Does Dandruff Cause Hair Loss?

 

 

Can dandruff cause hair loss?

 

The causes of fall vary and are largely dependent on several factors, including genetics, age, pre-existing medical conditions, medication, vitamin deficiencies, and lifestyle or hormonal changes.⁴ Dandruff alone does not cause hair fall, but there is still a lot to be learned about the correlation between dandruff and hair fall. Continue reading as we delve into the root cause of dandruff and how it can make the scalp vulnerable and thus susceptible to potential hair fall or thinning.

 

⁴https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/causes/18-causes

 

 

 

What is the link between dandruff and hair loss?

 

To understand the relationship between dandruff and hair fall, it’s important to recognise how dandruff forms. Dandruff occurs on the scalp when the natural shedding of dead skin cells is accelerated, resulting in a buildup of dead skin cells. Imbalances of the scalp, sebum levels, and a sensitivity to oleic acid all contribute to a scalp imbalance that speed up your skin cell turnover⁵. This means that dead skin cells collect on the scalp faster than they shed.

 

Depending on the type of dandruff you have, these dandruff flakes can differ in colour and size:

 

• Oily skin dandruff usually clumps together in the scalp and hair. It is usually large and yellowish in appearance.
• Dry skin dandruff is small, white and can flake off more easily onto clothes.

 

Despite difference in texture and colour, all kinds of dandruff can trigger itching sensations. Vigorous or persistent scratching can lead to a damaged or sensitised scalp which may affect the strength of your hair follicles or exacerbate existing hairfall concerns.

 

⁵https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16382685/

 

 

 

What is link between thinning hair and dandruff?

 

While hair fall and hair thinning may seem similar, hair fall is often more sudden than hair thinning, which happens gradually over time. Hair thinning is common with age, and gender can also dictate the thinning pattern on the scalp. For instance, men usually thin at the crown or front of the hairline, while women will notice thinning in the form of a widened part. Like other hair concerns, scalp imbalances plays a critical role in thinning hair and dandruff.

 

A dandruff-prone scalp (and subsequent scratching) can weaken the anchoring of the hair fibre to the follicle, which can prematurely push hairs into the ‘telogen’ or fall stage of the hair life cycle.⁶ When more hairs than normal enter this fall stage, this gives the appearance of thinning on the scalp. Scratching caused by dandruff can also lead to breakage, which may accentuate already thinning hair.

 

⁶https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6369642/

Rebalancing the scalp’s skin cell turnover is the first port of call for targeting a dandruff-affected scalp to help mitigate hairfall or thinning. This can be managed with a specially formulated anti-dandruff and anti-hair fall hair care routine that supports your scalp It’s also worth considering how lifestyle triggers – such as stress – may be causing hair fall thinning or dandruff. Below, we have outlined our top approaches to targeting dandruff and connected hair fall.

 

Use anti-dandruff hair care

 

Using anti-dandruff hair care is one of the best tools for managing active dandruff and preventing dandruff from recurring. We recommend that you tailor your choice of shampoo to your skin type:

 

• Normal-oily – we recommend the Dercos Anti-Dandruff DS Shampoo for Normal to Oily Hair to deeply cleanse hair, regulate excess oil and keep the scalp balanced. This formula combines the potent combination of selenium disulfide to target dandruff and salicylic acid to remove visible dandruff flakes from the scalp.
• Dry – harnessing the same anti-dandruff ingredients – selenium disulfide and salicylic acid – Dercos Anti-Dandruff DS Shampoo for Dry Hair addresses dandruff while nurturing dry hair.
• Sensitive – since sensitive scalps require more comforting ingredients, the Dercos Anti-Dandruff Sensitive Scalp Shampoo is infused with piroctone olamine to target dandruff and bisabolol to deliver comfort to sensitive, dandruff-prone scalps.

 

To target dandruff, we suggest using your dedicated Dercos shampoo 3 times a week for 4 weeks. After this targeting phase, you can drop usage to once per week to help prevent relapse.

 

Focus on scalp health

 

A balanced scalp can minimise dandruff and hair fall, so in addition to your shampoo routine, you can implement other changes to bolster your scalp care. This can include:

 

• Avoiding tight hair styles since this can lead to breakage .
• Reduce your use of heat styling tools. Not only does heat damage the hair, but it can also further disrupt the scalp’s sebum levels and potentially trigger more dandruff.
• Salicylic acid, a key ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoo, increases photosensitivity, so it’s important to protect the scalp from sun exposure.
• Consider using an anti-hair fall serum like the Dercos Aminexil Pro 5, which is designed to fortify the hair from root to tip, and purify and comfort the scalp.

 

Consider lifestyle factors

 

In addition to changing your hair care habits, lifestyle adjustments may also help manage dandruff and hair loss. The link between stress and dermatological concerns has been well-documented; if you experience chronic stress, there is a chance that your stress can cause dandruff or increased hair fall.⁷ If you have concerns that stress may be one of your dandruff and hair fall triggers, we recommend that you consult a trusted medical professional to help tackle this issue moving forward.

 

⁷https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082169/

 

 

 

Now that you have a greater understanding of dandruff and hair fall, learn all about salicylic acid for hair