Dandruff

Like skin, the scalp is also in a permanent process of renewal. Skin cells normally need 28 days before they fall off as horny cells. Where the formation of dandruff is concerned, this process unfolds more quickly. The otherwise very small cells are clearly visible as accumulations of cells.

Around 10 – 20% of adults have a tendency towards banal dandruff which is not caused by any disease of the scalp. The dermatologist would describe this state as pityriasis simplex capillitii, sometimes also as a light form of seborrhoeic eczema. The latter can be accompanied by increased (seborrhoea oleosa) or reduced (seborrhoea sicca) sebum production.

With children, dandruff virtually never occurs until puberty; it occurs most often between the ages of 20 and 40. Men are more frequently affected than women and dandruff is more pronounced in the spring and autumn than in the summer and winter.

If redness also appears on the scalp in addition to just the formation of dandruff, the scalp itches or seeping or crusty areas are formed, a dermatologist should be consulted.