how to solve problem dandruff

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10 Ways to Get Rid of Dandruff ASAP, According to Experts

We talked to experts to get the low down on dandruff solutions.

Stocksy / Design by Michela Buttignol

“While we don’t know exactly why dandruff occurs, in many people it is thought to be due to a mixture of genetics, allergies and sensitivities, and an imbalance of skin microbes,” says trichologist Dominic Burg, MD. According to Burg, experts believe that the common condition is driven by an overgrowth of microorganisms—like bacteria, yeasts, and fungi—that live on the surface of the scalp. When these microbes consume the natural oils on your skin, they can produce byproducts that the body reacts to, leading to shedding and inflammation. At least, that’s the hypothesis.

“We do know it has nothing to do with hygiene,” says dermatologist Ava Shamban, MD . In other words, dandruff has nothing to do with how often you shower or shampoo. Our skin follows its own shedding cycle, gradually sloughing away excess cells. Dandruff is what happens when you experience increased turnover of cells and this exfoliation happens unevenly, causing both excessive shedding and buildup. While the itching and irritation that follow are often associated with dryness, they can also occur on any hair or skin type.

Whatever the case, most of us just want instant and permanent relief from the experience. While it may not be as simple as prescribing a single treatment (most things never are), we asked the experts to share the best course of action in getting rid of dandruff for good.

Meet the Expert

• Dominic Burg is a trichologist, hair biologist, microbiologist, and the chief scientist at  Évolis Professional .
• Ava Shamban , MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles and the founder of  Ava M ,  Skin Five , and  The Box by Dr. Ava .
• Orit Markowitz, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and the founder of OptiSkin .
• Sophia Emmanuel  is an IAT-Certified Trichologist and licensed cosmetologist based in New York. She owns and operates the  Crown Worthy beauty salon  in New York City.  

Make Sure You Actually Have Dandruff

Before you begin treating dandruff, make sure it’s not one of two other possibilities. Burg notes that a dry scalp that has mild dryness, flakiness, and minor shedding shouldn’t be confused with “true” dandruff. “Your scalp condition will change over time, and many of us will notice a change with the seasons or with other factors in our environment,” he says. Often, you’ll notice this type of mild reaction occurs during seasonal changes or when you’re exposed to excess heat styling—and you can soothe it simply by dialing back the heat or switching to more hydrating formulas. Dandruff, on the other hand, has a much stronger effect. “The scenario of true dandruff can usually be recognized by skin cells falling off in medium to large clumps that are usually a little oily,” explains Burg.

On the other side of the spectrum, you might have more extreme symptoms that point to an inflammatory skin condition known as seborrheic dermatitis . Burg describes this as “characterized by flaking, skin irritation, redness, and sometimes sores—whereas dandruff is usually painless.” Both Burg and Shamban agree that if you’re experiencing redness, sores, pain, or excessive itching, you need to book a dermatologist appointment. Unlike most cases of dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis cannot be treated using over-the-counter remedies and requires dermatologist care and prescriptions.

What is Seborrheic Dermatitis?

Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin condition that causes patches of dry flakes or greasy scales along with redness. It is most commonly found on the scalp, but can also appear on other oily areas of the body like the nose and ears.

Use Antifungal Ingredients

Once you’ve verified that you actually have dandruff, head to your nearest drugstore and start reading those ingredient labels. “Common ingredients like pyrithione zinc , ketoconazole , and selenium disulfide are antifungal and have shown some good results in reducing dandruff,” says Burg. They’re an affordable addition to your in-shower arsenal; Shamban’s drugstore favorite is the popular Selsun Blue ($8), which contains cooling menthol and a dose of selenium sulfide. (Leave it on for two minutes to get the full effect.) Some of these ingredients are available in prescription versions, says dermatologist and OptiSkin founder Orit Markowitz, MD. "The difference between prescription and OTC shampoos is the percentage of the active ingredient."

Coal tar and its derivatives have also been typically used to treat dandruff, but Burg cautions against using these ingredients, which he says can be too harsh. “They’re not great for the scalp and hair follicles,” he notes.

Wash Your Hair Often

While your hygiene habits have no bearing on whether you develop dandruff or not, it's important not to avoid washing your hair for fear of making the problem worse. "People often think that over washing or too much heat from drying your hair causes dandruff but that is not true," says Markowitz. "Product buildup can often lead to dandruff so it’s important to wash your hair regularly, especially if you use hair styling products, leave-in conditioners, or dry shampoos."

IAT-certified trichologist  Sophia Emmanuel also points out dandruff can occur with protective styles that make it tricky to shampoo. "Dandruff can show up or worsen if you wait long periods to shampoo your hair," she says. "Specifically, if you wear hair extensions, braids, or other protective hairstyles that do not allow you to shampoo on a regular basis."

So, how often is often enough? Well, that depends on your hair and scalp. "If you have mild dandruff, I recommend you wash your hair daily until you have the dandruff under control," says Markowitz. "If you don't use a lot of styling products, you can wash your hair less frequently." Either way, she suggests reaching for a specially formulated dandruff shampoo (such as Head & Shoulders Classic Clean ) whenever you do cleanse.

Turn to Essential Oils

Aside from smelling good, your favorite essential oils and botanical extracts can go a long way in soothing dandruff symptoms. “ Rosemary oil , lavender oil , green tea extract , and mangosteen all have great antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties,” says Burg. He particularly likes the évolis Professional Promote , Prevent , and Reverse ranges, which utilize essential oils to target scalp buildup and encourage overall hair health. "The great thing about these ingredients is that they can be used long term, are gentle, and can keep dandruff at bay," says Burg—noting that since they have a more mild effect, they also may take slightly longer to work than ingredients like selenium disulfide.

Avoid Sulphates

Burg notes the main thing you want to avoid are  sulfates , which can be too harsh and stripping for those with sensitive scalps. For a gentler wash, Shamban also suggests swapping your usual shampoos for formulas that rely on an essential oil base. Her pick is Philip B Anti-Flake Relief Shampoo ($60), which features a base that’s free of irritating coal tar and packs a powerful mixture of tea tree oil , sage, and aloe vera . The calming, soothing effect helps take down inflammation and minimize itching and discomfort. "It works equally well on flaking scalps that are dry or oily," she says.

Make Time for Deep Treatments

We’d suggest regular deep treatments whether or not you have dandruff—for the simple reason that they’re relaxing and always leave your hair looking and feeling better. But for those that have extra flaking and shedding, scalp oil treatments are a must. Burg recommends treatments with added moisturizers like baobab oil to maintain hydration. Shamban likes the Phillip B Rejuvenating Oil ($40) applied as a hot oil treatment at home. "It’s extremely helpful for those that have irritation," she says of the conditioning formula. “It’s a misnomer that dandruff only happens with dry skin or a dry scalp; a flaking, oily scalp is also very common with this condition.”

Brush It Out

While you’re at it, make some time to brush your hair, too. "It’s old-school, but it works to get rid of the scale," says Shamban. Brushing helps stimulate the scalp and brings more circulation to the area while also gently exfoliating cell buildup. In a pinch, brushing your hair can make a world of difference.

Try At-Home Treatments

Don't be afraid to DIY it! Markowitz recommends homeopathic remedies like applying coconut oil, mixing yogurt and thyme, or lemon juice and oil, which are "effective in treating dandruff but may not work as quickly as conventional methods." If you want to try the natural route and see if your pantry holds the answer, try the below to reduce your dandruff.

• Coconut oil: This ingredient seems to be the answer to all of life's problems. It's also great for keeping your hair and scalp moisturized, too. Massage into your hair and cover with a shower cap for about 30 minutes. Shampoo and rinse well. If your hair is fine, using coconut oil may weigh your strands down.
• Aloe vera: Aloe's anti-inflammatory properties are ideal for soothing those with itchy scalps and dandruff. Add a tablespoon of aloe to your favorite conditioner to coat your strands. Only use aloe vera as needed. Due to its high water content, it is possible to make your strands too moisturized.
• Apple cider vinegar: Using ACV as a rinse can help balance the pH level of the scalp and remove buildup. Add one part of vinegar to one part of warm water and massage into your hair and scalp for three to five minutes, rinsing well. This can be done twice a week.
• Aspirin: It's not just for headaches. Some people credit aspirin's salicylic acid properties to helping combat dandruff when crushed and mixed with shampoo.
• Baking soda: The gritty texture of baking soda is ace for grabbing oil and excess dirt from your hair and scalp. Combine one tablespoon of baking soda for every cup of water and mix well. Massage into your scalp and rinse thoroughly. Take care not to use this method more than once a week, as baking soda is very abrasive.
• Lemon juice: The citric acid in lemons is also thought to help cleanse the scalp of excess oil. However, because of its high alkaline levels, derms recommend diluting it or using a lemon essential oil instead.
• Olive oil: A natural emollient that helps to maintain hydration in the hair, olive oil also contributes to that glossy, soft, and shiny mane we all dream of. Use as a mask and leave on for 15 minutes to a half hour under a shower cap before rinsing off in the shower.

Know When to See a Specialist

According to Burg, the length of any of these treatments will vary based on the individual, but if you don’t see any change after several weeks of use, it’s time to book that derm appointment. It’s important to remember that even if you do see improvement, you could experience more flare-ups down the line. “Some people may require continual treatment,” he says. In this case, it's best to see a specialist for a proper diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.

Consider a Prescription

In some cases, dandruff may be extreme and persistent enough to warrant a derm prescription (without classifying it as seborrheic dermatitis). If nothing OTC seems to work for you, you’ll want to visit a doctor’s office anyway. Burg says that most prescriptions for dandruff are stronger versions of over-the-counter medicated shampoos. “With medicated solutions, results can be seen relatively quickly—within a week or two,” he says. Once the symptoms improve, ask your doctor how to proceed. Some patients with more long-lasting dandruff use a medicated treatment once weekly to keep sebum levels down, alternating it with regular use of a dandruff-friendly shampoo.

Your dermatologist or trichologist may also choose to prescribe steroids, which are typically used short-term. “If necessary, there are steroid shampoos or steroid liquid solutions,” says Shamban. These should work within a week. “Even if there is still some excess after one or two washes, at least the discomfort will subside,” she says. Once the worst of the symptoms have been treated, proceed with the rest of their expert advice: once-weekly medicated washes, anti-inflammatory shampoos, and plenty of nourishing at-home treatments. Your scalp should revert to its pre-flake state in no time.

While brushing your dandruff out and making use of scalp scrubs are dermatologist-recommended methods for treating dandruff, it's important to avoid scratching your scalp too vigorously or too often, as it can lead to more irritation—and make your dandruff worse.

Though dandruff is a chronic condition (meaning it cannot be "cured" permanently) it can be easily treated through either at-home remedies or prescriptions.

While it's important to wash your hair frequently when you have dandruff, make sure your strands are at least somewhat dry before you hit the hay. Sleeping on wet hair increases your risk of infections, including fungal infections like Malassezia folliculitis , which causes dandruff.

Nowicki R. [ Modern management of dandruff ].  Pol Merkur Lekarski . 2006;20(115):121-124.

What is the best way to treat severe dandruff ? Harvard Health.

Can wet hair make you sick ? Cleveland Clinic.

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Dandruff is a common condition that causes the skin on the scalp to flake. It isn't contagious or serious. But it can be embarrassing and difficult to treat.

Mild dandruff can be treated with a gentle daily shampoo. If that doesn't work, a medicated shampoo may help. Symptoms may return later.

Dandruff is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis.

Products & Services

• A Book: Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies
• Available Hair Care Products at Mayo Clinic Store

Dandruff signs and symptoms may include:

• Skin flakes on your scalp, hair, eyebrows, beard or mustache, and shoulders
• Itchy scalp
• Scaly, crusty scalp in infants with cradle cap

The signs and symptoms may be more severe if you're stressed, and they tend to flare in cold, dry seasons.

When to see a doctor

Most people with dandruff don't require a doctor's care. See your primary care doctor or a doctor who specializes in skin conditions (dermatologist) if your condition doesn't improve with regular use of dandruff shampoo.

