Lall emphasised.

“Sometimes even simple things like washing your hair regularly and nicely with a good shampoo can itself be a treatment for many people but if the dandruff still persists and trying the OTC shampoos doesn’t help then the best is to reach out to your dermatologist, she added.