Those pesky white flakes on a smart black dress can put off anybody! Dandruff is a small but highly niggling problem that can spoil a happy occasion in a matter of minutes. Caused by the fungus Malassezia, Dandruff is a result of a dry and itchy scalp in men and women. While many amongst us resort to an anti-dandruff shampoo to solve this problem, did you know that you can also address this issue with the help of many easy to implement home remedies? Yes, home remedies for dandruff are highly effective!
Before we learn them, let us first understand some common causes of Dandruff:
- Stress
- Illnesses such as eczema, Parkinson’s disease
- Irregular and wrong methods of brushing
- Improper diet
- Irregular hair shampooing
Easy to implement home remedies to remove dandruff:
1. Baking Soda
The noble and straightforward baking soda can act as an effective remedy to combat Dandruff. All you need to do is dampen your hair and sprinkle a handful of baking soda on your scalp. Rub vigorously. Post the exercise, go for a quick rinse, but avoid shampooing. Initially, after a few sessions, you feel your hair dry. But eventually, your scalp will start producing natural oils thereby making your hair look softer and devoid of dry flakes.
2. Aspirin
The readily available Aspirin can play a significant role in keeping Dandruff at bay. Crush two Aspirins into a fine powder and add it to your regular shampoo. Shampoo your hair with this mixture and rinse after two to three minutes. The Salicylic Acid present in Aspirin helps to treat Dandruff efficiently.
3. Yoghurt
A fresh bowl of yoghurt too can help in calming down an itchy scalp. All you need to do is shampoo your hair, apply the yoghurt, and let it rest for 15 minutes or so. Rinse with water and wash again with a small amount of your regular shampoo. Yoghurt is a treasure trove of friendly bacteria and thus helps to prevent flaking of the scalp area. You can also add black pepper to the yoghurt since it too has anti-fungal properties.
4. Fuller’s Earth
Fuller’s Earth can absorb oil, grease, and dust. All these cause and increase the spreading of Dandruff. Simultaneously, Fuller’s Earth also helps in improving blood circulation which helps to keep the scalp Dandruff-free. To make this mixture for your scalp, just mix a good proportion of Fuller’s Earth with water and blend to make a smooth paste. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the paste. Apply this mixture to your scalp. Let it seep in for 20 minutes or so and then wash off with regular water.
5. Lemon
This is by far the easiest of them all! Squeeze a full lemon and massage the juice into your scalp. Let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes and rinse off with a regular shampoo. You can also add lemon juice to a mug of water and use it as the last rinse post your hair wash session. Regularly repeat it till dandruff disappears. The acidic character of the Lemon helps to balance the pH of your hair.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is an effective natural remedy to get rid of dandruff. It is acidic in nature which helps to remove dead skin cells on the scalp. It also prevents the growth of fungus. Make a solution using 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a cup of water. Wash your hair as usual with shampoo. Then pour this solution into your hair as the last rinse.
7. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera reduces skin irritation and has a moisturizing effect. It reduces flakiness and itchiness and gives relief from dandruff. It is antibacterial and antifungal which further protects from dandruff. Apply Aloe Vera gel directly on your scalp and leave for about half an hour. Later wash your hair with a mild shampoo.
8. Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree Oil reduces inflammation, itchiness and greasiness. It thus proves to be effective in decreasing dandruff. It is both antifungal and antimicrobial. Add around 5 to 10 drops of this oil to your regular bottle of shampoo and shake well. Rinse your hair well after shampooing.
9. Organic Coconut Oil
Organic coconut oil is frequently used to prevent dandruff. It hydrates our scalp and prevents dryness and flakiness, which can increase dandruff. It is also antimicrobial and antifungal in nature. Gently massage organic coconut oil on the scalp, leave for a few hours and then rinse using a mild shampoo.
10. Neem
Antifungal, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of neem help to prevent and treat dandruff. Neem oil can be applied to the scalp and left for a few hours to prevent dandruff or you can make a hair mask out of neem. For the hair mask, grind neem leaves into a paste, leave this paste on the scalp for 15 to 20 minutes and then use a mild shampoo. You can also boil few neem leaves in water and use them to rinse your hair.
11. Fenugreek seeds
Fenugreek seeds are rich in protein, which prevent dryness, hair fall and dandruff. They also strengthen our hair roots and moisturize our scalp. Fenugreek seeds are key to long, thick and beautiful hair. Grind overnight soaked fenugreek seeds into a paste, apply on the scalp and hair, leave for 15 – 20 minutes and then clean using a mild shampoo
HOW DOES POOR DIET CAUSE DANDRUFF?
Dandruff is not just caused by dry or oily skin, but also by diet. Diet plays a major role in determining the health of your scalp and if not kept in order, can turn out to be one of the main causes why you have dandruff bothering you almost all around the year.
Here are some of the diet changes to reduce dandruff you can implement that may help.
Limiting the intake of food high in sugar, processed foods and bad fats may lead to a spike in insulin levels. This stimulates the hormones which can trigger the output of oil. Restricting the intake of fried, fatty foods, refined sugar, gluten and processed food may have an impact and lead to a reduction in flaking.
Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet not only has an indirect result on itchy and flaky scalp, it also promotes overall good health. They are packed with nutrition and fibre. Low fibre diet leads to poor digestion, hence creating skin problems like dandruff.
Including zinc, a mineral, and biotin, a B vitamin may also help reduce dandruff. Consuming zinc-rich food items like oysters, pumpkin seeds and crabs, or foods high in biotin like carrots, eggs and yoghurt may help to decrease flakes.
There are several foods that aid in decreasing dandruff. Salmon, peanut butter, olive oil, tuna fish, walnuts and avocados support healthy scalp and hair. They are rich in essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6.
Protein is the basic foundation of hair and lack of it in your diet may lead to hair problems like hair loss and dandruff. A protein-rich diet helps to maintain the balance of oil on your hair and scalp, thus keeping scalp problems at bay. Eggs, fish, chicken and dairy products are loaded with protein.
