The best anti-dandruff hair shampoo: rating according to FAN

Dandruff always appears unexpectedly and at the wrong time. Just yesterday my hair looked neat and tidy, but today the entire back of my head and forehead are covered with small white “scales.” This condition is not a cosmetic defect, but a real disease that needs to be fought. However, to treat it you don’t have to take pills; just choose an effective anti-dandruff shampoo.

How to do it right? What components must be included in the composition of a medicinal product? And how to use it to get rid of the problem as soon as possible? The FAN journalist looked into these issues and compiled a rating of anti-dandruff shampoos, based on reviews from users and experts.

Causes of dandruff

These unsightly white flakes covering the hair roots are nothing more than dead skin particles. Normally, the epidermis of the head is completely renewed in 28 days. Cells on the surface die and are removed naturally: when combing your hair, washing your hair.

As a rule, this process occurs unnoticed, since the “scales” of the skin are very small and light. But sometimes there are too many of them, and they attract attention.

Dry scalp

Sometimes this happens due to improper hair care: frequent coloring, daily hair washing, regular hair drying. In this case, the skin dries out and regeneration processes slow down. It loses elasticity and the ability to nourish hair follicles.

Signs of excessive dryness of the scalp include thinning hair, loss of shine, and can often be bothered by itching and a burning sensation. One of the symptoms of excessive grooming is dry dandruff: its flakes are small and white, and there are a lot of them.

Advice . If your scalp is excessively dry, you need to reconsider your hair care: reduce the frequency of coloring, wash your hair no more than once every 2 days, use a hair dryer only as needed, and allow your hair to dry naturally as often as possible. Caring masks and balms should not be applied to the scalp: they clog pores, which can also cause dry dandruff.

Fungal development

But often the flakes on the head do not look like small light scales. If they are large, yellow and literally stick to the hair roots, making it impossible to brush them off, this is not a cosmetic defect, but a fungal disease. Its cause is the active proliferation of the malassezia fungus.

This fungus is one of the inhabitants of the scalp microbiome. In the normal condition of the skin, the number of fungal colonies is small; its development is suppressed by bacteria friendly to human health. But if there are health problems, the fungus can begin to actively multiply. The reason for this:

metabolic diseases;
infectious diseases;
hereditary factors;
hair care disorders;
Excessive oily scalp.

As a rule, the development of fungus is facilitated by excessive care of the scalp with a tendency to oily hair. Frequent washing disrupts the skin's balance, causing it to become even oilier. Under these conditions, the fungus multiplies especially actively: it causes accelerated death of epidermal cells and their gluing. The scales absorb sebum and stick to the hair roots, which become greasy and untidy within a couple of hours after the shower.

Fact . For oily seborrhea, it is necessary to use medicated anti-dandruff shampoo. It will help suppress the development of malassezia fungus and normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands.

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Scalp fungus

Today, there are about 1.5 million different fungi, of which about 500 species are dangerous to humans. Most often, the doctor has to deal with mold and yeast-like fungi. Some of them are part of conditionally unfavorable microflora and constantly live in human skin and are activated under suitable circumstances.

As a rule, when the scalp is affected, the causative agents are microsporia or trichophytosis. Seborrheic dermatitis, which also belongs to this category of ailments, is caused by the activity of staphylococci, although the provocateur is the fungus Malassezia furfur.

With different pathogens, the symptoms of the disease, especially in the initial stages, are very similar:

The general condition of the curls deteriorates and is very noticeable. The strands lose their shine, become dry, brittle, and acquire a dull grayish tint;
the skin on the head is severely peeling, individual oval-shaped areas with severe peeling appear;
in such areas the hair breaks off and does not fall out, and therefore cannot be replaced with new ones. As a result, bald spots with broken short hairs appear. With seborrhea, profuse dandruff is observed;
in severe cases of the disease, small bubbles and crusts appear along the borders of the bald spot. The spots increase in size, itching is observed, usually very severe;
Ringworm is characterized by the appearance of ulcers.

Differential diagnosis of the disease is necessary. The fact is that different pathogens require the use of appropriate different drugs, that is, until the nature of the fungus is established, there is no point in starting treatment.

Types of anti-dandruff shampoos for oily hair

To inhibit the development of fungus, antifungal components are added to shampoos, including:

selenium sulfide;
climbazole;
ketoconazole;
zinc pyrithione;
coal tar.

