Conditions
Dandruff
Dandruff need not be a death sentence! Although, with a good few inches of flaky skin collecting on your shoulders you might feel like it is…socially, at least. Affecting more males than females and usually occurring after puberty, between the ages of 20 and 30, dandruff is an extremely common condition of the scalp. It is caused by the process of skin renewal (or skin turnover) that speeds up to twice the normal rate, resulting in a greater number of dead cells being shed. These dead cells will manifest themselves as the flaky bits of skin you constantly find in your hair and on your shoulders. Over-the-counter or prescribed medicated shampoos usually do the trick.
Comments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
how do you get rid of the scabs in the scalp ?
HI IGOT A VERY BAD RASH ON MY HEAD WHICH IS REALY UNCOMFORTABLE TRYING DIF SHAMPOES MEICATIONS CREAMS LIKE RING WORM CONDITIONSBUT I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO ANY HELP BECAUSE I HAVE TO SHAVE MY HEAD AND I DONOT LIKE IT.
Hi there im 24 suffering from bad dandruff on my scalp and it itches so badly im trying not to itch it too much cause it burns after a while and plus im left with white dandruff in my nails i was prescribed ketopine from the doctor and that has not worked either any ideas as i have tried everything
hi, Iv had itchy, flaky sensitive scalp for years. Im 25, female. it is embarassing and uncomfortable. my hair is dull too which i hate. iv tried many things but the best that has helped me was l'oreal anti-dandruff with selenium. it is a dark blue and pink bottle (must say selenium on front) it is orange coloured shampoo and def. is the best iv used.
I am a male and got same problems as yours
hi im 13 years old i have a sever case of dandruff.like ill wash it tonight and it is worst after.i have triend soooooo many shampoo's selsun,betnovate,and a pink one but it works for like 2 days .my dad said to try the natural way ..so i used lemon and apple cider/vinegar .Did work twice After it soo bad .it is really embarissing .please ANY1 HELP !!!!
polytar shampoo, bought over the counter at any chemist, use as directed,three applications cured my severe infection. best of luck, let me know of results. j
I have a few blisters on my scalp, they are no longer very itchy but i still scratch as its become a habit, does anyone know a good thing to do to stop scratching or clear up the problem? By the way i am 13 and havent told anyone about it.
Hey im 14 and having really bad dandruff porblems. i have been given different types of shampoo from my doctor. from polytar to something else that is pink i forgot the name but still they dont work. its sooo bad that even wen i have been out of the bath or shower it is on the strands of my hair. its really embaressing and its getting worse all the time PLEASE HELPP!!!!! :D x it also is very itchy and it gets cuts and it hurts when i wash it because of the cuts ;/ its soo not fair!!!
Hi I think you head and shoulders are the best they got the new one called head and shoulders ichey scalp and it work really good.
Hi, I'm 18 and have had a similar condition to yours since about the age of 13...I found rubbing olive oil in to my hair and leaving it for 10-15 minutes before washing my hair really helped, as it moisturises the scalp before you brush it hard to wash your hair. You have to wash your hair really thoroughly though, but its worth it in the end. As time progresses, you should see an improvement, I did. Hope this helps x
I had a terrible scabby dermatitis condition after having the measles at the age of 5 but it continued right through my teens - nothing worked but hey presto I coloured my hair and the peroxide element killed off the fungus that caused it - nothing short of a miracle. Would also add the chlorine in tap water causes 'the itch' and also shampoos and conditioners which have 'the nasties' in them which are an irritant. You need to avoid anything containing Parabens, SLS or SLES. Suggest http://www.simplyessentialuk.co.uk/ Hope you find this useful.
Hi, Im 17 and suffered from exactly the same problem for a couple of years now. I often end up with cuts, bleeding and oozing as well as sore red patches. My doctor gave me Alphosyl and Nizorel shampoo as well as Betnovate scalp application and Elocon lotion. Using all of these has helped loads and I rarely have itching anymore
I have tried all products which seemed to make it worse, however, fo the last week I've used baby's cradle cap shampoo and the itchiness has gone and my scalp isn't as flakey! I'm going to continue the use and see what happens, its worth a try
Hi. I am 25 years of age and a single mum. I have suffered dandruff since I was 12. It makes me itch. Tried everything what can I do to stop this.
Im 16 years old and I suffer really bad, and I use The Body Shops Ginger AntiDandruff shampoo, at £6 for a large bottle it works really well and smells lovely compared to others! Definately worth a try as I've tried Head&Shoulders, Tgel and Polytar which all did nothing for me, but Im very satisfied with The Body Shop shampoo.
I went through a bad patch with dandruff on my scalp, i tried this shampoo (Ginger from the Body Shop) & it made it much worse, it then turned out to Eczema which i do get anyway but never before on my scalp & i had to get special treatment shampoo from the doctors which helped a bit, but it was so itchy all the time it drove me nuts! The shampoo from the doctors also smelt horrible, in the end, i found a honey conditioner from the Body Shop, put on after shampooing & leaving on for a while before rinsing really soothed & cooled my scalp & this is what helped me the most, TGel is very expensive & didn't help me at all. At the moment i'm symptom free! Yippie!
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here
