Dandruff is, surely, one of the most frequently reported hair issues these days. And, the first handy solution to this issue is an anti-dandruff shampoo. With the countless variants lined up on the departmental store shelf, it is very difficult to pick one that suits your needs. What is even more daunting is the lack of knowledge about the way these shampoos work and their effectiveness and efficiency levels.
Before guiding you through the functioning of anti-dandruff shampoos, here is a glimpse of what exactly dandruff is. This is quite important as it will help you decide on the course of action you need to take to tackle this sometimes embarrassing condition.
So What Exactly Is Dandruff?
Dandruff is a fungal condition affecting the scalp resulting from the extensive growth of yeast species such as Pityrosporum ovale. You can normally find these on the human skin, the overgrowth of which leads to proliferation of the cells that form the outer layer of the skin. The proliferated cells transform into scales that accumulate and fall off what is called as the dandruff flakes.
What Causes Dandruff?
Some of the major causes of these flaky dermatological condition include:
- Dry skin
- Seborrhoeic dermatitis
- Lack of cleaning and/scrubbing
- Lack of regular shampooing
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Too much application of oil on the hair and
- Excessive sweating
How Do Anti-dandruff Shampoos Help?
While dandruff is known to be a condition that has no 100% cure, anti-dandruff shampoos are known to help the people experience lesser levels of uneasiness caused by these tiny flakes. The basic functioning of an anti-dandruff shampoo is quite similar to normal shampoos. They help you keep the scalp and hair free from dirt, pollutants, and toxins that otherwise could cause irrecoverable damages.
Using a specialized shampoo designed for this condition enables the person to wash off the chemical products such as hair gels and dyes from the affected area in a better way. This is quintessential to ward off the aggressive accumulation of the flaky white scales. When used the right way, these dandruff combating elements ensure that these pollutants are completely eliminated from the hair. Caressing the shampoo using the fingers through the hair and on the scalp will break up the already accumulated scales, thus ensuring you a healthier hair.
How Do Anti-Dandruff Shampoos Function
These shampoos work in the following way:
1. Inhibit Keratinocytic Division:
The shampoos are usually replenished with elements like coal tar. These ingredients, in general, are anti-keratostatic in nature. So, when you apply the shampoo, there is an immediate inhibition in the division of the cells present predominantly on the epidermal layer of the human skin.
2. Helps In Disintegrating Accumulated Scales:
As mentioned above, the divided cells normally form scales that accumulate together. When you use the shampoo, the detergent present in it attacks the accumulated scales, forcing them to break up completely. This, in turn, ensures that the scales are completely eliminated, leaving the scalp clean.
3. Inhibit The Growth of Fungus:
There are certain anti-fungal elements present in the shampoos such as ketoconazole and selenium sulphide. These elements possess the potential to prevent the further growth and spreading of the yeast. This, in turn, prevents scaling.
4. Moisturizing The Scalp:
There are anti-dandruff shampoos designed exclusively for dry scalps. These shampoos while executing the above mentioned activities also ensure that the scalp is moisturized. A moisturized scalp is very essential to prevent the skin from crumbling and forming into scales.
5. Rendering Required Nutrients:
Using these shampoos may many a time force your scalp and hair to wash their hands off the nutrients necessary for the growth of healthy hair. However, many a time the shampoos come infused with added vitamins that deliver the required nutrients. If you have ever checked the ingredients you would have noticed that many shampoos come infused vitamins E and B, both that play essential roles in hair growth.
Does An Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Work?
This is a key question that needs to be addressed while you talk about the functioning of an anti-dandruff shampoo. According to renowned trichologists and dermatologists, you are bound to experience a fresh episode of the condition if you are not using a shampoo that focuses on the root cause. Make sure you check the ingredients before you buy one. The most effective ones come with ingredients such as salicylic acid, ketoconazole, selenium sulphide, zinc pyrithione, and/or coal tar.
You can use the shampoos regularly for a fortnight for complete relief, and then thrice a week to prevent recurrence.
Now that you know how an anti-dandruff shampoo works, you can choose the right one and start using them for effective relief.