Best Dandruff Cure

There are tons of crazy remedies out there that claim to cure and/or treat dandruff. Most of them are well, let’s say, insane. This latest one I heard of fits that mold.

According to a few ‘dandruff radicals’ (as I like to call them), using vegetables is the best way to combat dandruff. That is nothing short of false. Although consuming more vegetables are good for your overall health, whether or not it will directly cure or prevent your dandruff is debatable. A well known dermatologist, Dr. Francis Iacobellis, says it best…

“Is diet a factor when it comes to dandruff? No, I think that’s a politically correct version observation of the 21^st century, people want to bring diet in on every disease. There are cases, for example, when people have intestinal problems and they have malabsorptions of certain chemicals (zinc in particular), will give you a seborrheic dermatitis like rash on your scalp and on your body. Replenishing the zinc gets rid of the disease, but those people don’t have seborrheic dermatitis, they have a completely different disease.

There is also a theory about missing certain fish oils or other types of oils that are inherently part of the sebum secretion. The theory claims that if you have a diet deficient of those, you may have seborrheic dermatitis. That has not passed a double blind study to prove that. As of now, I would say a good diet is important but, how much of that effects the hair is really debatable.“

Dr. Iacobellis

From what I’ve come across there really is no hard evidence that diet can quickly cure dandruff. Diet inherently effects everything in your body so obviously a good diet leads to good health. I agree with Dr. Iacobellis in saying that using diet as an excuse for everything has become a common notion and a simple fix for complex issues. Proper diet cannot cure all though. I have ate healthy my entire life and still suffer from dandruff symptoms during the winter months. Sure, I’ve learned several ways to prevent my dandruff to the point where it isn’t an issue of mine on a daily basis. But, would I say that diet is the reason? Not at all. I found the shampoo (coal tar based shampoos seem to work best for me) that works right for me and have stuck with it, along with abandoning some poor habits I had and picking up good ones.

Perhaps over time, a steady and healthy diet can eventually help dandruff. Crazy optimists have you try some crazy things though. For example, in this “beet cure” you boil the beets and strain them into a container. Afterward, you massage the “beet water” into your scalp and let your hair dry overnight with the beet juice in it. I don’t know about you but sleeping in beet juice sounds a little too much for me. I haven’t come across one sane dermatologist or doctor who would recommend sleeping in a beet cap to cure dandruff. And if that was the case, a bag of beets would be right next to Selsun Blue, Head & Shoulders and Denorex in every shampoo aisle.

I agree that desperate times do call for desperate measures. But make sure they are intelligent dermatologist-recommended measures. My best advice is to follow those who know a thing or two about dandruff and if it sounds too crazy to do, it’s probably because it is.

Staying educated as to what works for you is very important in the battle against dandruff.  You need to know what weapons you have at your disposal.

Treatment of dandruff includes prevention of flare-ups by shampooing as directed with an over-the-counter shampoo that contains a special ingredient. These shampoos include formulas that contain selenium sulfide, salicylic acid , or zinc pyrithione. Other dandruff shampoos include those that contain coal tar.   Using dandruff shampoos effectively generally includes leaving the shampoo in the hair longer than for regular shampoos. For best effectiveness, it is important to closely follow manufacturer’s directions or physician recommendations. 

Most any dandruff fighting shampoo should contain at least one or all of these ingredients in varying amounts.  Of over-the-counter brands, Denorex contains the highest concentration of these ingredients.   According to Dr. Francis Iacobellis, “There is more therapeutic medication in Denorex than any other over-the-counter shampoo period.  So by definition, it’s going to work better.”  To find anything stronger, you would need a prescription from your doctor.

When someone begins to suffer from dandruff symptoms, there are a ton of questions that you ask. Why am I getting dandruff? How do I get rid of this? What can I do to cure dandruff? Dandruff symptoms and what exactly causes dandruff is complicated, but the answer to stopping it isn’t.

