Dandruff can be a very embarrassing problem, and it can be difficult to treat. There are many causes for dandruff, such as seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis or not washing your hair enough. However, the majority of the time, it is not caused by poor hygiene. Drugstore remedies are able to take care of the problem, but they don't always work if the source of the dandruff is compound or unknown. Products containing coal tar or selenium sulfide can be helpful, but they may have some side effects or have a generally unpleasant smell to them.
Drugstore products can also be expensive to pay for over and over again, for a problem that never really goes away. Instead, there are a few home remedies that can be used to help reduce the symptoms of the condition. These are common household products that you'll normally find lying around the home in your kitchen or medicine cabinet, and are much cheaper alternatives to going to the pharmacy or grocery store.
Aspirin has more uses than simply treating a headache. By taking two tablets of aspirin, you can crush them into a fine powder and add it to the amount of shampoo that you would use to wash your hair. Once it's in lather, let it remain in the hair for one to two minutes and then rinse. Then wash the hair again with normal shampoo in order to eliminate any powder that may remain. This is because aspirin contains salicylates, which is the active ingredient in dandruff shampoos that contain salicylic acid.
Natural oils, such as coconut oil, almond oil or olive oil, can be used to keep the scalp moisturized and prevent dandruff. Simply warm up some oil in a bowl and apply with a scalp massage, ensuring that the entire scalp is covered. Wrap the hair and scalp in a towel and leave the oil on overnight. Then rinse the hair in the morning.
Vinegar isn't just for cleaning your windows or adding to French fries. It can be used to keep your scalp from becoming flaky. After regular shampooing, mix two cups of apple cider vinegar with two cups of cold water and use to rinse the shampoo from your hair. Alternatively, you could apply white vinegar to the scalp and leave it on overnight with a towel, and then wash out of the hair with regular shampoo the next day.
Baking soda can get rid of those funny smells in your cupboards and your fridge, but it's also an easy treatment option for dandruff. Replace your shampoo with baking soda for a few weeks; vigorously rub a handful of baking soda into the scalp and rinse thoroughly. Repeat as you would in your regular schedule of washing your hair.
A lemon juice massage to the scalp can help eliminate the troublesome flakes of dandruff. Massage the juice into the hair and leave it for fifteen to twenty minutes, and then rinse off in the shower. Repeat every day in order to maximize the results.
If you experience dandruff along the hairline, then you may have what is called Seborrheic Dermatitis, which can be treated with any of the above remedies. Concentrate any of these remedies along the scalp line, taking care to massage it well into the skin in order to ensure that there is full coverage.
Don't let dandruff control your life and hold you back from wearing your favorite outfits. Throw the hat away and let your healthy hair and scalp take center stage as you kiss dandruff goodbye.