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Dandruff may have several causes, including:

• Irritated, oily skin
• A yeastlike fungus (malassezia) that feeds on oils on the scalps of most adults
• Sensitivity to hair care products (contact dermatitis)
• Other skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema

Risk factors

Almost anyone can have dandruff, but certain factors can make you more susceptible:

• Age. Dandruff usually begins in young adulthood and continues through middle age. That doesn't mean older adults don't get dandruff. For some people, the problem can be lifelong.
• Being male. Dandruff is more prevalent in males than in females.
• Certain illnesses. Parkinson's disease and other diseases that affect the nervous system also seem to increase risk of dandruff. So does having HIV or a weakened immune system.
• Borda LJ, et al. Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: A comprehensive review. Journal of Clinical and Investigative Dermatology. 2015; 3:1.
• Dandruff: How to treat. American Academy of Dermatology. https://www.aad.org/public/skin-hair-nails/hair-care/how-to-treat-dandruff. Accessed July 12, 2019.
• Tea tree oil. Natural Medicines Database. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com. Accessed June 7, 2019.
• Sasseville D. Seborrheic dermatitis in adolescents and adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed July 12, 2019.
• Kermott CA, et al., eds. Dandruff. In: Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies. 2nd ed. Time; 2017.
• Dandruff. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. http://www.aocd.org/page/Dandruff. Accessed July 12, 2019.
• Kang S, et al., eds. Cosmeceuticals and skin care in dermatology. In: Fitzpatrick's Dermatology. 9th ed. McGraw-Hill; 2019. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed July 23, 2019.
• High WA, et al., eds. Special considerations in skin of color. In: Dermatology Secrets. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed May 5, 2021.
• Kelly AP, et al. Pediatrics. In: Taylor and Kelly's Dermatology for Skin of Color. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2016. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed May 27, 2021.
• James WD. Seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, recalcitrant palmoplantar eruptions, pustular dermatitis, and erythroderma. In: Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. 13th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 17, 2020.
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips for dealing with dandruff
• Symptoms & causes
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• Scalp Health

How to Remove Dandruff Quickly at Home

Last Updated: August 25, 2023 Fact Checked

• Hiding Dandruff

Quick Home Remedies

Using dandruff shampoo, controlling dandruff long-term, expert q&a.

This article was written by Noël Reid-Killings and by wikiHow staff writer, Cheyenne Main . Noël Reid-Killings is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Noël New York Salon & Boutique. With over a decade of experience, Noël specializes in curating and customizing hair solutions for all hair types and textures. She has worked with countless A-list celebrities including Alicia Keys, Ciara, Yara Shahidi, and Simone Missick. Her work has been featured on makeover shows and in magazines including Essence, Sophisticates Black Hair, Teen Vogue, Elle, 21Ninety, WWD, POPSUGAR, Allure, The Cut, The Huffington Post, and Swaay. There are 30 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,062,067 times.

Dandruff isn't usually as visible as you might think it is, but with a few quick steps, you can make it disappear almost completely. While some people might have small white flakes from hair product overuse, others might have more severe cases or conditions like seborrheic dermatitis that require medicated anti-fungal shampoo to treat. Whatever the case, we have the complete guide to getting rid of dandruff as quickly as possible—from fast visual fixes that take less than 5 minutes (no washing required!) to home remedies and shampoo treatments that can reduce flaking and itching altogether. This article is based on an interview with our professional hair stylist, Noël Reid-Killings, owner of Noël New York Salon & Boutique. Check out the full interview here.

Things You Should Know

• For a 5-minute dandruff fix, spray your hair with dry shampoo and comb out the flakes. Part and comb your hair to hide the worst spots or put on a scarf or hat.
• Combine 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of coconut oil, 1  tsp (4.9 mL) of lemon juice, and 2-3 drops of tea tree oil. Massage it into your scalp, leave it in overnight, then wash it out.
• Use a medicated dandruff shampoo like Head & Shoulders , Selsun Blue , Neutrogena T/Sal 2-3 times per week.

Hiding Dandruff without Washing

• Although dry shampoo can help hide dandruff in a pinch, try to only use it as a temporary fix. If it’s used regularly it can irritate your scalp and cause even more scaling and flaking. [2] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

• Put your hair into braids , whether you want them loose or tight. Braids can also help prevent dandruff from falling on your shoulders during the day.
• Use bobby pins and a ponytail holder to tie your hair into a top knot bun . Tying your hair up on your head might help stop flakes from falling from your head.
• Throw your hair into a simple half-ponytail using just a hair tie . If your dandruff is concentrated more on the top of your head, a half-pony can help hide it.
• Wearing a cap, hat, or scarf on your head can also cover dandruff and prevent it from falling onto your shoulders.

• You can also wear textured or pattered clothing to help hide dandruff.

• You can also carry a small comb with you to gently brush out any noticeable flakes in your hair.

• If you don’t have tea tree oil on hand, you can swap it out for lime, mangosteen, or rosemary oil. [7] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
• You can also dilute lemon juice or a lemon essential oil with water to cleanse your hair of excess oil.
• Studies suggest that tea tree oil can fight off Malazessia, a fungus that might cause seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. [8] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Coconut oil and lemon might also have antimicrobial properties that fight off flaking. [9] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source

• If your coconut oil is in a solid form, melt it in a small bowl in the microwave or over the stove in a pan. Wait at least 10 minutes for the oil to cool so it won’t burn your fingers or scalp.
• If you don’t have coconut oil available, you can also use olive oil. Rub several drops of oil into your hair, cover your hair with a cap or wrap, and leave it in overnight. In the morning, shampoo and rinse your hair thoroughly.

• You can also combine matcha with coconut or olive oil to help further reduce dandruff symptoms. Mix 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of oil with 2 teaspoons (11.38 g) of matcha green tea powder, apply it to your scalp, leave it in for 30 minutes, then wash your hair with shampoo.

• Apple cider vinegar is incredibly acidic and can irritate or damage your skin if not diluted, so always mix a small amount with shampoo or warm water.

• Salicylic acid shampoos: Neutrogena T/Sal , Briogeo Scalp Revival , Jason Dandruff Relief Treatment Shampoo
• Fluocinolone shampoos (prescription required): Capex, Derma-Smoothe/FS
• Shampoos with coal tar may slow down how quickly skin cells on your scalp die and flake off. However, many people advise against using it because it can change the color of your hair, make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, and produce allergic or adverse reactions.

Yan Kandkhorov

Try to find a sulfate-free anti-dandruff shampoo for a gentle option. A lot of anti-dandruff shampoos contain sulfates, which are harsh cleansers. However, you can find some sulfate-free shampoos that contain chemicals like salicylic acid to treat dandruff, like R+Co Crown .

• Pyrithione zinc shampoos: DermaZinc , Head & Shoulders , DHS Zinc
• Selenium sulfide shampoos: Selsun Blue , Head & Shoulders Intensive , Vichy Dercos
• Ketoconazole shampoo: Nizoral
• If you have large white flakes along with other flaky, inflamed, or painful skin patches on other parts of your body, you may have seborrheic dermatitis. On your scalp, this condition can be treated with anti-dandruff or anti-fungal shampoos. [20] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

• If you have curly, natural hair, daily shampooing might irritate your scalp more. Instead, use dandruff shampoo once a week. You can also ask a dermatologist about which shampoo would work best for your hair or ask them for a steroid preparation in oil that can be applied like pomade. [22] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source
• If you notice no improvement after a few days of using anti-dandruff shampoo, try a shampoo with a different ingredient. Since dandruff is often caused by a species of yeast, an antifungal shampoo may attack the problem from a different direction. [23] X Trustworthy Source DermNet NZ Online clinical resource website written and run by dermatologists providing evidence-based information about dermatology and skin health Go to source
• Some people report success when alternating between two shampoos, using each one every other hair-washing session.

• If you are using prescription-strength shampoo or more than one type of treatment, reduce the frequency or stop use after two weeks to prevent harmful side effects from developing. [25] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source

• If you think hair care products may be causing your issue, eliminate or switch your styling products or wash your hair a little more frequently.
• If you aren't sure which product is specifically causing the issue, stop using one at a time until the problem stops.

• Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Hair Mask
• Purenature Tea Tree Hair Mask
• Botanic Hearth Tea Tree Oil Hair Mask

• Dandruff usually improves during the summer because of the increase in sunlight, unless the weather is unusually hot or humid.

• Seeking out a support system of friends and family to talk about your feelings with can also help you release any emotional tension you might be holding.

• You can also take probiotics to enhance your immune system function. Take a probiotic supplement, or eat fermented foods like kombucha, kimchi, or sauerkraut. [32] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
• Try to avoid or limit foods that harm your gut’s microbiome and immune system, like refined carbs (white bread, pasta, crackers), red meat, or processed, fried, or sugary foods/beverages. [33] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source

• For severe cases, isotretinoin may be prescribed, but as this can have severe side effects, it is only recommended as a last resort.

• If medical dandruff treatments are not working, investigate folk remedies or treatments that use kitchen ingredients instead. These are unverified by scientific studies, but some people report success using them. If your scalp becomes drier, itchier, or redder, stop the treatment immediately. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Always follow the instructions for prescription drugs. Using them too frequently or for too long can cause unpleasant side effects. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ Noël Reid-Killings. Celebrity Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 25 November 2020.
• ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/does-dry-shampoo-actually-keep-your-hair-clean/
• ↑ https://www.cosmo.ph/beauty/hair/hairstyles-cover-dandruff-a983-20171113
• ↑ http://youngwomenshealth.org/2013/08/12/dandruff/
• ↑ https://experthometips.com/17-things-you-can-clean-with-a-lint-roller
• ↑ Ritu Thakur, MA. Natural Health Care Professional. Expert Interview. 25 July 2019.
• ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rosemary-oil-for-hair/
• ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15663338/
• ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32602684/
• ↑ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86454-1
• ↑ https://helloglow.co/green-tea-hair-mask/
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4452276/
• ↑ https://health.unl.edu/apple-cider-vinegar-good-your-skin-and-hair
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788265/
• ↑ https://www.womansworld.com/posts/beauty/aspirin-for-itchy-scalp
• ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22991095/
• ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dandruff/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353854
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3380954/
• ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dandruff/symptoms-causes/syc-20353850
• ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14403-seborrheic-dermatitis
• ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dandruff/basics/treatment/con-20023690
• ↑ https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2000/0501/p2713.html
• ↑ http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/seborrhoeic-dermatitis.html
• ↑ http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0501/p2703.html
• ↑ https://naturallclub.com/blogs/the-naturall-club-blog/how-do-i-get-rid-of-dandruff-in-natural-hair
• ↑ https://www.dandruffdeconstructed.com/15-ways-to-get-rid-of-dandruff-fast/
• ↑ https://uhs.umich.edu/dandruff
• ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5031164/
• ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dandruff/

About This Article

If you need to get rid of dandruff fast, spray or sprinkle the roots of your hair with dry shampoo, then comb it through your hair to remove dandruff flakes. You can also warm a small bowl of mineral oil and massage it into your scalp to moisturize your skin and reduce dandruff. Leave the oil in for several hours, then wash it out with shampoo or a mild detergent. Keep reading for tips from our Medical reviewer on how to pick the right dandruff shampoo. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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What Is Dandruff?

Dandruff is a very common skin condition, involving skin flakes, itching, and mild redness of the scalp. It is estimated that dandruff—along with a more severe skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis (SD)—affects 50% of the adult population in the United States.

Learn more about the types, symptoms, causes, and treatment of dandruff.

powerofforever / Getty Images

Types of Dandruff

There are several types of dandruff, including:

• Dry skin–related dandruff : This is the most common type of dandruff, which usually occurs during the winter months (from cold, dry weather) and is linked with using hot water to shampoo the hair (which dries out the scalp). 
• Oil-related dandruff : This occurs from a buildup of sebum (oil) on the scalp. The oil can clump the dead skin cells on the scalp together with oil, forming itchy flakes.
• Yeast-related dandruff : This is caused by Malassezia yeast, which is a type of fungus that lives on excess oil.

Dandruff Symptoms

Often the first sign that a person has dandruff is the appearance of white flakes of dead skin on the hair or shoulders, as well as an itchy scalp. Other symptoms of dandruff can vary, depending on the type of dandruff.

Symptoms of dandruff may include:

• Dry, flaky skin that worsens when the weather gets cold
• An itchy scalp
• Whitish-yellow skin flakes on the scalp, hair, eyebrows, beard, or mustache
• Flare-ups that occur in cold, dry seasons and during periods of stress
• Mild redness in the affected area
• Oily skin on the scalp

Dandruff vs. Seborrheic Dermatitis Symptoms

There is some disagreement about whether dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis (SD) are the same condition. According to a study, dandruff is restricted to the scalp, and involves itchy, flaking skin without visible inflammation. SD, on the other hand, can affect the scalp, face, behind-the-ears area, and upper chest. It also is more commonly associated with inflammation (redness, swelling).

Although the exact cause of dandruff is not well understood, some experts surmise that it is the result of too much oil (sebum) from the oil glands (sebaceous glands).  Sebaceous glands are connected to hair follicles. They produce the oily, waxy substance that lubricates the skin and hair, called sebum. 

A type of fungus called Malassezia yeast may also be instrumental in the development of dandruff This yeast grows in the sebum. It's thought to contribute to an inflammatory response in some people, which can show up on the skin as redness, flaking, and itching.

Factors that increase the risk of getting dandruff include:

• Having excessively oily hair and skin on the scalp
• Being a certain age (it often begins in puberty)

Dandruff is normally diagnosed by a history and physical examination. There are usually no lab tests needed for diagnosis, but a skin biopsy may be performed to rule out other conditions.  

