How Can I Remove Dandruff From My Hair at Home?

How to cure dandruff permanently naturally at home? is a pressing question many men and women ask once they notice small white colored particles in their hair. Hair dandruff is a major problem with many men and women and many feel embarrassed during dates or social functions that they are having this issue. Many people try to cover their hair with caps, scarf or other fashion accessories to hide their dandruff falling out from hair.

However instead of hiding this condition it is necessary to permanently get rid of dandruff using scientific knowledge and natural treatments. Let’s have a look at how you can remedy this as soon as possible. First let’s have a closer look at what really dandruff is in terms of Ayurveda and how serious is this condition?

What exactly is this Dandruff as per Ayurveda?

Dandruff is called “Darunak” in Ayurveda. This is a complex problem in Ayurveda and comes under “khsudra rog क्षुद्र रोग (disease)”.

This is very common scalp problem which everyone faces once in a lifetime. This is nothing but excessive shedding of dead skin on the scalp.

The imbalance in doshas results in toxins (Ama) in body which start to form on scalp too. Head, which is also a heat center and if tridoshas increase in the body, the toxins (Ama) start to accumulate on scalp contaminating epidermal cell up to the deeper tissue, causing itchy and scaly scalp condition called dandruff.

Kapha and Vata together start to make scalp dry, with cracks & flakes. This dryness and flakes form itchy skin, consist of dead cells, and it is normal for dead cell to be shed with dandruff.

What is the primary cause of dandruff formation in men and women?

There are number of different causes of this and some of these are as follows

• As per Ayurveda – tridosha imbalance (bodily forces)
• Dry dandruff – aggravated state of vata and pitta dosha
• Wet dandruff – imbalance of kapha and vata. Predominant kapha causes excess sebum production.
• Physical – use of excessive hair products
• Frequent changes in climate / temperature / water
• Pollution – closes the pores of scalp and dryness, again increases vata which creates dandruff
• Psychological – Stress / tension / anxiety – this aggravates pitta and vata dosha in body which ultimately lowers the immune system too and also starts to make more fungi on scalp.
• Adverse reaction of cosmetic hair products
• Underline Skin disease – dandruff can be caused due to underline disease. e.g. fever.
• Use of chemical mix oils or shampoos
• Inappropriate diet – our body needs nutrients like vitamin, calcium, zinc. If this fulfillment is not proper, vata starts to increase which ultimately causes dandruff and other hair and skin issues.
• Age factor – as per Ayurveda in childhood we prominently have kapha dosha, in adolescence this kapha dosha gets converted into pitta dosha, which naturally causes more dandruff, acne and graying of hair issue at this age.

Is dandruff a skin disease?

Dandruff (pityriasis capitis) is a non- inflammatory form of seborrheic dermatitis; this increases scalp scaling.

Seborrheic dermatitis is inflammatory, erythematous, scaly eruption that occurs primarily in seborrheic areas that is mainly high number of sebaceous glands such as, scalp, upper trunk & central area of face. Dandruff has recently been considered the most commercially exploited skin and scalp disorder/disease.

Does dandruff cause hair fall?

• Dandruff when left untreated, starts to damage hair follicles of scalp and causes hair fall.
• Dandruff directly does not cause hair loss, the itching due to dandruff impacts the hair follicles which can lead to a certain amount of hair fall.
• On daily basis 30-50 strands of hair loss is considered normal, but more than 50, leads to medical intervention.
• As per Ayurveda, dandruff starts to aggravate vata and pitta dosha more on scalp area and hair start to shed off.

So, knowing your body type and hair type as per Ayurveda is  important and helping for you.

At what age does dandruff formation is likely to start?

Dandruff is a sign of puberty. As per Ayurveda, at the beginning of our age in childhood we have kapha dosha prominent, which is important for building more nourishment in our system. Afterword’s body starts to get converted in the pitta dosha, which is directly in relation with the blood, also causes more acne and dandruff issues in younger age. This is also in relation with hormonal changes in the body.

Is dandruff poisonous?

Dandruff is not poisonous but causes fungus infection and if it remains untreated can cause many other skin diseases like psoriasis.

Why does head feel itchy if I have dandruff?

Scalp itchiness is generally caused due to dandruff, which then start to exfoliate the scalp skin and this further creates irritation with bloody scalp too.

As per Ayurveda “kandunasti vina kaphat”. Itching means kandu and kandu can not start without aggravated kapha dosha. This kapha dosha creates excess sebum production and starts the itchy scalp.

Does washing my hair during bath remove dandruff?

Regular hair wash reduces the dandruff production. As per Veda’s every human being has to take shower everyday from head. This also improves the quality of your hair & prevents build up from dandruff flakes. If it’s not possible at least 3 -4 times in a week you have to wash your head.

1)Should I bathe with hot or cold water overhead if I have dandruff?

Normal room temperature water is ideal on overhead for hair wash. Because even hot water shower increases more hair loss due to pitta heat.

2) Why does dandruff come back again in a few days after I washed my head during bath?

