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Dear Lauren:
I know you're really itching for an answer to this question! But before we discuss how dandruff
shampoo fights flaking, it may help to learn a bit more about how we get dandruff in the first
place. While they're icky and annoying, those white flakes are a sure sign that your skin is
undergoing renovations--they result from the normal shedding of your scalp's dead skin cells. A bad
case of dandruff, however, is believed to be caused by an overgrowth of a yeast-like fungus called
Pityrosporum ovale (yecch!) . This causes cells on the outer layer of your skin to overproduce,
creating a major glut of dandruff which then gets trapped by the oil on your hair.
Dandruff shampoos can help you fight back with antifungal ingredients like selenium sulphide,
which inhibits the growth of that yucky yeast. And strange-sounding substances like coal tar slow
down the growth of the cells on your skin's outer layer. Finally, detergents in your shampoo loosen
those scuzzy scales of skin so they wash out in the shower.
As with most things in life, too much of a good thing may not be too good. Lathering up with
dandruff shampoo every day can dry your scalp and cause even more flakes. But if you use your head
and include baby shampoo in your showering schedule, your hair will look "head and shoulders" above
the rest!
Signed,
Wendell
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