Dandruff in adolescence and adults is a chronic condition. Dandruff treatment is aimed at alleviating symptoms and minimizing visible signs of the disorder (such as redness and itchiness) and preventing flare-ups. Treatment depends on the type of dandruff and how severe the dandruff is.

Mild dandruff can usually be treated with a gentle shampoo. Shampooing daily can reduce the oil on the scalp and prevent the buildup of dead skin cells.

Moderate dandruff can usually be treated with an over-the-counter (OTC) dandruff shampoo.

Types of OTC medicated dandruff shampoos include:

• Selenium sulfide shampoos : These help to slow down the rate of skin cell death (lowering the accumulation of dead cells). They may also help reduce the fungus that can contribute to dandruff.
• Zinc pyrithione shampoos : These work on reducing the fungus that can contribute to dandruff.
• Salicylic acid shampoos : These help to promote the removal of skin flakes and help reduce excess oil on the scalp and hair. But they also cause dryness, which could lead to more flaking.
• Ketoconazole shampoos : These are antifungal shampoos (while they are available over the counter, stronger doses can be prescribed by a healthcare provider in severe cases of dandruff).
• Tar-based shampoos : This type of shampoo is made from coal tar. It regulates cell turnover, which slows the formation of scales and skin flakes. Tar-based shampoos can cause discoloration of blond or white hair. This type of medicated shampoo can also make the scalp more sensitive to sunlight.

These medicated shampoos are often recommended for daily use when they are first started. Once dandruff is under control, these shampoos can often be used just once or twice each week. 

If the OTC shampoos don’t alleviate your dandruff symptoms, consult with a healthcare provider about the possible use of a prescription shampoo.

In adults and adolescents, dandruff cannot be cured. The condition comes and goes throughout a person’s lifetime, but the symptoms can be managed effectively with treatment.

With regular treatment, dandruff is known to improve quickly. If your dandruff symptoms do not respond to an over-the-counter dandruff shampoo, or if affected areas form crusts, drain fluid or pus, or become painful, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider. 

Borda, L., Wikramanayake, T. Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review . J Clin Investig Dermatol . 2015;3(2). doi:10.13188/2373-1044.1000019 

Kids Health from Nemours. Dandruff .

American Academy of Dermatology Association. Seborrheic dermatitis: an overview .

Mayo Clinic. Dandruff .

American Academy of Dermatology Association.  How to treat dandruff .

By Sherry Christiansen Sherry Christiansen is a medical writer with a healthcare background. She has worked in the hospital setting and collaborated on Alzheimer's research.

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How to Get Rid of Dandruff: An 8-Step Plan to Banish Flakes Forever

By Adam Hurly

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Dandruff is perturbing, no matter how severe it is. Whether you deal with stubborn, persistent peeling or periodic flakes, it's right up there with breakouts and unsightly shave cuts in terms of grooming annoyances. It sucks enough to be the one sporting shoulder snowfall, but beyond that, a flaky, itchy scalp can also hurt. If you want to know how to get rid of dandruff, no matter the severity, then read on.

However, a note: If you have a severe case of dandruff, you may need to work with a board-certified dermatologist or scalp-centric trichologist to get a tailored, prescription-strength regimen. Still, almost everyone can rely on products like the ones below for a fast and effective fix (and once you have that down, you'll want to prevent dandruff from re-appearing ). Anti-dandruff shampoos are important, but it's more than that—it's important to have scalp-focused conditioners, treatments, and scrubs, and even some hair stylers that are formulated to neutralize flaking.

If you have active flakes, now’s the time to use targeted, active ingredients in your shampoo, so swap out your regular shampoo with an anti-dandruff option . Ideal ingredients include ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione, and salicylic acid. While we normally don’t suggest shampooing daily, now might be a time for bucking this advice since these active ingredients need to be absorbed into your scalp each day. (You can swap in an antifungal or anti-dandruff serum, gel, or cream between washes if you don’t want to shampoo daily.) Still, regardless of how often you shampoo, let it set on your scalp for a minute or two when you wash, and give it a good massage as you go.

Scalp Purifying Shampoo with Climbazole, Piroctone Olamine, and Salicylic Acid

Men+Care Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione

Don’t worry too much about swapping in an active-ingredient conditioner; the shampoo is a better way to target the scalp. However, anti-dandruff washes tend to be extremely drying for the hair, so make sure your conditioner is nourishing and reviving for your strands. (In that sense, it may be worth upgrading your conditioner to a luxe, bond-building option that smooths strands and prevents hair from splitting, drying, frizzing, and breaking. Condition after every wash—even when you’re using regular shampoo and dandruff isn’t an issue—and especially after using a drying anti-dandruff shampoo, let the conditioner set for a couple of minutes before rinsing it out.

Bond-Repairing Conditioner

Exfoliation plays a big role in removing dead cells from the surface of your skin, and when it comes to dandruff, that means helping to slough away the cells in the shower before they can flake themselves away throughout the day. Some will help target the problem itself but don’t make that your primary priority with an exfoliant. Rather, in terms of treatments, this is a prime chance to just remove excess flakes—exfoliation at its simplest. Do this twice a week throughout your recovery process and at least once a week when things clear up.

Kiehl's

Scalp Scrub

Scalp Scrub with Papaya Enzymes

If your dandruff is anything above a few flakes, then you should add an additional proactive topical to the mix—something that settles into the scalp without being immediately rinsed away. There are numerous serums, masks, lotions, gels, and the like out there that target different things, and you need to assess your situation and decide which topicals are most needed.

The key ingredients will dictate the function of these products; consider one with tea tree oil to tone oil and fight fungus; choose pre or probiotics to fortify the scalp’s barrier; choose charcoal to detoxify and purify the scalp to prevent oil buildup; choose alpha hydroxy acids or salicylic acid to help exfoliate (and the latter to tone oil levels, too)... the list goes on. You can also seek out a hydrating lotion or gel if your flaking is the result of a dry, irritated scalp.

Purifying Scalp Serum with Charcoal and Tea Tree

Pre- and Postbiotic Scalp Relief Rerum

Customized Scalp Mask

Oftentimes, the hair products we use can aggravate the situation, so go easy on anything that is applied directly to your scalp to prevent buildup and irritation on inflamed areas. (You can also apply one of the above nourishing or toning treatments prior to styling hair as another preventative measure.) We suggest subbing in a styler with an active anti-dandruff ingredient, too, like zinc pyrithione or tea tree.

Styling Cream with Tea Tree Oil

Head & Shoulders

Styling Clay with Pyrithione Zinc

Minimize long, hot showers (and short showers, at that) while fighting flakes. Also, minimize the use of blow dryers and any other hot tools that might further parch your dome.

Make sure your sleeping environment is plenty humid so that you don’t lose moisture in the layers of your skin as you slumber. See, if you rest in a dry room for six to eight hours, then the environment is going to extract moisture wherever it can come up with some (and thus, in this case, it’s your skin and hair). Keeping a humid chamber is generally a great practice for maintaining healthy skin, hair, and fresh breath, too.

5L Humidifier

While it’s imperative to use hair loss treatments like finasteride and minoxidil every day in order to see and maintain hair density, any topical solutions might aggravate severe inflammation or flaking. Make it a priority to get rid of the dandruff quickly and effectively, and avoid applying any topical minoxidil or finasteride in the interim. Don’t go off these medicines for more than a week; it’s not like your hair retention efforts will suddenly go away, but you do not want to lose the habit. If your dandruff persists, then speak with your dermatologist to discuss a safe cadence so that you don’t lose any progress. (Ask them about oral minoxidil, too.)

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What Can I Do About My Dandruff Problem?

This column first ran in Valerie Monroe’s newsletter,  How Not to F*ck Up Your Face , which you can subscribe to on Substack.

Q: Flaking! Flaking! What can I do about my dandruff problem?

A: This question came to me circuitously from Dana Leigh Lyons’s excellent Substack, Sober Soulful . Because she and I have exchanged friendly emails, I offered to try to help her find a solution, which she believes is the result of the hard water in her shower. So I turned to dermatologist and hair-issue guru Hadley King for help.

“Seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff) is a common inflammatory condition of the scalp. It can also appear on the ears, eyebrows, eyelids, and the center of the face,” she said. And if you’re unlucky, the upper chest, upper back, armpits, and groin.

Though what causes dandruff is still somewhat inconclusive, the cause seems to be multifactorial, including your genes, living in a cold and dry climate, stress, your overall health, and a yeast that normally lives happily on your skin. There are other conditions that can increase the odds of a flaky situation: acne, rosacea, psoriasis, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, stroke, heart attack, alcoholism, depression, and an eating disorder, said King. Perhaps out of kindness to us, King neglected to include one other potential condition: menopause.

Though dandruff can’t be “cured,” it can be managed with a number of over-the-counter ingredients. The yeast King mentioned above? It goes by the name Malassezia, a Disney villainess who settles into unsuspecting follicles to cause itching and scaling. But these ingredients and products are useful in decreasing yeast and flaking:

• Selenium sulfide, found in Selsun Blue and Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength shampoos
• Pyrithione zinc, found in most Head & Shoulders shampoos
• Salicylic acid helps reduce scaling on the scalp, found in Neutrogena T/Sal shampoo
• Ketoconazole inhibits fungal growth and is found in Nizoral Anti-Dandruff shampoo
• Coal tar suppresses fungus, decreases inflammation, and may reduce sebum production; it’s found in Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo
• Tea tree oil is antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory and is found in Oars + Alps Invigorating Shampoo and Conditioner

If you prefer using shampoo without sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate and synthetic fragrance — which Sarah Villafranco, founder of the skin-care company Osmia , says may cause dandruff — try the Josh Rosebrook and Innersense brands.

Though it might sound counterintuitive, King said washing your hair daily is helpful in controlling yeast and seborrheic dermatitis: Flaking is more the result of the inflammatory condition than the dryness of the scalp. Regarding what Dana thinks is her hard-water issue, she’s right that hard water, with its high mineral content, can be drying or irritating to sensitive skin and can potentially exacerbate seborrheic dermatitis.

Why? (I love when King wanders into the weeds, as she often does.) Because hard water contains high amounts of calcium, so it doesn’t properly dissolve soap, detergent, and other cleansing products — leaving residue on your skin and hair. That residue can dry out and irritate your skin and scalp. As a crappy bonus, it can also make hair dry, rough, dull, and difficult to style. Filtering out the minerals and using gentle sulfate-free cleansers can decrease hard water’s unpleasant effects. Which means you can spend the winter admiring the flakes you see on the ground and not on your shoulders.

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How to get rid of dandruff for good

Itchy, flaky scalp getting you down? Here’s everything you need to know about dandruff – including how to get rid of it.

Dandruff symptoms

Dandruff symptoms typically include the following:

• White or grey flakes on the scalp and in the hair, often only noticeable on the shoulders of dark clothes or when brushing hair.
• Dry patches may be felt on the scalp where itching is worse.

Dandruff causes

A number of factors can lead to dandruff including:

• Lack of sleep or rest.
• Some hair treatments or styling products may worsen dandruff.
• Weather or temperature can worsen dandruff, for example prolonged hat wearing may encourage microbe growth, while exposure to sunlight may promote a healthy scalp by suppressing fungal growth.
• Poor hygiene does not cause dandruff, but washing hair too little or too often can make the flakes look worse.
• Leaving hair damp for long periods of time can exacerbate dandruff, as can piling wet hair into a bun with little air flow around the scalp.
• Nutrient deficiencies including Zinc, vitamins B2, B3 and B6 have been associated with dandruff in studies. If you are concerned, speak to your doctor as it is most likely not just your scalp that is affected.

Dandruff treatment

Dandruff will most likely be self-diagnosed and those affected can find initial treatments easily at your local chemist or supermarket. Try the following over the counter dandruff treatments, or if these don't work speak to your pharmacist or GP about prescription treatments:

✔️ Over the counter treatment for dandruff

If your scalp is not inflamed or irritated, try the following over the counter anti-dandruff shampoos:

• Vosene - products containing Salicylic acid remove excess skin cell debris.
• Head and Shoulders - products containing Zinc pyrithione reduce yeast growth.
• Tea tree oil shampoo - Tea tree oil is thought to be antifungal and antibacterial.
• Ginger anti-dandruff shampoo - products containing ginger are thought to reduce scalp infections and dandruff by its antiseptic properties.

✔️ Prescription treatment for dandruff

Your doctor or pharmacist may advise stronger agents, especially if they suspect a diagnosis of seborrheic dermatitis. These are available over the counter in the UK but they need to be handled with care. They may have side-effects or be contraindicated in some patients, as some are not suitable for children or should be used with caution in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

• Nizoral shampoo - products containing Ketoconazole can work as this is an antifungal so it removes the yeast from the scalp.
• Neutrogena T gel - products containing coal tar reduce excess shedding skin cells and yeast growth.
• Selsun shampoo - products containing Selenium sulphide reduce turnover of the cells in the top layer of skin which reduces yeast growth.