After washing head if the dandruff is again coming back then you have to look for internal system too. Dandruff is not just because of external cause, but tri-dosha imbalance in the body starts to form the Ama (toxins) in body and also can create the dandruff.

3) How often should I wash my hair if I have dandruff?

Every day washing hair is the ideal way to clean the scalp but, if it’s not possible then at least 3-4 times In a week is necessary.

4)What should I use to wash my hair to remove dandruff?

• To get rid of dandruff you can use this home remedies which are very helpful without causing any scalp problems. These are again varying with vata-pitta-kapha dosha.
• Use buttermilk to wash your head.
• Mix yogurt with lemon and apply on scalp for 20 min and then rinse it off.
• Mix turmeric with aloe vera and some lemon juice apply on scalp for 20-30 min and wash it off
• Mix coconut oil with small amount of camphor together and apply it before going to bed.
• Use of Amla powder mixed with curd is also beneficial to remove the dandruff.
• Trifala in Ayurveda – Haritaki, Bibhitaki, Amalaki these three fruits together in Ayurveda are called Trifala. This combination powder is anti-oxidant and highly rich in vitamins. Using trifala for hair wash improves reduces dandruff and makes hair scalp stronger.
• Fenugreek seeds – soak overnight in water, next morning crush this and apply on scalp and wait for 40 mins and then wash it off. This will not only reduce dandruff but also reduce hair fall.
• Shikekai and Reetha – These herbs act as a natural cleanser and shampoo in Ayurveda. Washing scalp with these makes hair shinier and scalp and hair stronger.
• Snake gourd – massage your scalp with snake gourd juice and wash it off after 40 min or an hour.
• Neem – using neem oil or leaves to wash the hair is also removes dandruff.

(Important Note: The information in this article is for educational purpose only and not to be considered as medical advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any medical condition).

5)Does hot water kill dandruff?

Taking hot water bath on head is damaging the scalp because our head is a heat center and pouring hot water onto it, increases heat and starts to damage the hair follicle encouraging hair loss.

6)Do commercially available shampoos help to get rid of dandruff?

This is depending on what type of chemical and natural products they are using while they prepare it. This also depends on each and every person’s body constitution.

Can drinking more water reduce dandruff?

Depends on the body type of the person. Generally, vata dosha people need more hydration in the body because, they are dry, as compared than pitta and kapha.

So, if you know your exact body type and how much water is needed for your type of dosha, its always helpful.

As per Ayurveda drinking too much water without knowing your body type can create indigestion and indigestion is the root cause for all the disease in body.

Why does dandruff grow faster in cold weather?

Cold weather increases dryness on the skin, this dryness is nothing but vata and kapha dosha which ultimately tends to dry scalp and increases the dandruff. Dandruff that stems from dry skin tends to have smaller non-oily flakes.

Is dandruff growth directly related to diet, lifestyle, and stress levels?

Diet and lifestyle play important role in human body. Each & every cell of our organ is made up with five elements and with our food (Aahar ras).

We have seven dhatu’s (body tissue) from which, the cells are forming and all our system is totally dependent on our food. For healthy cell formation, healthy food is much more important. Like the same Ayurveda also explains about lifestyle, means daily regimen (din-charya), night regiment (Ratri-charya), diet regimen (ahar-paricharya), menstrual regimen for women (rajswala-paricharya). All these regimens are maintaining the health of healthy person and increases the life spana at the same time stabilizes the psychological state of a person.

Stress tends to dryness of each cell, which again leads to dry skin and flakes. This encourages more hair loss, baldness or other scalp diseases like psoriasis.

Is there any relation between dandruff and menstrual cycle in women?

Our skin and scalp changes in response to hormonal variations occurring throughout our cycle. This is happening because of oil production from sebaceous glands.

Sebum production is influenced by hormones like androgen (like testosterone). These hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can increases more sebum tends to greasier scalp or itchy scalp.

As per Ayurveda menstrual cycle or hormonal changes in the body are co related with pitta-vata dosha. So, as we have mentioned above, following diet and menstrual regimen is very much important for healthy life.

What are some natural remedied and foods for dandruff removal at home?

1)Does egg help in dandruff removal?

Eggs contains two parts; one is Yellow egg yolk and second one is White (albumen).

Yellow egg yolk contains full fat in the egg, while white part is protein.

Egg white is complete protein containing all essential amino acids. We need protein in our diet to build, maintain and replace the tissues of our body, including hair.

External application – Combination of egg white with coconut oil is useful for healthy hair and scalp. Apply this for minimum 20 min and rinse it off with water.

You can also eat boiled egg white for breakfast which is highly rich in protein and good for scalp and hair as nutrition.

2) Does lemon juice help in dandruff removal?

The citric acid present in lemon is natural PH adjuster for the scalp which eliminate excess oil in the scalp. This also strengthens the hair follicle.

As per Ayurveda lemon’s sour taste (amla ras) promotes health, nourishes the body and enlightens the mind.