For 9 out of 10 cases, dandruff can be treated with shampoos that you can find in your local Walgreens, Walmart, CVS or drug store. There are plenty of medicated shampoos out there that when used properly, can put an end to your dandruff problems. Below are a list of dandruff shampoos that could possibly end the torment of itchy scalps and white flakes…

• Denorex (Therapeutic or Extra Strength)
• Selsun Blue
• Head and Shoulders
• Nizoral
• Neutrogena T-Gel
• DHS Zinc

The best advice is to quickly eliminate dandruff is to use an extra medicated shampoo such as Denorex, Neutrogena T-Gel or DHS Zinc. Each shampoo has different types and levels of medication. Make sure you are aware of how often to use the shampoo you buy as some are daily and some you may only need to use 2-3 times a week.

Using shampoo first is the best advice because if medicated shampoos don’t work you may have a bigger issue at hand such as Seborrheic Dermatitis. For such cases you should see a dermatologist.

What’s the best dandruff cure?  Well, there’s good news and bad news.  The bad news is that there is no universal cure that is best for everyone.  However, the good news is that there are many different cures for different cases of dandruff and we’ll find the one that is best for you.

So, how do we stop your dandruff at the root of the problem?  First, we must identify your condition.  Many of those suffering from excessive dandruff are simply at the mercy of a dry scalp.  There are numerous methods designed to moisturize this area and through a process of elimination, we can find out what works best for you.

Aside from specialized shampoos , there are a number of natural methods to curb dandruff.

Olive oil and tea-tree oil are both effective natural solutions against dandruff.  In fact, some dandruff shampoos include either of the two oils in their formulations.  The oils moisturize the scalp, removing the traces of dandruff and preventing the formation of flakes in the process.

Vinegar, with its high level of acidity, is potent enough to kill dandruff-causing fungi.  The truth is, it may rival some of the leading anti-dandruff shampoos in terms of fungi-killing efficacy.  However, vinegar may cause allergic reactions to people with sensitive skin, so consult your dermatologist before using.

Yogurt, surprisingly enough is anti-fungal in nature, and when rubbed thoroughly around the scalp, can eliminate dandruff at the source.  Rinse using lemon juice.  Do this every day for a week and you should notice the results.

These are just a few of the natural solutions.  You may want to consider using specialized anti-dandruff shampoo such as Denorex in conjunction with the home remedies, as this will keep the dandruff at bay after you’ve gotten rid of it.

If excessive dandruff persists, you may have a more serious condition such as sebborheic dermatitis or psoriasis and should consult your dermatologist as soon as possible.

Remember, every case is different and not everything works the same for everyone.  So try different things out, and let us know what works best for you!

The idea of this website is to help find out what the best cure for dandruff is. There are a bunch of shampoos, medications and natural solutions out there, but what works best? That’s what we’re determined to find out. It’s difficult enough having dandruff, the last thing you need is to struggle to find a cure for dandruff.

So, where do we begin? Well, education of the problem is the best first step in treating a problem. First off, let’s define what exactly dandruff is. WebMD defines it as…

Skin cells that grow and die off too fast are the cause of dandruff, but doctors do not know why this happens. One possible cause is a fat-eating fungus called Pityrosporum ovale, which is present in most people but to excess in dandruff sufferers. This fungus lives on the scalp of most healthy adults without causing any problems. Sometimes its numbers grow out of control and it feeds on the oil made by hair follicles. This causes irritation, which can lead to an increase in skin cell shedding.
WebMD- Understanding Dandruff–The Basics

In that definition lies the issues with dandruff. If doctors don’t know why it happens, how is the lay person supposed to know? Well, let’s work with what we do know, dandruff is mainly skin cell shedding which comes from the irritation of the scalp. So the best way to cure dandruff is to treat the scalp, not necessarily the hair. We need to make sure the scalp is smooth and not irritated so that those little white flakes aren’t ruining your day.

So, with the knowledge we have, along with help and advice from a few dermatologists and input from users, thebestdandruffcure.com will help you find, well, the best dandruff cure!