You may need to use medicated shampoo for up to a month to see results. The shampoo can sometimes be harsh on the hair, so use it two or three times a week (with normal shampoo in between) until the dandruff is cleared. If your dandruff does not improve after a few weeks, speak to your doctor to exclude other causes.

⚠️ Apart from the cosmetic annoyance, dandruff can cause extensive itching. Chronic dandruff does need to be sorted as excessive itching over the long term could cause hair loss.

Dandruff tips and advice

Alongside anti-dandruff shampoo the following tips may help:

✔️ Avoid excessive use of dry shampoo, which can worsen dandruff as it settles on the scalp and stops air flow and natural shedding of the skin at the surface encouraging dermatitis and dandruff.

✔️ Manage your stress levels and get plenty of rest.

✔️ Brush your hair regularly to remove normal skin cell debris and encourage circulation and ventilation of the scalp.

✔️ Try not to itch , as scratching can increase scalp irritation and lead to a vicious cycle.

✔️ In theory healthy fat content in your diet can help skin and hair health. Oily fish, nuts and seeds have a high omega-3 content that supports the skin.

Dandruff complications

Flaking of the scalp can occur in other conditions which might need further medical attention including:

• Contact dermatitis or eczema

If the scalp is involved this can cause dry patches that will flake and can be triggered by allergens or irritants such as specific shampoos, conditioners, hair styling products or perfumes. Avoiding triggers and using topical steroid creams as prescribed may be necessary in the short term.

• Seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis tends to affect the back, face, eyebrows, neck, groin and scalp. Even eyelashes can be affected. White or yellow flakes occur on a background of red or pink swollen areas. There may be extensive burning or itching. The cause of seborrhoeic dermatitis is not always known although hormones and genetics have been suggested. Microorganisms such as yeast that causes dandruff can make seborrheic dermatitis worse. It can be a sign of the immune system being suppressed or more common in some nervous system diseases. Medicated shampoo may be all that is needed but in severe cases anti-fungal agents and anti-inflammatories may be required.

• Scalp psoriasis

Psoriasis presents itself as distinct red flaky, crusty and sore patches with silvery scales which are easily recognised by a healthcare professional. There are specific treatments for scalp psoriasis that may be used in conjunction with treatment of body psoriasis patches.

• Head lice

Head lice infestation may cause scalp itching and be wrongly diagnosed as dandruff.

• Ringworm

Ringworm is also a fungal infection which can lead to an itchy and flaky scalp.

• Cradle cap

Cradle cap is a form of seborrheic dermatitis that is extremely common in newborns. It does not seem to be that there is any predisposition to having dandruff as an adult if you had cradle cap as a baby.

For unknown reasons patients with certain medical conditions including those affecting immunity can suffer more with dandruff. These include HIV, Parkinson’s Disease, Epilepsy. Sometimes after an event such as a heart attack or stroke dandruff can worsen.

When to visit the doctor for dandruff

Make an appointment with your GP if any of the following occurs:

• Persistent flaking despite using good anti-dandruff shampoo for a few weeks
• Swollen or sore red patches on scalp
• Hair loss in affected areas

Your doctor will take a full history of any scalp conditions and the general state of your health, recent stress , illness and examine your scalp and any other areas of skin affected. Most scalp conditions are easily resolved by prescription treatment, usually in the form of shampoos, lotions or foams. Steroid preparations may be used for more complex cases where the scalp is inflamed.

If your dandruff is part of a more serious condition or is not responding to medical treatment, your doctor may refer you to a dermatologist. Do not suffer in silence or be embarrassed and always talk to your healthcare provider if you are worried about an underlying health condition.

Last updated : 17-02-2021

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By Isha Kukde +2 more

Feeling low on confidence and self-esteem by those tiny flakes constantly falling on your black dress? Well, dandruff is something that can hurt your behaviour in public. But, wait, what is dandruff? Dandruff is also medically known as seborrhoea and this condition weakens your scalp primarily due to poor hair brushing, stress and dry skin. So now the question is how do you put a stop to it?

Now that you have understood the primary cause of dandruff, let us understand how you can put an end to this condition. Home remedies can do well to treat dandruff, provided the condition is not severe. If dandruff is severe, then it is advised that you take medical treatment that can help resolve this problem. Sometimes, the shampoos you use do not do any good and that is when you will need medical treatment to treat this condition.

Table of Contents

Causes of Dandruff:

Ever wondered what causes dandruff in hair? Dandruff is caused when a type of fungus called Malassezia begins to grow on your scalp. However, this results in scalp damage and causes severe dryness. There is another type of dandruff wherein your scalp begins producing more oil and as a result, dandruff appears to be sticky and oily on your hair. Here are some of the major dandruff causes

• Irregular brushing and hair washing.
• Not using shampoo constantly
• Stress and any kind of mental illness
• Parkinson’s disease

Now that you know the primary causes of dandruff, let us understand how to get rid of it without any medical treatment and by following some simple home remedies.

Did You Know?

• Dandruff affects about 50% of the population at some point in their life.  source: Better Health Victoria
• African-Americans should shampoo once a week using a dandruff shampoo.  source: aad.org
• Tar shampoo can discolour blonde, grey or white hair and make the scalp more sensitive to sunlight.  source: aad.org
• Dandruff is not caused by poor hygiene but by an accelerated cycle of skin renewal on the scalp.  source: NHS
• Caucasian and Asian individuals should shampoo daily and use dandruff shampoo twice a week.  source: aad.org

Types of Dandruff

Dandruff are of various types, each presenting distinct characteristics and requiring tailored treatment approaches.

1. Dry Scalp Dandruff:

• Characteristics: Caused by insufficient moisturization, resulting in small, dry flakes.
• Symptoms: Often accompanied by itching and a sensation of tightness on the scalp.
• Treatment: Requires hydrating the scalp through regular moisturizing and the use of gentle, moisturizing shampoos.

2. Oily Scalp Dandruff:

• Characteristics: Linked to an excess production of sebum, the scalp’s natural oil, resulting in sticky, clumped flakes.
• Symptoms: Hair may appear greasy, and flakes may be larger and more adherent to the scalp.
• Treatment: Involves using shampoos that control oil production and maintaining a consistent washing routine.

3. Malassezia-Associated Dandruff:

• Characteristics: Caused by an overgrowth of the yeast-like fungus Malassezia, accelerating the shedding of skin cells.
• Symptoms: Larger, greasier flakes that may be accompanied by redness and inflammation.
• Treatment: Anti-dandruff shampoos with ingredients like ketoconazole or selenium sulfide are recommended to address the fungal overgrowth.

4. Mixed Dandruff:

• Characteristics: Combination of both dry and oily dandruff, requiring a nuanced treatment approach.
• Symptoms: Scalp may exhibit characteristics of both dry and oily dandruff simultaneously.
• Treatment: A personalized plan that takes into account both dry and oily dandruff treatments.

Understanding what kind of dandruff you have is crucial for effective care. Talk to a skin doctor to figure out the exact type and get the right treatment for long-lasting relief.

Quick Guide To Dandruff:

Home Remedies to Cure Dandruff:

There are many natural dandruff home remedies that you can use on a daily basis and this will help you get rid of dandruff permanently. However, in order to get all of this done, you need to get certain ingredients ready and mix all of it in an appropriate manner. Once this is done, there is a prescribed way that you need to apply it and this will help you get rid of those disgusting flakes that lower your confidence levels.  If you’re wondering how to get rid of dandruff naturally, here is a list of home remedies that will help you get rid of dandruff completely.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV):

Treating dandruff at home requires a way in which the ingredients must be mixed. Once you have mixed all of the ingredients in the right way, you can go about applying it. ACV is said to be one of the best natural remedies to treat severe dandruff. However, there is a prescribed way in which you need to prepare the paste. Here are some easy steps you need to know for preparing apple cider vinegar for dandruff treatment

Preparation of Apple Cider Vinegar:

• Add some apple cider vinegar to water (Equal parts) and keep it aside.
• After washing your hair, apply the mix to your wet hair.
• Gently massage your hair with the mix
• Leave to dry for 15 minutes and then rinse it off.

Note: You can do this every time you have a head shower. Also, keep in mind that you cannot excessively use apple cider vinegar over your hair and this means that do not apply it every day. Once every two days is the best way to use this home remedy for fighting dandruff.

2. Apply Mehndi:

You can cure dandruff using mehndi. Mehndi works well on your hair and softens it. Here is how you prepare the mehndi mix for your hair.

Preparation of Mehndi:

Mehndi needs to be prepared the right way and this mix has a prescribed manner in which it needs to be prepared.

• Firstly, mix mehndi with curd and a little bit of lemon juice
• Once this is formed as a paste, keep the mixture aside for 8 hours.
• After 8 hours you can apply it on your hair
• Let it dry over your hair for two hours and then you can wash it away.

Note: Follow the above-listed pointers well and you will see the difference. Mehndi is natural and this is one simple way that you can get rid of dandruff easily.

Also Read: Mehendi: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects & More!

3. Coconut Oil with Lemon:

Coconut oil is said to keep your hair nourished, and when this is mixed with a little lemon juice, it can cure dandruff. This combination serves as an effective home remedy, Using coconut oil for dandruff treatment is also an easy way to get rid of those tiny flakes that can pull your confidence down. Follow these simple tips, and get rid of dandruff permanently.

Preparation of Coconut Oil with Lemon:

Follow these simple steps and get rid of dandruff quickly:

• Firstly you need to heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and mix it equally with some mixture of lemon juice.
• Once this is done, you can apply this on your scalp and massage your hair gently with it.
• After this is done, leave it for 20 minutes and then rinse it off with some shampoo.

Note: This is one of the easiest ways to get rid of dandruff on your hair. You need to keep in mind that all of the above-listed procedures need to be followed in the prescribed manner.

4. Fenugreek Seeds:

Fenugreek seeds are used as a preventive cure for dandruff. Also known as methi seeds, this procedure needs to be followed in the right way possible.

Preparation of Fenugreek Seeds:

Fenugreek is said to benefit people suffering from low blood sugar and boosts testosterone and also milk production for mothers. Fenugreek has multiple benefits such as regulating cholesterol levels and keeps your appetite in control. Here are some simple tips that you need to keep in mind while preparing fenugreek seed to get rid of dandruff.

• Firstly, you need to put some fenugreek seeds in a small bowl of water and let it soak overnight.
• Once you wake up in the morning make sure that you mash the seeds to a paste-like substance. Then add little lemon juice to the paste and mix it well.
• Once this has formed into a paste, apply it onto your scalp and hair and leave it to dry for 30 minutes.
• After this is done you can wash your hair with shampoo and allow your hair to dry.

Also Read: Methi: Uses, Benefits & Side Effects

Following a home remedy for dandruff may be a tough task to do, especially curd makes it very messy. Curd applied to your hair makes it very effective to treat dandruff.

Preparation of Curd to Cure Dandruff:

Here are some easy tips of curing dandruff using curd. Here is how you do it.

• At first, you need to apply little curd onto your hair including your scalp.
• Let it dry for an hour or so.
• Make sure you rinse it off in an hour’s time with some shampoo.

6. Neem Juice:

Neem is a very good cure for dandruff and this has been found in most shampoos as one of the main ingredients. The method of using neem juice on your hair doesn’t make it messy like curd being applied to your hair. If you’re seeking an effective dandruff treatment at home, incorporating neem into your routine can be a natural and convenient dandruff solution.

Preparation for Neem Juice:

Here is how you prepare neem juice mix before applying it to your hair and this will help cure dandruff.

• Firstly you need to crush some neem leaves till it forms a thick paste.
• Next, you need to apply this paste onto your scalp and hair and let it dry for a minimum of 10 minutes.
• Once this is done, you can wash it away with some water.

7. Orange Peel:

Orange peel is said to work well as a very good remedy for treating dandruff at home. But you need to keep in mind as for how you need to prepare this mix.

Preparation of Orange Peel:

Orange peel is said to contain calcium, magnesium, vitamin A and dietary fibres which are good for your body. However, when it comes to your hair and curing dandruff, orange peel must be made in the following manner and applied to your scalp and hair to get rid of dandruff. Here are tips that you need to follow in order to get rid of dandruff.

• Take the orange peel and then squeeze some lemon juice onto it.
• Add all of this to a grinder and grind it till it turns into a paste.
• Then apply the paste to your scalp and let it dry for 30 minutes
• After this is done, you can wash it away with some anti-dandruff shampoo.

Note: You can follow all of the above-listed procedures for at least thrice a week and this will help you get rid of dandruff at home.

8. Vinegar:

Vinegar has medicinal properties that can kill the bad fungus and this can be seen as an easy remedy to get rid of dandruff the easy way. This also helps in treating various skin related problems like acne and itchiness in the scalp.

Preparation of Vinegar:

Here are some easy steps that you need to keep in mind while preparing vinegar mix to get rid of dandruff.

