Dandruff

Causes of dandruff

Your skin constantly produces new skin cells and sheds old cells to stay healthy. Dandruff can occur when this cycle of skin renewal speeds up.

This leads to patches of dead skin forming on the scalp that come away into the hair.

A flaky scalp can be the result of:

seborrhoeic dermatitis a common skin condition associated with an overgrowth of yeast on the skin, which can cause the scalp, face and other areas of the body to become scaly, itchy and red; in babies it's called cradle cap
tinea capitis a fungal infection of the scalp, also called scalp ringworm
eczema a common skin condition that causes the skin to become dry, red, flaky and very itchy
allergic contact dermatitis a reaction to products used on the scalp, such as hair dye, hairspray, hair gel or mousse
psoriasis a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales

Dandruff isn't caused by poor hygiene, although it may be more obvious if you don't wash your hair regularly. Stress and cold weather may also make it worse.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for dandruff

Introduction

Find out what causes dandruff, what you can do to get rid of it and when to get medical advice.

Treatments for dandruff

The main treatment for dandruff is anti-dandruff shampoo. There are a number of types available to buy from supermarkets orpharmacies. Look for shampoo containing one of the following ingredients:

When to see your GP

You don't usually need to see your GP if you have dandruff, but it's a good idea to visit them if: you've tried anti-dandruff shampoos for at least a month and your symptoms haven't improved your d

Causes of dandruff

Your skin constantly produces new skin cells and sheds old cells to stay healthy. Dandruff can occur when this cycle of skin renewal speeds up. This leads to patches of dead skin forming on the scalp

Dandruff in babies

Babies can sometimes have dandruff and yellow, greasy, scaly patches on their scalp.This is known as cradle cap. Cradle cap appears most often in babies in the first two months. It tends to last o

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