External application – apply lemon juice on scalp and wait for 20 min and then take a hair wash. You can use curd with lemon juice, apply on scalp and after 20 min rinse it off.

Internally – you can use lemon juice into ½ glass of water for drinking to cool down the heat from the body. This will also be helpful to maintain the pH balance of your body and hair.

3) Does too much sugar consumption make dandruff worse?

Dandruff is also contributed to candida yeast infections. Sugar or sweeteners increases yeast production. Sweet taste (Madhur ras) sugar tends to have more kapha in body which tends to production of more sebum on scalp resulting in itchy scalp. So, we should avoid sugar or sweeteners to avoid dandruff issue.

4)Which fruit is good for dandruff removal?

Amla (Indian gooseberry) is the best medicine for dandruff.

It is highly rich in vitamin c, anti – oxidant, anti – inflammatory and anti – bacterial properties of Amla stop the dandruff production.

We can use Awla oil, its paste or just powder also for hair and scalp.

Amla is sometimes mixed in Trifala (three fruits Amalaki, Haritaki, Bibhitaki) which is again very good and worthy combination for hair and scalp.

Some people are likely to get adverse effects on eyes after excessive use of cosmetic products like shampoos, oils, hair packs or hair dies.

So, using natural herbs like Amla, trifala, Shikekai, Reetha, aloe-vera, fenugreek, hibiscus, bramhi, jatamansi, camphor, bhringaraj, Amruta and many more like these are very useful and helpful for hair and scalp too.

5)Which vitamin can help to get rid of dandruff?

Diet is essential to maintain the health of each tissue in the body. Some foods contains like zinc, vitamin c, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin and protein these are very helpful for hair quality and health.

If you are a non-veggie you can have egg white, salmon, fish in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids keep your scalp hydrated. Almonds, walnut, fresh green Leafy vegetables, fruits rich in vitamins, legumes, nuts are really helpful for our hairs.

Which food triggers dandruff?

Western dietary pattern that mainly consists meat and processed food, canned food, preserve food, baked food or packed food triggers fungus and forms seborrheic dermatitis.

What will happen if I don’t treat dandruff?

Dandruff is not an emergency medical condition but, if it’s untreated, can cause other skin issues like acne on face, skin rash, psoriasis and other skin issues which are not easy to treat.

Even when dandruff increases, it starts to remove the flakes called scalp psoriasis which is also one type of skin disease of scalp.

So, treating dandruff is very much necessary.

Does lack of direct sunlight exposure of hair for prolonged time encourage dandruff growth?

Sunlight exposure gives vitamin D which ultimately grows hair. It also heals skin disorder such as eczema and psoriasis by boosting immunity.

So, lack of sunlight exposure can increase drier scalp, fungal infection or bacterial growth.

Can dandruff spread to your face?

Seborrheic dermatitis that is dandruff is a common flaky, itchy skin condition that affects people of all ages. Itchy and chronic dandruff starts to fall down on face, shoulders or back.

These spreading of dandruff on face can turn to skin diseases like psoriasis or acne.

Is dandruff contagious? If I have dandruff, does hugging my kids, wife/husband transfer my dandruff to them?

No, dandruff is not contagious. It may get worse due to yeast or infections or if untreated.

Increasing in dandruff increases scalp flakes and can be converted to other skin issues, with this falling dandruff on face, shoulder or on other body parts.

So, your family is safe from your dandruff because it is not contagious but it could not be good for your skin so treatment is necessary.

If I have dandruff, is applying hair color, hair dye or Mehendi harmful?

If you have dandruff then using mehndi or hair color is not harmful but if you have itchy or red scalp with flakes then using dye is harmful.

Always use ammonia free dye for hair and hair color to prevent the scalp.

When to see a doctor?

If remedies fails to clear the flakes from scalp after a few weeks or your scalp is particularly itchy, you should see a doctor.

 What is the treatment of dandruff in Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is the science, where body constitution of each and every person is very much important along with person’s lifestyle and daily routine.

• An ayurvedic Vaidya (doctor) will always asks you many questions to go through the root cause of your disease.
• Treatment always includes improving your digestive fire (Agni) first because; indigestion is the main cause for all diseases. To treat dandruff there are some local therapies in Ayurveda with internal medications as per your body constitution.
• Leech therapy to remove the toxic blood from scalp area, hair oiling with medicated oils, shirodhara (pouring medicated oil on forehead),shirolepa (application of medicated herbs on scalp), Nasya (pouring medicated ghee or oil into nose) this improves your scalp and hair quality.
• Decoction therapy for hair wash.

How to prevent re-growth of dandruff once treated? What internal and external precautions are necessary as per Ayurveda?

For preventing dandruff re-growth follow below steps:

• Always maintain healthy diet.
• Wash hair regularly or 3-4 times in a week.
• Don’t use any chemical or ammonia mixed hair oil or shampoo or hair dye.
• Oil your hair with natural oil minimum 2-3 times and wash with natural shampoos or herbs.
• Don’t use too much of shampoos and colors or hair treatments

 

 

 

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