• Firstly you will need 2 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of water as the major ingredient.
• Next, you will have to boil both the cups of vinegar and keep it aside to cool.
• Then mix one-eighth cups of water to the vinegar.
• Once this is done, you can use this to clean your scalp and you can rinse it away with shampoo.

Note: You will have to do this usually in the morning before you apply shampoo in your hair. Vinegar will reduce the dryness and remove the itchiness that you are facing.

9. Egg Yolk:

Egg yolk contains biotin which is the major vitamin that treats dandruff. Egg yolks can act as conditioners for your hair that can make it healthier. For those seeking effective home remedies for dandruff, incorporating egg yolk into your hair care routine can provide a natural and nourishing solution.

Preparation of Egg Yolk:

In order to prepare egg yolk, you will have to remove the white layer that surrounds the yolk. Always remember that the yolk is more beneficial than the white layer that surrounds it. Here are some simple steps that you need to follow when you are making egg yolks.

• Firstly you need to keep your hair and scalp dry and then apply yolk on your hair.
• Once you are done applying the yolk, you will have to cover your hair with a plastic bag for an hour.
• Wash your hair gently using shampoo. Sometimes you will have to wash your hair twice to remove the bad odour.

Note: You can follow this treatment for dandruff in the morning while having a bath or anytime when you have a bath. Always remember that it needs to be followed only thrice a week.

10. Green Tea:

Green tea contains a lot of antifungal properties and it is an antioxidant that can restore the health of your scalp. All you need to cure dandruff is by applying some cooled green tea on your scalp and you can witness the difference.

Preparation for Green Tea:

In order to get rid of dandruff, green tea can be used by following these simple steps.

• Firstly you will require 2 green tea bags and some hot water as the major part of your ingredients.
• Then you will have to put the green tea bag into the hot water for 20 minutes till the decoction dissolves in it and then allow it to cool.
• Once it cools, you can apply the green tea onto your scalp and let it dry for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes gently rinse your hair with water.

Note: This can be followed in the mornings when bathing. This is one of the easiest ways in which you can cure dandruff naturally at home.

11. Basil Leaves:

Basil leaves are one of the natural remedies for dandruff. This is because these leaves have antifungal and antibacterial properties that can cure you of heavy dandruff. These leaves can also help your scalp become strong and stay healthy.

Preparation of Basil Leaves:

Here’s how you prepare basil leaves for curing dandruff and other hair related problems.

• Firstly, you will require some basil leaves, 2 teaspoons of amla powder, and just 2 teaspoons of water.
• Mix all of these ingredients together and this will form a clean paste.
• Once the paste is formed, apply it gently over your scalp and let it dry for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes rinse your hair with some water.

Note: You need to follow this on a daily basis and you will witness the difference. By doing this, the strength of your hair will increase and this will help curb hair fall too.

12. Olive Oil:

Olive oil can do a lot of good for your hair. All you need to do is apply olive oil to your hair, and this dandruff remedy strengthens your scalp, promoting overall hair health.

Preparation of Olive Oil:

Preparing olive requires a prescribed format that needs to be done in order to get rid of dandruff. Here are some easy ways in which you can get rid of dandruff.

• Firstly, apply some olive oil on your hair.
• After 10 minutes you can wash your hair gently with shampoo.

Note: In some cases, you can apply some olive oil before you go to bed. Wrap your head with a towel and let it absorb the remaining oil.

13. Listerine Mouthwash:

Listerine mouthwash has antifungal properties that can fight the yeast responsible for preventing the growth of this yeast.

Preparation of Listerine Mouthwash:

Here is how you need to use Listerine mouthwash. Follow these simple ways and you can get rid of dandruff.

• At first, you will need 1 tablespoon of Listerine mouthwash and 9 tablespoons of water.
• You need to mix the mouthwash with water in a small bowl.
• Once this is done, make sure that you wash it away using some anti-dandruff shampoo that will help wash away all the bad bacteria.

Note: You can do this in the mornings when you are bathing. Follow this simple procedure and you can see the difference in a few weeks.

14. Banana With Apple Cider Vinegar:

Banana and apple cider vinegar makes a good choice for curing dandruff. This is because bananas are rich in vitamin B and this helps in improving blood circulation and keeps your skin healthy. On the other hand, apple cider vinegar is known as a fungicide and a germ killer and this helps in curing dandruff.

Preparing Banana with Apple Cider Vinegar:

Follow these simple steps and you will get rid of those disgusting dandruff.

• As a major part of your ingredients, you will need 1 full banana with 2 cups of apple cider vinegar.
• Once you’ve got your ingredients ready, you will have to peel the banana and put it in a small bowl. Along with this, you can add some apple cider vinegar.
• Once the mix is done make sure you mix it well till it becomes a perfect paste.
• Then, apply the paste to your hair and gently massage the mixture into your scalp and ensure that the paste covers your hair completely.
• Allow it to dry for 20 minutes and then rinse your hair with normal water and some shampoo.

Note: You can use this method early mornings if you have the time or in the night before having your shower.

15. Garlic:

Garlic has a good source of antifungal properties that have the tendency to eliminate certain dangerous microbes that are responsible for causing dandruff.

Preparation for Garlic:

Here are some simple tips that you need to keep in your mind while applying garlic paste on your hair.

• Initially, you will need a few garlic cloves along with 1 tablespoon of honey.
• Once you’ve got all the ingredients ready, make sure that you mix it till it turns into a smooth paste.
• Then, apply the paste on your scalp and let it dry for 15 minutes.
• Once this is done make sure you rinse your hair with some shampoo.

Note: You can use this natural way to get rid of dandruff in the mornings or in the night before you have a shower. Garlic is strong enough to get dandruff off your hair.

Also Read: Effective Home Remedies For Frizzy Hair

How Dietary Habits Can Reduce Dandruff:

Simple dietary modifications can play a big role in lessening the appearance of dandruff thereby reducing the necessity for you to opt for topical medications or natural dandruff remedies. Some of these include: 

• Eating a diet high in sugar content promotes inflammation in the body which can lead to the appearance of more and more flakes. Cut down on sugar wherever possible, whether be it in your tea, coffee or having less processed foods. Instead, gorge on antioxidant-rich foods such as dark chocolate, strawberry, blueberries, spinach grapes, broccoli, and tomatoes. 
• Eat a diet rich in seasonal fruits and vegetables for added nutrition and fibre daily. 
• Sometimes yeast overgrowth is linked to dandruff production. To cut down on yeast in your system, reduce the consumption of bread and alcohol. 
• Incorporate more healthy fats into your diet such as olive oil, avocado, omega-3 fatty acid fish, and walnuts which not only reduce dandruff but also promote healthy hair growth. 
• B vitamin, biotin, and zinc also lessen the production of dandruff. You can either obtain these minerals from foods naturally such as tomatoes, yoghurt, carrots and eggs or you can include them in the form of dietary supplements which are readily available in the market as over the counter medications. 

How to Cure Dandruff Permanently?

Getting rid of dandruff can be a burden, however, if you follow these simple steps on a day-to-day basis, you can prevent it from affecting you. Also, these simple steps are applicable to those suffering from the disease, Wondering how to remove dandruff permanently naturally? By consistently following these steps, you can take significant strides toward maintaining a healthy scalp.

• Use the right shampoo for your hair. Moreover, do not use this in excess.
• Always keep your scalp clean. This means that you need to have a head shower every 3 days once.
• There are many anti-dandruff shampoos out there in the market that will help you but make sure you try something that will work milder for you and this can be made possible only if you try out all and see which one suits you the best.
• Use your own comb to brush your hair.
• Make sure you take enough of rest before you get yourself working. Lack of sleep creates stress and this in return causes dandruff.
• Make sure you always cover your hair while travelling.
• Also, make sure that you use herbal products to cure dandruff. This is because harmful chemicals found in shampoos can also sometimes cause dandruff.

Note:  Do not comb your hair using others’ hairbrushes. Also, make sure you clean your hair once in two days. Regular cleaning of your hair will help prevent dandruff.

Correct diagnosis and treatment by a dermatologist are crucial as dandruff, often mistaken for other conditions such as psoriasis, results from a fungal infection on the scalp. The use of appropriate antifungal shampoos or lotions, as recommended by a dermatologist, is necessary for addressing dandruff, as home remedies alone may prove inadequate. Dr. Arpit Verma, MD

Other tips to reduce Dandruff:

Dandruff vs Dry scalp

Dry scalp is a condition characterized by insufficient moisture in the skin on the scalp. It often leads to flakiness and itching. Common causes include exposure to cold weather, the use of harsh shampoos, or overwashing.

• A sensation of tightness on the scalp

Dry scalp responds well to moisturizing treatments. Using a gentle shampoo and regularly conditioning the hair can help alleviate symptoms associated with dry scalp. Additionally, maintaining a balance in hair care practices, avoiding excessive washing, and protecting the scalp from harsh environmental conditions can contribute to overall scalp health.

Dandruff is a distinct condition primarily caused by the overgrowth of the yeast-like fungus Malassezia on the scalp. This overgrowth leads to an accelerated shedding of skin cells, resulting in the formation of larger, greasier flakes. Dandruff is often accompanied by scalp inflammation and redness.

• Larger, greasier flakes
• Scalp inflammation

Anti-dandruff shampoos with active ingredients like ketoconazole or selenium sulfide are recommended for managing dandruff  These shampoos work by addressing the underlying fungal overgrowth, Additionally, maintaining good scalp hygiene, using appropriate hair care products, and adopting a balanced diet are essential steps for preventing and managing dandruff in the long term.Consulting with a dermatologist can help individuals determine the specific condition and develop a targeted treatment plan for lasting relief.

Also Read: Fenugreek for Hair Growth: Reviewed and Confirmed by Effective Studies

Yes, sufficient studies carried out by experts have revealed that vitamin deficiency can cause scaly scalp and dandruff among other things such as brittle nails, poor night vision, hair loss and bleeding gums. Low levels of vitamin B2, B6, vitamin B3 and zinc can cause seborrheic dermatitis. To improve the health of your scalp and reduce dandruff include foods such as legumes, seafood, meat, nuts, dairy and whole grains.

Yes. People do not think much about their hairbrushes when it comes to the health of their scalp or hair but a scalp brush can help reduce dandruff in the following ways: Helps remove scalp buildup. This is very important for dandruff which is an issue that arises due to scalp buildup as a result of sebaceous glands and dead skin cells. When using a scalp massager brush, move it in small movements to avoid the problem of hair tangling.   It makes shampooing more effective . If you plan to use the brush at the time of shampooing, it can help for better cleansing and moisturisation. With the scalp buildup removed or loosened, the shampoo can work better to clean your scalp and reduce the signs of dandruff.   It can stimulate your scalp and promote hair growth . If you have been worried about hair loss due to dandruff, using a scalp massager brush two-three times a week at the time of oiling/shampooing can promote blood circulation and make your scalp more healthy and aid in the growth of new hair. It will help to strengthen your hair shafts and promote the growth of voluminous hair.  

Dandruff can occur any time of the year, but it is more common during the winter months when the scalp becomes itchy and dry, and itching can lead to flakes that build up and cause dandruff. To prevent this use a scalp massager brush to remove buildup, oil your scalp thoroughly and wash your hair with a moisturising shampoo two-three times a week. Refraining from heat styling can protect your hair moisture and lower scalp dryness. 

No, dandruff is not contagious. It is a non-infectious scalp condition caused by internal factors like genetics and external factors like an oily scalp, dry skin or sensitivity to hair care products. Dandruff cannot be transmitted from one person to another through direct contact.

While stress itself does not directly cause dandruff, it can exacerbate existing scalp conditions. High-stress levels may trigger or worsen dandruff in some individuals due to its impact on the immune system and hormonal changes. Managing stress through relaxation techniques and self-care practices may help improve scalp health.

Dandruff itself does not directly cause hair loss. However, if left untreated and accompanied by severe scalp inflammation, it may contribute to temporary hair shedding. Addressing the underlying cause of dandruff and maintaining a healthy scalp can promote hair health.

Sun exposure may temporarily improve dandruff due to its drying effects on the scalp. However, prolonged sun exposure without adequate sun protection can lead to scalp damage and increased dryness.

Dandruff can be effectively destroyed through various methods: Using anti-dandruff shampoos containing active ingredients like pyrithione zinc or ketoconazole. Regularly washing the hair with a gentle shampoo to keep the scalp clean. Managing stress levels, as stress can worsen dandruff. Identifying and addressing any underlying scalp conditions. Practising good scalp hygiene and avoiding scratching to prevent scalp irritation.

Yes, curd can help remove dandruff. Its natural properties, such as lactic acid and probiotics, help soothe the scalp, reduce itchiness and control dandruff when applied regularly as a hair mask or treatment.

There is no direct evidence linking dandruff to acne. Dandruff is primarily a scalp condition, while acne is associated with the skin’s oil glands and hair follicles. However, individual skin reactions may vary, and it’s advisable to consult a dermatologist for personalized advice.

