Dandruff puts your hair through the mill and is the victim of many far-fetched misconceptions which are enough to make you want to pull your hair out! We take a closer look.

1. Dandruff is a hair-related problem

Not strictly speaking… Although dandruff either sticks to your roots or slides down your hair to fall on your shoulders like snow, it is in fact connected to your scalp peeling. It is therefore your skin that is the cause of the problem, not your hair.

2. All dandruff is the same

False. There are two types of dandruff which are different from each other due to their appearance. The most common type is “dry” dandruff: small white particles which fall off by themselves and land on your shoulders. The other type of dandruff remains stuck to the skin on your head and forms slightly yellow flakes: this is known as “greasy” dandruff.

3. If I don’t have dandruff now, I never will.

Totally untrue. Some people have a recurring dandruff problem, whereas others have none at all. This still does not mean that such people are immune from getting dandruff occasionally. Stress, fatigue and hormonal disruption are just some of the many possible causes of a short-lived spell of dandruff.

4. I will never get rid of dandruff!

False. Dandruff can be hard to get rid of, but not a lost cause, provided that you use the right treatments! The active ingredients that are effective against dry dandruff (zinc, juniper oil), are not the same as the one that is effective against greasy dandruff (salicylic acid). Hence the importance of determining the type of dandruff you have so that you can treat it effectively.

5. Dandruff makes your hair fall out

Yes and no. Dandruff, whether it falls off or stays stuck to your scalp, is sometimes an aggravating symptom of hair loss. It suffocates the scalp, making the hair shaft more fragile and more brittle.