Your teen and dandruff

Teenagers are already self-conscious about how they look so even the smallest problem can cause a lot of embarrassment for your teen. Dandruff, which is also known as seborrhea dermatitis, occurs when someone has dry and flaky skin on the scalp.

In some cases, dandruff can cause your teen’s scalp to look crusty and become itchy. In extreme cases, it can cause hair loss. However, most of the time, it’s pretty harmless and can easily be controlled with over-the-counter treatments.

Most experts agree that dandruff isn’t a result of bad hygiene, so if your teen has it, let them know that poor hygiene has nothing to do with it. Although the exact cause of this condition is still unknown, there are some factors that can contribute to it:

If your child doesn’t brush his or her hair regularly, it doesn’t help with the shedding of the skin.
If your teen often gets yeast then they have a slightly higher risk of having dandruff.
People with dry skin are also more susceptible to dandruff.
Not enough shampooing can cause the build-up of oil and skin cells and too much shampooing can cause the skin to be irritated.
Some say that diet is linked with dandruff so if your teen doesn’t eat enough foods that contain zinc or B vitamins then they are more prone to it.
If your teen has sensitive skin then dandruff could be a result of a reaction to hair or skin products.

The symptoms of dandruff are pretty visible. This includes:

Dry, flaky skin that gets worse in the winter
Dry skin on the face, forehead, ears, or eyebrows
Mild redness in the areas affected by dandruff
Flakiness around chest or other parts of the body that have hair
Greasiness on the scalp or other parts of the body
Temporary hair loss

Treatment for dandruff is pretty straight forward. In mild cases, a simple shampoo will do the trick and in moderate cases of dandruff, it can be treated with over-the-counter dandruff shampoo.

Dandruff isn’t something that can be cured, but it can always be controlled. If you’re worried about your child’s dandruff then make sure you speak to your doctor about it.