There is no scientific evidence supporting the idea that dandruff causes the premature graying of hair. Graying is primarily influenced by genetics and age-related factors, while dandruff is a scalp condition related to the overgrowth of yeast and shedding of skin cells.

No, dandruff itself does not cause lice. Lice are typically spread through direct head-to-head contact or by sharing personal items like combs and hats. While dandruff and lice both affect the scalp, they have different causes and require distinct treatments.

Yes, dandruff can cause itching. The flakes and irritation associated with dandruff can lead to an itchy scalp, prompting discomfort and the urge to scratch.

While dandruff itself is unlikely to directly cause headaches, the persistent itching and discomfort associated with severe dandruff may lead to tension and stress, which can contribute to headaches in some individuals. If headaches persist, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare professional for a thorough evaluation.

Dandruff can be effectively managed and controlled, but it may not be permanently cured. Regular use of anti-dandruff shampoos and home remedies can significantly reduce symptoms, but ongoing maintenance is often necessary to prevent its recurrence.

Dandruff itself is not a direct cause of baldness. However, persistent and severe dandruff, if left untreated, may contribute to hair loss indirectly by causing inflammation and irritation to the scalp. It’s essential to address the underlying causes and seek appropriate treatment to prevent potential hair loss.

No, dandruff and lice are not the same. Dandruff is a scalp condition caused by the shedding of skin cells, while lice are tiny insects that infest the hair and feed on blood. They require different treatments, and having one does not necessarily imply the presence of the other.

Dandruff itself is not harmful, but it can cause scalp irritation, itching, and discomfort. While it doesn’t lead to serious health issues, managing dandruff is important to prevent potential complications such as bacterial or fungal infections that may arise from scratching the irritated

Dandruff is usually a chronic condition that can be managed but may not have a permanent cure. Regular use of anti-dandruff products and maintaining a healthy scalp care routine can significantly reduce symptoms and prevent recurrence.

Yes, dandruff is often associated with a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia that naturally resides on the scalp. An overgrowth of this fungus can lead to the accelerated shedding of skin cells, resulting in dandruff.

To get rid of cat dandruff, ensure your cat’s diet is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and consider adding a fish oil supplement. Regular grooming, including brushing and using a moisturizing cat shampoo, can help reduce dandruff. Consult a veterinarian for personalized advice and to rule out 

To address dog dandruff, ensure your dog is on a balanced diet with essential fatty acids. Regular brushing, bathing with a moisturizing dog shampoo, and providing proper hydration can help alleviate dandruff. If the issue persists, consult with a veterinarian for a tailored solution

Using anti-dandruff shampoos containing ingredients like zinc pyrithione, ketoconazole, or selenium sulfide can help manage dandruff. Maintaining a good hair care routine, staying hydrated, and addressing underlying factors like dry scalp or fungal overgrowth can also contribute to dandruff control.

Certain shampoos, particularly those containing harsh chemicals or allergens, can potentially irritate the scalp and lead to dandruff. Choosing a mild, anti-dandruff shampoo with appropriate ingredients can help prevent or alleviate this issue.

Dandruff itself does not directly cause hair thinning, but persistent and severe dandruff can lead to scalp irritation and inflammation, contributing to hair loss. Treating dandruff promptly with appropriate products can help maintain a healthy scalp and minimize the risk of associated hair thinning.

Yes, dandruff often increases during the monsoon due to the high humidity levels, which can lead to a more favorable environment for the growth of the yeast that contributes to dandruff. It’s advisable to maintain good scalp hygiene and use anti-dandruff products during this season.

Dandruff can result from various factors, including an overgrowth of the yeast Malassezia, dry scalp, sensitivity to hair care products, or certain skin conditions. Maintaining good scalp hygiene and using appropriate anti-dandruff shampoos can 

To prevent dandruff, maintain regular hair washing with a mild shampoo, avoid excessive use of styling products, and ensure a balanced diet with sufficient hydration. Using anti-dandruff shampoos containing ingredients like zinc pyrithione or ketoconazole can also be effective in managing dandruff.

To treat dandruff, use anti-dandruff shampoos containing active ingredients such as zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, or ketoconazole. Consistent use of these shampoos, along with proper scalp hygiene and a balanced diet, can help alleviate and manage dandruff effectively.

Hard water’s high mineral content may lead to dandruff by causing scalp dryness and irritation. Using a water softener or anti-dandruff shampoo can help mitigate the impact of hard water on the scalp.

While conditioner itself typically does not cause dandruff, using an excessive amount or not rinsing it thoroughly may lead to product buildup on the scalp, potentially contributing to dandruff. It’s essential to use conditioner appropriately and ensure thorough rinsing to maintain a healthy scalp.

Frequent use of dry shampoo may contribute to dandruff by accumulating on the scalp and obstructing hair follicles, leading to oil and product buildup. Regular cleansing of the scalp and limited use of dry shampoo can help prevent dandruff in such cases.

Beard dandruff, or “beardruff,” refers to the flaky, dry skin that can occur beneath facial hair. It is often caused by a combination of dry skin, lack of proper grooming, and the presence of yeast on the skin, and can be managed with regular cleansing and moisturizing of the beard and underlying skin.

Eyebrow dandruff refers to the presence of flaky, dry skin on the eyebrows, often caused by factors like dry skin, fungal infections, or skin conditions like seborrheic dermatitis. Maintaining good hygiene, moisturizing the eyebrows, and using medicated shampoos or creams as recommended can help manage eyebrow dandruff.

Yes, cats can get dandruff. It’s often caused by dry skin, poor grooming, or an underlying health issue. Regular brushing, a balanced diet, and addressing potential health concerns with a veterinarian can help manage cat dandruff.

Yes, dogs can get dandruff. Common causes include dry skin, poor nutrition, or underlying health conditions. Regular grooming, a balanced diet, and using moisturizing shampoos designed for dogs can help alleviate dog dandruff.

Also Read: Tea tree: Uses, Benefits & Side Effects

Disclaimer : The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof. Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation of the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.

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How To Finally Beat Dandruff—And 4 More Annoying Hair Problems, Solved

The next time your hair just won't cooperate, we've got you covered

If you don’t have time to re-wet and dry, try Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer ($22, redken.com )—shake well, then lightly mist the spray along the lengths of dry hair, and follow with a flat iron.

Greasy hair

Overly slick strands are a good-hair-day killer. So if you feel like your hair could usually use a little refreshing between washes, keep dry shampoo at the ready. Try Dove Refresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo ($5, drugstore.com ) or DryBar Detox Dry Shampoo ($20, sephora.com ). If an oily scalp is a constant issue for you, go with Klorane Dry Shampoo with Nettle ($20, drugstore.com ), which has super absorbent nettle to eliminate excess sebum from your scalp. Remember to shake the can well before you spray, and use your fingers to rub the product in to avoid powdery-looking hair. In a pinch, you can also use talc powder to soak up unwelcome grease, says Corbett.

The fix for dandruff starts in the shower. “Look for shampoos and conditioners with the anti-dandruff ingredient pyrithione zinc, like Head & Shoulders Classic Clean ($8, drugstore.com ),” says Corbett. “Make sure to use both the shampoo and conditioner together as a regimen—if you swap for a regular conditioner, you’ll remove the anti-dandruff ingredients you just deposited with the shampoo.” You can also try Avalon Organics Medicated Anti-Dandruff Shampoo ($11, avalonorganics.com ), which contains 2% salicylic acid to treat and prevent dandruff.

If you don’t have time to shower after you notice the flakes, Corbett recommends going with a zigzag part or pulling your hair back to make the flakes disappear into your part line. (Got roots, too? Here are 7 fast ways to hide 'em .)

Snipping a few split ends at home is tempting, but unless you happen to be a stylist, you should step away from the scissors. “My general rule of thumb with cutting your own hair at home is less is more,” says Corbett. But you don’t have to just suck it up and deal with split ends until you can get to the salon; there’s a whole category of products dedicated to temporarily putting split ends back together. Try Pantene Expert Advanced Keratin Repair Split End Fuser ($15, pantene.com ), Pureology Strength Cure Split End Salve Treatment ($24, amazon.com ), or Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser Split End Bandage ($10, amazon.com ).

MORE: 8 Ways To Disguise Thinning Hair

Stray grays

If you’re not ready to embrace the gray, you have options aplenty. For grays that are contained to the roots, try the Oscar Blandi Pronto Hair Shadow Root Concealing Kit ($29, amazon.com ) or No Gray Quick Fix ($6, drugstore.com ). 

For gray that extends beyond the root area, at-home color is your simplest option. Try Clairol Age-Defy ($10, drugstore.com ), Garnier Olia Oil-Powered Permanent Color ($8, amazon.com ), or Revlon Colorsilk ($5, amazon.com ). Do exactly as the directions on the box say to ensure salon-caliber results. 

If you are ready to go gray, here's how to do it gorgeously . 

Emma Haak is an associate editor at Prevention, covering beauty and health. She grew up outside Boston, went to college in Chicago, and now lives in New York City, so she's clearly into cold weather. She's also an avid half-marathoner, action movie watcher, and skin and hair product junkie. See what she's up to @emmahaak27. 

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How to treat dandruff

Board-certified dermatologist’s tips

ROSEMONT, Ill. (Dec. 12, 2023) — Dandruff, a common scalp condition, affects people of all ages, especially in the cold winter months. If you notice small pieces of dry skin flaking from your scalp or persistent itching, it may be time to seek treatment options.

“It is a common misconception that dandruff is caused by poor hygiene,” said Mona Sadeghpour, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Pittsburgh, Pa. and Lone Tree, Colo. “Causes range from oily skin to hair care habits, along with some medical conditions.”

You can usually treat mild dandruff at home by regularly washing your hair. If this is not manageable or doesn’t relieve your dandruff, Dr. Sadeghpour and the AAD recommend following these tips from board-certified dermatologists:

Choose a dandruff shampoo. You can find shampoos specially formulated to treat dandruff over the counter at your local drugstore. If one shampoo doesn’t work, try alternating between dandruff shampoos with different active ingredients. Look for a shampoo with one of the following ingredients: Zinc pyrithione; salicylic acid; sulfur; selenium sulfide; ketoconazole; or coal tar shampoo. 

Follow the instructions on the dandruff shampoo bottle. Dandruff shampoos need to be applied to and lathered on your scalp. You may also need to allow some dandruff shampoos to sit on your scalp for about 5-10 minutes before rinsing. These instructions will be different depending on the shampoo you choose and your hair texture. 

Shampoo according to your hair type. If you have fine or naturally straight hair, or an oily scalp, wash your hair often. For example, you may need to shampoo daily or every other day and use your dandruff shampoo twice a week. If you have coarse or naturally curly or coily hair, wash your hair when needed, and use your dandruff shampoo about once a week. Take care to only apply the dandruff shampoo to your scalp if you have curly or coily hair, as the ingredients that treat dandruff can dry your hair. There are some dandruff shampoos specifically for coarse hair that are more hydrating. You can also shampoo and condition your hair with your normal products after using your dandruff shampoo if it is needed for hair care. 

Protect your scalp from the sun. Some dandruff shampoos, such as those containing coal tar, can make your scalp more sensitive to the sun’s harmful UV rays. A sunburn on your scalp can also increase flaking. To protect your scalp from the sun, seek shade, wear sun-protective clothing, like a wide-brimmed hat, and apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to your scalp if you have thinning hair. Try powder or spray sunscreen for easier application to your scalp. 

“If these tips do not provide you relief from dandruff, it is best to make an appointment to see a board-certified dermatologist,” Dr. Sadeghpour said.

These tips are demonstrated in “ How to treat dandruff ” a video posted to the AAD website and  YouTube channel . This video is part of the AAD’s “Your Dermatologist Knows” series, which offers tips people can use to properly care for their skin, hair, and nails.

To find a board-certified dermatologist in your area, visit  aad.org/findaderm .

Shelby Homiston, [email protected]

Rhys Saunders,  [email protected]

Media Relations,  [email protected]

More Information

10 reasons your scalp itches and how to get relief

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About the AAD

Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology, founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 20,800 physicians worldwide, the AAD is committed to advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical, and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair, and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care because skin, hair, and nail conditions can have a serious impact on your health and well-being. For more information, contact the AAD at (888) 462-DERM (3376) or  aad.org . Follow @AADskin on Facebook , TikTok , Pinterest , and YouTube and @AADskin1 on Instagram .

Editor’s note: The AAD does not promote or endorse any products or services. This content is intended as editorial content and should not be embedded with any paid, sponsored or advertorial content as it could be perceived as an AAD endorsement.

Registration begins today at 12 pm noon (CT) for physician members, life members, and honorary members.

What is dandruff and how to treat it? Guide to treat the hair problem explored

O ne of the most common hair problems these days is dandruff. Most people believe this hair problem can be treated with nourishing scalp oiling and shampoo. It is mainly because they think this hair problem is caused by a dry scalp, which is only partly true as there is more.

