If you’re discovering white flakes on your shoulders this winter and it isn’t snowing, you might be tempted to grab a bottle of dandruff-controlling shampoo. However, that might be the worst thing you can do if what you actually have is a dry scalp.
Dr. Mona Gahara, a clinical professor of dermatology, says one way to think about the difference between the two conditions is that “Dandruff is coming from inside the body, and with dry scalp, there’s something on the outside that’s causing it to happen.” In the winter, that something on the outside is usually the weather. Cold and dry air damages the protective layer of the scalp and removes its natural moisture. Spending more time with indoor heating and turning up the heat in our showers further strips moisture, leading to flakiness, itchiness, and discomfort.
Dandruff, on the other hand, is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis caused by too much skin oil, or sebum, in the oil glands and hair follicle, or a type of yeast found on the skin called Malassezia. Shampoos used to treat dandruff can be very drying…which is why they are the wrong choice if what you have is dry scalp.
Your hairdresser can usually tell the difference and advise you whether you need to use a moisturizing treatment or a dandruff treatment. Consult your doctor if your itch isn’t letting up or your scalp becomes irritated or swollen.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dandruff/symptoms-causes/syc-20353850
Special thanks to Joseph West, hair stylist at La Dolce Vita Salon in Cape Girardeau and former National Redken Educator, for his contributions to this story.
