Are Acne And Dandruff Related

Acne and dandruff though are not contagious or life-threatening but can cause embarrassment in many public gatherings. Ask from a person who is caught with it. S/he can’t wear dark clothing and also lack self-esteem.

Dandruff, medically termed as seborrheic dermatitis, is most commonly seen at an adolescent age owing to hyperactive sebaceous glands and hormonal changes at that age. It can also run in families. There are certain factors that trigger their growth like improper personnel hygiene and eating habits which are more inclined towards junky, greasy, and oily food.

How Dandruff And Acne Are Related

Bothering skin conditions can lead to acne as well as dandruff. Here is a diagrammatic representation of how dry skin, as well as oily skin, leads to acne and dandruff.

Related: Factors Or Lifestyle Leading To Acne

Reactions to Hair Products

We don’t usually refer to a specialist before using any hair care product. We blindly follow what our favorite stars use but forget that everyone has different skin. This all may end up with skin allergies leading to irritation, itching, and dry scalp or flaking.

Exposure to extreme weather conditions, using harsh shampoos and hair colors can also cause dandruff.

Diet Related To Dandruff And Acne

Having diet deficient in zinc and vitamin B is an aggravating factor for dandruff and acne. Also having excess of oily stuff, junky diet and greasy food can end up in acne and dandruff.

Bacteria Responsible For Dandruff And Acne

Those who are prone to dandruff and acne should maintain a proper balance between dry scalp and oily scalp as improper washing of hair can lead to dandruff and acne while leaving the hair dry for days can cause accumulation of bacteria. Yeast like fungus, Malassezia, is causative organism behind dandruff but is inactive if we maintain a proper hygiene. So, it is advised to wash your hair and face daily with proper technique.

Related: Factors Or Lifestyle Leading To Acne

Treatment Of Dandruff And Acne

Anti-dandruff shampoo: Salicylic acid can be used for eradicating dandruff and acne. Shampoos available over-the-counter contain salicylic acid, zinc, or coal tar. For persistent problems of dandruff, your doctor may prescribe strong shampoos. Shampoo can be used on daily basis, as over-washing will not cause dandruff. However, scratching the scalp can worsen the situation. The itching symptom is common to dandruff and acne.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Dandruff And Acne

Ayurvedic Hair oil: Massage your hair with an Ayurvedic hair oil composed of coconut oil, neem and Kapoor.

Ayurvedic Hair tonic: Hair tonic made up of henna, sweet flag, bringaraj, rosary pea cashmere tree, hirda, behada, amalaki, magic nut and mandor should be used to massage the hair as it helps in keeping the bacteria at bay thereby maintaining healthy and strong hair.

Ayurvedic Shampoo and conditioners: Ayurvedic shampoos are enriched with shikakai, neem and ritha which are famous for their cleansing properties since ages. Similar to these, Ayurvedic conditioners contain fenugreek seeds, oranges, and lemon extracts.

Home treatment for acne and dandruff

Hair Massage: Massaging your hair twice a week with coconut or castor oil is good to prevent dryness of the scalp. Also, a paste made out of tulsi leaves and amla can be applied for one hour prior to subsequent washing is an effective remedy. A vinegar solution can be used to clean the hair and scalp to relieve dandruff.

Fenugreek seeds: Paste made out of overnight soaked fenugreek seeds is quite beneficial to prevent dandruff. It should be applied for at least half an hour and then the hair should be washed with regular shampoo.

Neem leaves: Boil neem leaves in water and wash your hair with them. It is quite an effective home remedy for dry scalp and dandruff.

Tea tree oil: Massage your hair with a mixture of warm water and one tablespoon of tea tree oil. After that rinse your hair with lemon water and finally wash it with tap water.

Aloe vera gel: Apply Aloe vera gel on your scalp for 15 minutes and wash them with shampoo. Do this twice a week to get instant results.

Alternative therapies for dandruff and acne

Alternative therapies for dandruff include Detoxification Therapy, Oxygen Therapy, traditional Chinese medicines, and also Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy. The oxygen therapy for dandruff involves using external ozone to control fungal growth.

Acne may affect the quality of life to a considerable extent. However, dandruff has only mild implications on the quality of life. Prevention of dandruff can also prevent hair loss as has been observed in most cases. Hair loss certainly affects the look of a person. Therefore equal attention should be given to dandruff and acne. The commonness between dandruff and acne is that these conditions develop due to the interaction of a yeast organism with a host immune response. Medical experts opine that secondary immune reaction results in seborrhea and dandruff. In a nutshell, excess sebum production and clog of the hair follicles are the main causes of both acne and dandruff.