In medical terms, it is a chronic skin condition known as seborrheic dermatitis. It can occur in a mild form or be a severe case for a few. This hair condition is mainly caused by Malassezia, a skin fungus that irritates the scalp's sebaceous glands, leading to scaly rashes.

However, unlike it sounds, treating this scalp condition with some help from professionals and a little knowledge is not difficult. Let's explore how to treat mild and severe dandruff cases.

Treatment options for regular or mild dandruff

One of the biggest myths about treating flaky hair is deep hair oiling with coconut oil or, in this case, oil. While deep scalp oiling has many benefits for hair, treating this hair problem with only oiling would be a mistake.

To treat seborrheic dermatitis efficiently, people need a good clarifying shampoo that contains ingredients like ketoconazole and salicylic acid . There are many over-the-counter shampoos available for seborrheic dermatitis. Various high-end skincare and haircare brands also offer suitable products for treating this hair problem.

Sportskeeda has curated a simple list that includes some of the best anti-dandruff shampoos to handle this hair problem gently.

1) Neutrogena T/Gel

Neutrogena T/Gel is a therapeutic anti-dandruff shampoo that can help with scalp itching and flaking. It contains 0.5% coal tar that helps reduce skin scaling and prevents skin cell overgrowth, leading to dandruff. It is affordable and available for $ purchase on the brand's website for $6.99.

2) Nizoral A-D

Nizoral A-D is an over-the-counter anti-dandruff shampoo that contains ketoconazole, the best antifungal ingredient. It has 2% ketoconazole, which effectively cleans the scalp. It is available on Amazon for $12.

3) Oribe Serene Scalp Shampoo

It is a luxury treatment shampoo to treat dry and flaky scalp. This shampoo contains salicylic acid and caffeine that remove dead skin cells and gently exfoliate the scalp. This product is available for $52 on the brand's official website.

4) Kerastase Scalp Renewal Exfoliating Scalp Scrub

The key ingredient of this hair treatment is salicylic acid, which gently exfoliates the scalp and removes dirt and flakiness. It is a pre-shampoo option that prepares the hair to absorb any healthy ingredients applied after it. It is available on Kerastase's website for $49.

5) Ouai Shampoo

It is also an incredible 2% salicylic acid shampoo suitable for sensitive scalps. This Ouai shampoo is very lightweight and removes any excess dirt, build-up scalp sebum, and dead skin cells. The product is available for $38 on Ouai's website.

6) Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo

This shampoo is very effective for handling hair problems, including itchy and flaky scalp. This product contains rosemary oil , menthol, salicylic acid, and ginger extract. All these ingredients are super healthy for hair. The shampoo is available on Sachajuan's official website for $17.

• Always apply anti-dandruff shampoos on wet hair
• Make sure to leave it for 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse off properly
• Do not use these clarifying shampoos for more than once or twice a week

What about people with severe dandruff problems?

People suffering from extreme seborrheic dermatitis might not get many benefits or expected results from using the mentioned products. In this case, they should immediately consult a professional as they need prescription-strength medication.

Topical medications like fluocinolone (Capex), pimecrolimus (Elidel), and tacrolimus (Protopic) can be helpful. However, to get these, it is essential to talk with a doctor first and then purchase the medications as required.

Can Donald Trump's Truth Social deal save him from his financial woes? Maybe.

WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump is facing money challenges as he contends with legal fights on multiple fronts while trying to raise cash for his bid to reclaim the White House.

In a civil fraud case, Trump has been ordered to pay a half-billion dollar bond which his lawyers have called a “practical impossibility.” And in the 2024 presidential campaign, President Joe Biden has been lapping him in fundraising.

But a deal to take his social media platform, Truth Social , and its parent company public could provide the former president and business magnate a critical lifeline and could more than double his net worth and net him more than $3 billion.

The deal isn’t set in stone yet and Trump still has a few hurdles to clear if he wants immediate access to his newfound wealth. Here’s what to know about Trump’s social media deal and his financial woes.

What is Truth Social?

Truth Social is Trump's social media platform he launched after the 2020 election. The app is similar to X, formerly Twitter, and is Trump's favored messaging tool after his X account was permanently suspended for his false claims of election fraud. His account has since been reinstated after Elon Musk took control of the platform, but Trump has stayed on Truth Social.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

The app is marketed as an alternative social media platform for conservatives. Trump said in a statement he started the platform to "stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech."

What is the Truth Social merger?

Investors on Friday green lighted a merger with Trump’s media and technology company, aptly named Trump Media & Technology Group. The company, which owns Truth Social, will merge with Digital World Acquisition Corp, an SPAC – companies aimed at raising cash and merging with other entities.

If all goes well with the agreement, Truth Social can start trading on Monday labeled DJT – Trump’s initials .

Trump’s stake in Truth Social’s parent company values over $3 billion but a prior agreement bars Trump from selling any of his shares or borrowing cash against them for six months. If the agreement sticks, Trump's financial problems won't be going away anytime soon.

What are Trump’s financial problems?

Trump’s most immediate problem is a nearly half billion dollar bond he is ordered to post by Monday.  

Last month a New York judge ruled in a civil fraud case that the former president inflated the values of his properties and delivered a penalty of almost $454 million. Trump is seeking to appeal the ruling and must put up a bond equal to the penalty. His lawyers however, told an appeals court it was a “practical impossibility” to put up the bond. 

“Despite scouring the market, we have been unsuccessful in our effort to obtain a bond for the Judgment Amount for Defendants for the simple reason that obtaining an appeal bond for $464 million is a practical impossibility under the circumstances presented,” his lawyers said in a court filing.

If Trump can’t post the bond by Monday, New York Attorney General Letitia James can begin collecting the penalty from last month’s case. If Trump can’t pay up, James could begin seizing his assets.

Trump's fundraising numbers

Trump is also significantly trailing Biden in campaign fundraising as he runs for a second term while he is mired in legal trouble.

Biden raised $21.3 million in February, nearly double what Trump raised the same month – $10.9 million – according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Not only that, Biden’s campaign has $71 million cash on hand compared to Trump’s campaign which falls behind at $33.5 million.

Can the Truth Social deal save Trump?

Trump could ask the company Truth Social is merging with to waive the six-month waiting period – called a “lock-up” provision – before he could turn his stake into cash but that has its own set of complications. 

But waiving the requirement could lower the company’s value and might not even allow Trump to tap into all of his shares as he could be limited to how much stock he can sell.

With the Monday deadline quickly approaching, it’s still unclear how Trump will be able to post up the $464 million bond. In the meantime, Trump’s lawyers are attempting to either reduce the bond requirement or completely waive it.

Netflix's hit sci-fi series '3 Body Problem' is based on a real math problem that is so complex it's impossible to solve

• The three-body problem is a centuries-old physics question that puzzled Isaac Newton .
• It describes the orbits of three bodies, like planets or stars, trapped in each other's gravity.
• The problem is unsolvable and led to the development of chaos theory.

While Netflix's "3 Body Problem" is a science-fiction show, its name comes from a real math problem that's puzzled scientists since the late 1600s.

In physics, the three-body problem refers to the motion of three bodies trapped in each other's gravitational grip — like a three-star system.

It might sound simple enough, but once you dig into the mathematics, the orbital paths of each object get complicated very quickly.

Two-body vs. three- and multi-body systems

A simpler version is a two-body system like binary stars. Two-body systems have periodic orbits, meaning they are mathematically predictable because they follow the same trajectory over and over. So, if you have the stars' initial positions and velocities, you can calculate where they've been or will be in space far into the past and future.

However, "throwing in a third body that's close enough to interact leads to chaos," Shane Ross, an aerospace and ocean engineering professor at Virginia Tech, told Business Insider. In fact, it's nearly impossible to precisely predict the orbital paths of any system with three bodies or more.

While two orbiting planets might look like a ven diagram with ovular paths overlapping, the paths of three bodies interacting often resemble tangled spaghetti. Their trajectories usually aren't as stable as systems with only two bodies.

All that uncertainty makes what's known as the three-body problem largely unsolvable, Ross said. But there are certain exceptions.

The three-body problem is over 300 years old

The three-body problem dates back to Isaac Newton , who published his "Principia" in 1687.

In the book, the mathematician noted that the planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun. Yet the gravitational pull from Jupiter seemed to affect Saturn's orbital path.

Related stories

The three-body problem didn't just affect distant planets. Trying to understand the variations in the moon's movements caused Newton literal headaches, he complained.

But Newton never fully figured out the three-body problem. And it remained a mathematical mystery for nearly 200 years.

In 1889, a Swedish journal awarded mathematician Henri Poincaré a gold medal and 2,500 Swedish crowns, roughly half a year's salary for a professor at the time, for his essay about the three-body problem that outlined the basis for an entirely new mathematical theory called chaos theory .

According to chaos theory, when there is uncertainty about a system's initial conditions, like an object's mass or velocity, that uncertainty ripples out, making the future more and more unpredictable.

Think of it like taking a wrong turn on a trip. If you make a left instead of a right at the end of your journey, you're probably closer to your destination than if you made the mistake at the very beginning.

Can you solve the three-body problem?

Cracking the three-body problem would help scientists chart the movements of meteors and planets, including Earth, into the extremely far future. Even comparatively small movements of our planet could have large impacts on our climate, Ross said.

Though the three-body problem is considered mathematically unsolvable, there are solutions to specific scenarios. In fact, there are a few that mathematicians have found.

For example, three bodies could stably orbit in a figure eight or equally spaced around a ring. Both are possible depending on the initial positions and velocities of the bodies.

One way researchers look for solutions is with " restricted " three-body problems, where two main bodies (like the sun and Earth) interact and a third object with much smaller mass (like the moon) offers less gravitational interference. In this case, the three-body problem looks a lot like a two-body problem since the sun and Earth comprise the majority of mass in the system.

However, if you're looking at a three-star system, like the one in Netflix's show "3 Body Problem," that's a lot more complicated.

Computers can also run simulations far more efficiently than humans, though due to the inherent uncertainties, the results are typically approximate orbits instead of exact.

Finding solutions to three-body problems is also essential to space travel, Ross said. For his work, he inputs data about the Earth, moon, and spacecraft into a computer. "We can build up a whole library of possible trajectories," he said, "and that gives us an idea of the types of motion that are possible."

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Is Your AI-First Strategy Causing More Problems Than It’s Solving?

• Oguz A. Acar

Consider a more balanced and thoughtful approach to AI transformation.

The problem with an AI-first strategy lies not within the “AI” but with the notion that it should come “first” aspect. An AI-first approach can be myopic, potentially leading us to overlook the true purpose of technology: to serve and enhance human endeavors. Instead, the author recommends following 3Ps during an AI transformation: problem-centric, people-first, and principle-driven.

From technology giants like Google to major management consultants like McKinsey , a rapidly growing number of companies preach an “AI-first” strategy. In essence, this means considering AI as the ultimate strategic priority , one that precedes other alternative directions. At first glance, this strategy seems logical, perhaps even inevitable. The figures speak for themselves: the sheer volume of investment flowing into AI technologies shows the confidence levels in an increasingly AI-driven future.

• Oguz A. Acar is a Chair in Marketing at King’s Business School, King’s College London.

Partner Center

Surprise! The federal government made a website that doesn’t stink.

I tried the irs free alternative to turbotax and here’s what you need to know..

Government websites have a mostly deserved reputation for being terrible and driving us nuts .

So it was a pleasant surprise to try IRS Direct File , a new (and politically controversial) option to file a tax return online directly with the Internal Revenue Service . Direct File works like TurboTax, but it’s run by the government and free to file a federal tax return.

Most people aren’t eligible to file their taxes with Direct File. I thought I could, was rejected partway through and instead used TurboTax.

Direct File was not perfect. Still, I liked using the IRS website — and I definitely prefer it over TurboTax, which annoys me with constant nags for more money and my private data.

You might feel differently about it. I’ll tell you about my experience with Direct File and why it’s important even if you don’t use the site.

We deserve effective online government services. Direct File is visible proof that government websites don’t have to stink.

How to file your taxes with IRS Direct File (if you can)

The first thing to know about Direct File is that it’s a trial project . And you probably can’t use it .

You can only file your tax return with the new IRS site if you’re in one of 12 states including Texas, New York and California; work for an employer rather than yourself; and meet many other eligibility requirements. (Read more here .)

Just going through Direct File’s seven online screens of eligibility checklists and doing an online identity verification almost made me quit.

Shira Ovide

But once I did start my tax return, Direct File felt pleasantly similar to TurboTax, which I have used for years.

Direct File guides you through yes or no questions about your income and potential tax breaks. You can chat online for help, too .

There are far fewer questions than there are in TurboTax because Direct File only permits use by people who have simple tax returns.

There were things I didn’t like. Unlike TurboTax, which had a digital copy of my W-2 tax form and let me pull in digital records from my investment accounts, I had to type into Direct File details like my income and interest payments.

