Dandruff constitutes a familiar affliction and one that will impact nearly all of us at some point in our lives. It is an itchy, bothersome and relentless skin condition of the scalp and is often hard to hide especially in severe cases. Dandruff is induced by the overproduction of a naturally occurring fungus called Pityrosporum Ovale, which can be activated by a hormonal imbalance or instability, an overly oily scalp or a dietary insufficiency.

It is important to note that using a hair dryer too frequently, over processing (perms and coloring) your hair and excess use of hairsprays and gels may exacerbate your dandruff. Try and grant your scalp a rest and only do what is essential until you get your dandruff in check.

Controlling Dandruff

Dandruff is an embarrassing hair condition, and it can recur despite your best efforts. As a factor in the cause of dandruff is the natural oils produced by the hair follicles, dandruff can be controlled by shampooing your hair on a regular or even daily basis, as this cleans the build up of natural oils and therefore dandruff itself.

Stubborn Dandruff

If regular shampooing is not effective in controlling your dandruff, try using an anti dandruff shampoo. Look for anti-dandruff shampoos with zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid or ketoconazole as the active ingredient. Change your anti-dandruff shampoo every month to prevent your scalp developing an immunity to the active ingredients.

Washing Tips

When shampooing, for best results always shampoo your hair twice. The first wash will clean the scalp and oil build up, whilst the second wash will better allow the chemicals to penetrate and be absorbed by your scalp.

Fenugreeks seeds home remedy to cure dandruff:

Soak two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds overnight. Grind the seeds into a paste in the morning and apply all over the scalp. Leave the paste on for roughly half an hour. You should then rinse your hair thoroughly with soap nut (Ritha), solution or shikakai. Rinse again with an added teaspoon of fresh lime juice. This prevents dandruff and removes stickiness.

Scalp massage and curd remedy to cure dandruff:

Massage your scalp for half an hour with curd that has been left in the open for three days. Lime juice mixed with amla juice can be used in place of curd. Repeat this process every night before going to bed. Massaging the scalp helps stimulate blood circulation and the production of sebum.

Useful natural dandruff treatments and remedies -

1.Camphor with coconut oil - Mix a spoonful of camphor with coconut oil, or neem oil and massage on the scalp. This is an effective natural dandruff treatment.

2.Hazel with lemon - Combine one tablespoon fresh lemon juice with 100 grams witch hazel. Add 200 ml water and use this mixture to wash your hair. This is to be done many times until your hair become free from dandruff.

3.Olive oil and almond oil - Combine almond oil and olive oil in equal parts. Massage on the scalp and let it stay for five minutes. Rinse thoroughly. This is also another useful natural dandruff treatment.

4.Pain killer with shampoo - Crush two aspirins and mix with gentle shampoo. Put it on the scalp and let it stay for 2 minutes. Rinse and take out all the aspirin particles on the head