Dandruff QDTs
Seborrheic Dermatitis is the annoyingly long medical term used to refer to dandruff. Dandruff is a condition in which the cells of the skin and scalp overproduce, causing sloughing, flaking, and more oil gland production.
Seborrheic Dermatitis is the annoyingly long medical term used to refer to dandruff. Dandruff is a condition in which the cells of the skin and scalp overproduce, causing sloughing, flaking, and more oil gland production. The skin also houses a mild amount of fungus – yes, unfortunately, this is quite normal and a part of all of our normal healthybodies. However, occasionally, this fungus can overgrow. This can occur not only on the scalp, but also anywhere there is a greater amount of oil glands – like on the eyebrows, around the crease of the nose, around the ears, and on the upper chest or upper back.
How to Treat Dandruff
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Shampoos: Various over-the-counter shampoos that you leave on the scalp for a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes have been shown to improve dandruff. These shampoos typically include one of these three active ingredients: selenium sulfide, tar, or zinc pyrithione. These shampoos really need to be used for at least four to eight weeks before you can expect to see a significant difference.
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Steroid Creams: If your dandruff is itchy, using an anti-inflammatory product to decrease the inflammation. There are various potencies and concentrations of the prescription steroid creams, and your doctor will select the one that is most suited for you based on your symptoms and your exam. The least potent is an over-the-counter cream called hydrocortisone 1% cream. These creams often work best when the dandruff is on the body, but there are preparations that can be used on the scalp as well. Long-term chronic use of steroid creams–unlike the previously mentioned shampoos–are not recommend because of possible thinning of the skin as a side effect.
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Antifungal Treatments: An over-the-counter shampoo with the anti-fungal ingredient called ketoconazole can be applied as a shampoo, and even as a lotion to parts of the body that are affected. Again, you really need to allow at least four to eight weeks of treatment before seeing any improvement. There is also a stronger prescription version of the same product.
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Combos: If you have severe symptoms, it may be worthwhile to treat your dandruff with a combination of the previously mentioned treatments.
Dandruff image courtesy of Shutterstock