That took more time and left room for me to mistype numbers.

The biggest problem was that part way through, Direct File told me that I couldn’t actually file my federal tax return with the site. Ugh.

I missed a detail in the eligibility checklist that you can’t use Direct File if you had more than $1,500 in interest income last year. I did. I was also nixed because I paid into a Health Savings Account, a fund through my employer to help pay for medical expenses.

I went through the whole Direct File process anyway to see how it went. And again, I was pleasantly surprised that the website was easy to use with clear questions and helpful explanations. And did I mention that it’s free? (If you can use it.)

A warning: Don’t mix up Direct File with existing IRS options to complete your tax return online.

You can also set up an account on the IRS Free File Fillable Forms website. Unlike Direct File or TurboTax, you need to go through the tax form yourself line by line. (Read more here about free or low-cost tax filing options.)

A colleague, Monica Rodman, found it confusing to use Free File Fillable Forms. Monica was so unsure of the results that they double checked the work with TurboTax. The whole process took 12 hours!

Monica gave up and had a good experience using Free Tax USA — which charged nothing to file a federal return and $15 for a state return.

The Free File Alliance, which runs Fillable Forms and a program called IRS Free File , has said about 463,000 households filed returns using Fillable Forms last year. NPR recently reported that more than 50,000 people have tried Direct File so far. Tens of millions of Americans file taxes with TurboTax each year.

The problem that IRS Direct File is trying to solve

Critics of Direct File in Congress and industry say the government is wasting money by replicating existing services like those from Intuit’s TurboTax, H&R Block and smaller tax preparers.

I can’t answer whether Direct File should exist or not. I can say as a technology writer and longtime user of TurboTax that commercial tax software drives me batty.

I like using TurboTax. But I hate that it nudges me over and over to pay more for extra features I don’t want. TurboTax also repeatedly tried to get me to use Credit Karma, a personal finance site also owned by Intuit.

And TurboTax wants permission to use private information like your income and debt to make more money pitching you financial services. ( Here’s how to say no to that .)

Direct File didn’t work for me, but I liked that it had zero yucky nagging as TurboTax has.

Intuit didn’t respond to my questions.

I know that not everyone will trust a government tax website. But I appreciate a choice between filing my tax return for free directly with the IRS or using a paid commercial website.

Hillary Hartley, chief executive of U.S. Digital Response , a nonprofit that helps governments create technology services, said citizens and government agencies benefit from competent public websites like Direct File.

We expect technology in our lives to just work. “When government can deliver on that same promise, then it pays dividends in rebuilding trust in our institutions,” Hartley said.

Julie Zauzmer Weil contributed to this report.

• Yes, you can file your tax return for free. Here are your options .
• The IRS says nearly 1 million people have an unclaimed tax refund from 2020. Here’s how to find out if the IRS owes you money .
• TurboTax and H&R Block now use AI for tax advice. It’s awful .

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Guest Essay

A Solution on North Korea Is There, if Biden Will Only Grasp It

By John Delury

Dr. Delury is a professor of Chinese studies and an expert on North Korea.

How do you solve a problem like North Korea?

Since the end of the Cold War, it seems that every formula, from threatening war to promising peace, has been tried. And yet, despite being under more sanctions than just about any other country, North Korea developed a nuclear arsenal estimated at 50 warheads and sophisticated missiles that can, in theory, deliver those weapons to targets in the continental United States.

President Biden’s administration has taken a notably more ambivalent approach toward North Korea than his predecessor Donald Trump, who alternately railed at and courted its leader, Kim Jong-un. But we shouldn’t stop trying to come up with bold ways to denuclearize North Korea, improve the lives of its people or lessen the risks of conflict, even if that means making unpalatable choices. On the contrary, there is more urgency now than there has been for years.

As the analyst Robert Carlin and the nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker, two experienced North Korea watchers, warned in January, Mr. Kim has shifted away from pursuing better relations with the United States and South Korea and closer to President Vladimir Putin of Russia and may be preparing for war. Just days after the two experts issued their warning, Mr. Kim disavowed the long-cherished goal of peaceful reconciliation between the two Koreas, and he called for “completely occupying, subjugating and reclaiming” the South if war breaks out.

It might seem preposterous, even suicidal, for Mr. Kim to seek war. But many people in Ukraine doubted that Mr. Putin would launch a full invasion, right up until the rockets began landing in February 2022, and Hamas caught Israel completely by surprise in October. Both conflicts have had devastating human tolls and are severely taxing America’s ability to manage concurrent crises. The people of both Koreas certainly don’t need war, and neither does the United States.

Mr. Kim’s grandfather started the Korean War, and his father was a master of brinkmanship. Mr. Kim is cut from the same cloth and could instigate a limited conflict by, for example, launching an amphibious assault on South Korean-controlled islands in disputed waters of the Yellow Sea, less than 15 miles off North Korea’s coast. North Korea shelled one of the islands in 2010, killing two South Korean military personnel and two civilians and triggering an exchange of artillery with the South. Just two months ago, Pyongyang fired more than 200 shells into waters near the islands.

Mr. Kim may believe he can manage escalation of such a crisis — threatening missile or even nuclear attack to deter retaliation, perhaps taking the islands, then spinning it as a great propaganda victory and demanding a redrawing of maritime boundaries and other security concessions.

If anything like that scenario came to pass, Mr. Biden would have to explain another outbreak of war on his watch to weary American voters. And it would provide Mr. Trump an opportunity to trumpet his willingness to engage with Mr. Kim.

The mutual distrust between Washington and Pyongyang has only deepened under Mr. Biden, making a breakthrough seem unlikely. Yet there are two underappreciated dynamics at play in North Korea where the United States might find leverage.

The first is China. Despite the veneer of Communist kinship, Mr. Kim and President Xi Jinping of China are nationalists at heart, and they watch each other warily. I have made numerous visits to both nations’ capitals and met with officials and policy shapers. The sense of deep mutual distrust is palpable. Many Chinese look down on neighboring North Korea as backward and are annoyed by its destabilizing behavior. Many North Koreans resent China’s success and resist its influence; Pyongyang could allow much more Chinese investment but doesn’t want to be indebted to Chinese capital. And Mr. Kim seems to delight in timing provocations for maximum embarrassment in Beijing, including testing weapons — prohibited by U.N. sanctions — in the lead-up to sensitive Chinese political events .

Mr. Kim waited six years after becoming the paramount leader in 2011 before making a trip to Beijing to meet Mr. Xi. When Covid emerged, North Korea was among the first countries to shut its borders with China, and ties atrophied during those nearly three years of closure . Last year Mr. Kim chose Mr. Putin, not Mr. Xi, for his first postpandemic summit, skipping China to travel to Russia’s far east. Mr. Kim’s distrust of China is an opening for the United States.

The second point is Mr. Kim’s economic ambitions. For every speech mentioning nukes, he talks at much greater length about the poor state of his nation’s economy while promising to improve it. It was the prospect of American-led economic sanctions being lifted that persuaded him to make the 60-hour train ride from Pyongyang to Hanoi to meet then-President Trump for their second summit in 2019. Mr. Kim explicitly offered to dismantle his main nuclear weapons complex, but Mr. Trump demanded the North also turn over all of its nuclear weapons, material and facilities. The talks collapsed, and Mr. Trump seemed to lose interest in dealing with Mr. Kim. A rare opportunity was wasted, leaving Mr. Kim embittered.

The key to any new overture to North Korea is how it is framed. The White House won’t like to hear this, but success will probably depend on Mr. Biden putting his fingerprints all over the effort, by, for example, nominating a new White House envoy with the stature of someone like John Kerry and announcing a sweeping policy on North Korea and an intelligence review. Only the president can get through to Mr. Kim, and only Mr. Kim can change North Korean policy.

Mr. Biden also would need to use radically different language in framing a new overture as an effort to improve relations and aid North Korea’s economy — not to denuclearize a country that in 2022 passed a law declaring itself a nuclear weapons state. Yes, that would be a bitter pill for America to swallow: Denuclearization has been a guiding principle of U.S. policy toward North Korea for decades. But it is unrealistic to pretend that Pyongyang will surrender its nuclear weapons anytime soon. Disarmament can remain a long-term goal but is impossible if the two sides aren’t even talking.

Mr. Biden’s Republican opponents might accuse him of appeasement by engaging with Mr. Kim, but that is precisely what Mr. Trump tried. Mr. Kim, likewise, might mistake boldness for weakness. But it would be easy enough for the United States to pull back from diplomacy if it goes nowhere.

The United States must be realistic. The world is very different from when the United States, China, Russia, Japan and the two Koreas came together in the 2000s for negotiations to denuclearize North Korea. The country is now a formidable nuclear power, and its leader sounds increasingly belligerent. The president needs to get the wheels of diplomacy turning before it’s too late.

John Delury (@JohnDelury) is a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, the Tsao fellow at the American Academy in Rome and the author of “Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA’s Covert War in China.”

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Evari turns to rocket science to solve problems with heat pumps

Off a highway nestled in the woods of New Hampshire, a small group of engineers have been quietly working on advanced heat pumps inspired by rockets and satellites, of all things.

Evari emerged from stealth on Tuesday with its core technology related to rocket turbomachinery. The goal is to add dozens of miles to electric vehicles’ range while also kicking natural gas out of the home heating business.

Heat pumps use electricity to shuttle thermal energy from one place to another, and they tend to be a lot more efficient than traditional heating. In the case of home heating, they extract heat from the outside air and transport it inside to keep its occupants warm. In a refrigerator, they take heat away from the internal compartment to keep food cool. Global sales of heat pumps have been growing at a double-digit rate in recent years, but it hasn’t been enough to keep the world on track to hit net zero carbon emissions in 2050, the IEA has said.

Today, large swaths of the globe haven’t adopted air-source heat pumps because they don’t work as well when the mercury drops. Most of those places still rely on natural gas or heating oil, and convincing people to switch will require a drop-in solution that’s cheaper to run than their existing furnace or boiler and works at extreme temperatures. The basic technology that’s inside your car or your house hasn’t changed in over a century, and it still doesn’t work well at low temperatures.

“Let’s say it’s -30 degrees Fahrenheit in Minnesota, and you have a forced baseboard hot water heater,” Walker said. “No heat pump on the market can do that at any temperature, let alone really cold temperatures.”

Yet that’s exactly the kind of system Evari will eventually target. Its turbomachinery excels when there’s a large temperature differential it has to bridge. That might mean extracting heat from a cold Minnesota night to heat a home, but it also might mean dumping heat from a refrigerated container on an EV truck into a hot afternoon in Miami. Evari isn’t disclosing its target market yet, but Walker did say that it’s targeting transportation first.

What’s more, the refrigerants most heat pumps use are either potent greenhouse gases or can break down into forever chemicals , researchers have found.

Evari ’s turbo-powered heat pump uses refrigerants like propane with extremely low global warming potential. It also doesn’t require oil for lubrication. That might sound like an odd thing to highlight, but it’s hard to design an oil that works well at both ends of the spectrum and plays nice with the heat pump’s refrigerant. An oil-free heat pump can work more efficiently at a broader range of temperatures, Evari’s co-founder and CEO Steve Walker told TechCrunch.

If Evari can bring its heat pump to market at a cost that’s competitive with existing options, it stands to upend a wide range of industries. Heat pumps are used not just to heat and cool homes and vehicles, but also to generate heat for industrial processes, dehumidify buildings, keep food cold in grocery stores and more.

Walker funded the early stages of development out of pocket, tapping a modest windfall he earned from the sale of a previous startup he founded that turned waste wood into fuel. As a result, Evari has sorted out much of the technical risk, Walker said. So while the company today announced a $7.5 million seed round, it’s much further along than most seed-stage companies. The round was led by Clean Energy Ventures with participation from Farvatn Venture and angels from the Clean Energy Venture Group.

The manufacturing process for Evari’s compressors will likely be costlier than existing designs, but they should be cheaper overall because they require less in the way of materials, Walker said. “Less than 5% of the copper and rare earth materials, for instance, for the same amount of cooling or heating output,” he said. The startup’s turbocompressors range in size from as small as a dime to slightly larger than a quarter. Despite spinning at hundreds of thousands of revolutions per minute, they’re nearly silent and vibration free, he added.

By trading materials costs for some additional manufacturing expenses, Evari’s material-light approach is well-positioned to insulate the company from the growing geopolitical tensions forming over critical minerals. Much of those are either mined or processed in China or flow through Chinese-owned companies, and the U.S. government has made it a priority to decouple as much of the country’s mineral supply chain as possible.

At the same time, U.S. industrial policy has begun to favor domestic manufacturing. The Biden administration announced in February that it was devoting $63 million from the Defense Production Act to boost heat pump manufacturing specifically.

For Evari, the timing couldn’t be better. It finds itself at the confluence of three sweeping trends. Now it just has to get its super-fast compressors into production in time to catch the wave of heat pump adoption.