These substances have different effects. Selenium sulfide inhibits the development of fungus and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Zinc pyrithione is an active antifungal agent. Anti-dandruff shampoo with zinc not only fights the cause of the problem, but also reduces itching, accelerates the restoration of damaged epidermis and normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands.

Coal tar is added to shampoos designed to combat dermatosis. Climbazole and ketoconazole have a pronounced antifungal effect and can be used to treat and prevent the problem.

In addition to antifungal substances, pharmaceutical anti-dandruff shampoos add components with anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, and regenerating effects.

Salicylic acid. One of the most effective components, normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands and effectively fights inflammation.
Menthol, mint extract. The products are comfortable to use and have a cooling effect.
Plant extracts, essential oils. Oils of lavender, rosemary, lichen, juniper, and nettle improve the condition of the scalp.
Birch tar. Suppresses inflammation, normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands. The disadvantage of tar anti-dandruff shampoo is its specific smell and aggressive effect on the hair. If the product does not contain caring and moisturizing components, dry strands are inevitable.
Moisturizing ingredients - glycerin, coconut oil, thermal water, olive oil, aloe. The more caring components a shampoo contains, the more gentle its effect on the scalp and curls will be.

Fact . Anti-dandruff shampoo for men is not just a marketing ploy. Men's skin is denser and usually oilier, so the manufacturer may use a higher concentration of active ingredients. And anti-dandruff shampoo for women usually contains more caring, moisturizing ingredients necessary to restore the health of the strands. Choose a product based on the manufacturer’s recommendations and the condition of your scalp.

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Hormonal and non-hormonal ointments

This division is important and requires mandatory clarification, since in the first case the prescription can only be made by a doctor.

Hormonal drugs have a number of contraindications, in particular, they are not prescribed to nursing mothers and pregnant women, children under a certain age (depending on the composition). The course of their use should be short and strictly regulated in duration and dosage. Long-term therapy in this case will have negative consequences.

Non-hormonal analogues are safer and do not have such a strong effect on the body, so they are allowed to be used to treat children, pregnant and lactating women, but each of them may have its own contraindications.

How to use anti-dandruff shampoo

Pharmacy formulations should be used according to the manufacturer's recommendations. As a rule, it is recommended to use them daily for 5-14 days until a therapeutic effect is achieved.

It is unacceptable to violate the schedule for using the product, as this may reduce its effectiveness. After eliminating dandruff, the shampoo continues to be used to prevent its occurrence once a week for 2-3 months.

Fact . Medicated shampoos are not intended for continuous use. It is unacceptable to use them regularly, 2-3 times a week “just in case”. This can lead to disruption of the skin microbiome, drying out of the skin and the appearance of dry dandruff.

After normalizing the condition of the scalp, you need to reconsider your hair care:

use regular shampoo no more than 2 times a week;
do not apply hair masks or balms to the roots;
choose ammonia-free paints;
When styling with a hair dryer, choose the most gentle mode with a flow of cool air.

Advice . If anti-dandruff shampoo does not help, consult a doctor. The cause of the problem may be metabolic diseases, seborrhea or hormonal disorders. In these cases, it will not be possible to cope with it only with cosmetic products. You need the help of a specialist and treatment of the underlying disease.

Rules of application

Despite the fact that many anti-dandruff ointments are available in pharmacies without a prescription, it is not recommended to use them without a doctor’s prescription. These are highly active compounds; using them incorrectly on the advice of relatives or friends can only worsen the condition and delay treatment of the disease.

To quickly and completely get rid of an unpleasant problem in your hair, adhere to the following principles:

the scheme and order of use of the drug is determined only by a specialist after a detailed examination of the skin;
buy only fresh, unexpired medications;
apply the ointment in a thin layer to damaged areas of the skin;
strictly adhere to the doctor’s instructions and the recommendations of the medication manufacturer;
do not limit yourself to just using ointment; a strict diet and physiotherapeutic procedures will speed up recovery;
Perform treatment procedures at the same time, without skipping;
Be attentive to any changes on the head; if the condition of the integument worsens, immediately contact a specialist.

Please note that ointments cannot be used longer than the recommended course of therapy. As a rule, treatment with this dosage form lasts 7–10 days, after which a break is taken.

The best anti-dandruff hair shampoos according to FAN

In this rating we have included effective products that help get rid of obsessive white “flakes” on hair roots and clothes. This is evidenced by reviews from customers and beauty bloggers. In it you will find pharmaceutical preparations with clinically proven effects, as well as inexpensive anti-dandruff shampoos from mass market brands.