Anti-dandruff products - choosing the best cosmetic products

Statistics say that dandruff is a problem for 20% of the entire population of our planet. Even lush and shiny hair does not seem attractive if there is dandruff. To date, a multifunctional and unified remedy for treating this problem has not yet been invented. One of the effective methods is considered to be anti-dandruff ointment. The most popular are zinc and sulfur ointments, which get rid of dandruff, and most importantly, affect the foci of its formation.

Sources of dandruff

The root causes of dandruff include:

• oily seborrhea;
• dry seborrhea;
• mixed seborrhea.

People with hair prone to oily hair are prone to oily seborrhea. The sebaceous glands secrete an excessive amount of secretion, which dries out, forming a crusty layer. This leads to blockage of the sebaceous glands and redness of the scalp. With oily seborrhea, itchy skin appears on the damaged areas.

Dry seborrhea occurs in people with dry, depleted hair due to poor sebum secretion. Excessive dryness of the scalp provokes the death of epidermal cells, thereby forming dandruff flakes.

With mixed seborrhea, a person experiences symptoms of both oily and dry seborrhea in the same areas of the skin.

The causes of dandruff can be:

• decreased immunity;
• neuropsychic instability;
• eczema;
• psoriasis;
• pathologies of the digestive system;
• incorrect frequency of hair washing.

Medicine says that bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol increase the risk of dandruff.

Preventing diseases takes less effort and time than treating them, so it is important to follow measures such as:

• healthy lifestyle;
• correct daily routine;
• yoga classes;
• consumption of vitamin complexes;
• responsible approach to choosing washing products for your hair.

Dandruff - symptoms and treatment

Anti-dandruff products include agents to remove flakes, relieve itching, and suppress Malassezia fungi. Since the development of seborrhea is facilitated by disruption of the sebaceous glands, its treatment involves reducing the secretion of sebum. It is directed inside the skin. To do this, first of all, sebum-regulating masks or lotions based on zinc, salicylic acid, and hormonal components are prescribed. They need to be kept for 20-30 minutes after application. Shampoo only complements the treatment. It helps wash away the sebaceous secretions covering the scalp.

When to see a doctor

If the patient cannot cope with the appearance of dandruff on his own, then he should consult a dermatologist-trichologist. The doctor will be able to find out and eliminate the causes of seborrhea and tell you how to get rid of dandruff. Having determined its severity, the doctor will select a drug suitable for a particular case. The chronic process involves long-term use of cosmetics and medicinal products, so they must be safe and easy to use [1]. If you don’t have time to visit a dermatologist who will select an effective drug, then when choosing a product yourself, you must carefully study the instructions for its use.

How to get rid of dandruff at home

You can cure yourself with the help of pharmacy shampoo lines aimed at treating dandruff.

How to wash your hair against dandruff: shampoos and masks

The main ingredients of most anti-dandruff shampoos and masks are salicylic acid, selenium sulfate, sulfur, and zinc pyrithione. The most effective shampoo will be one that contains two or three of the following components:

• Salicylic acid is a component that removes dandruff and prevents the formation of new flakes. It is not able to eliminate the cause of dandruff - Malassezia mushrooms. Used in a concentration of 1.8-3% (available in the Sulsena preparation).
• Zinc pyrithione - fights bacteria and fungi. Used in a concentration of 0.3-2%. Included in shampoo.
• Selenium disulfide - slows down the rate of cell renewal and death, eliminates fungi. Used in a concentration of 0.6-1%. Included in shampoo. The product must be used with caution, as the substance can change the color of dyed hair.
• Ciclopirox - fights fungi. Included in shampoo. It begins to act three minutes after application [3].
• Clotrimazole is an antifungal drug found in shampoos [15].
• Ketoconazole – eliminates Candida and Malassezia fungi [16]. Usually included in shampoo. With prolonged use, the effectiveness of the component decreases, as fungi become more resistant to it.
• Bifonazole - like ketoconazole, fights the causative fungi, but remains in the scalp longer. Fungi do not develop resistance to the substance. Included in lotions.
• Tar (0.5-5%), ichthyol - are rarely used in the treatment of dandruff, as they have specific odors. Included in shampoos. It must be used with caution, as the tar can stain the hair orange.
• Betamethasone is a topical glucocorticosteroid that is added to lotions and solutions to treat severe forms of dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis). Use twice daily as a lotion or spray. Should only be used with a doctor's prescription.

The following drugs are currently on the market:

All existing anti-dandruff lotions and shampoos are:

• therapeutic - sold in pharmacies;
• cosmetic - sold in regular stores.

Therapeutic shampoos are used strictly according to the instructions, usually at least 1-2 times a week. Cosmetic shampoos are used daily or every other day until the amount of dandruff decreases, after which - 2-3 times a week.

In order for the current shampoo to have time to act and help get rid of dandruff, the product must be thoroughly rubbed into the scalp, leaving it for at least five minutes. If after 2-3 weeks of using shampoo dandruff does not disappear, then you should contact a dermatologist-trichologist.

During treatment, it is important to adhere to a balanced diet: try to eat less sweet, fatty foods; consume fermented milk products more often, as well as foods high in fiber and vitamins. This will normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands.

How to relieve itching from dandruff

A properly selected shampoo based on your scalp type will help get rid of itching. Timely and adequate hygienic hair care using shampoos containing zinc pyrithione helps control the appearance of dandruff and reduce itching.

Medicines and pharmaceutical products for dandruff

There are no medications in tablet form to reduce dandruff. Treatment is carried out using special shampoos described above.

How to quickly get rid of dandruff

Treatment involves long-term use of cosmetics and medicinal products, so you won’t be able to get rid of dandruff quickly.

How to get rid of dandruff with folk remedies

Alternative medicine methods have no proven effectiveness, their effects are unpredictable, so they cannot be recommended for treatment.

Sulfuric ointment

A reliable way to treat dandruff is sulfur ointment 10%, which is used for dry scalp.

Action: sulfur ointment destroys fungal pathogens of skin diseases.

Usage: Apply cream to head and curls, rub in thoroughly, rinse with warm water after 5 minutes. The course of treatment involves daily use of the drug for 8 days.

Contraindications: the use of sulfur ointment during pregnancy or lactation is permissible only as prescribed by a specialist.

Sulfur ointment has a negative effect on the aesthetic appearance of curls, so it is used if other means do not help.

Causes

Unfortunately, trichologists have not yet come to a consensus on what causes this disease. Some consider the main cause of the disease to be a lack of sebum, which disrupts the process of cell regeneration. Other doctors believe that the fungus Pityrosporumovale actively multiplies against the background of reduced immunity.

Reasons also include destructive factors such as:

• metabolic disorder;
• dermatosis;
• hormonal disbalance;
• gastrointestinal diseases;
• climate change;
• avitaminosis;
• taking antibiotics;
• stress, prolonged nervous tension.

Dry dandruff often results from the wrong selection of cosmetics. The wrong shampoo dries out the scalp, causing an unpleasant “snowfall”. Too hard water can also cause problems.

Zinc ointment

Zinc ointment (10%) and zinc paste (25%) have long been considered the best treatment for dandruff, which is ideal for oily hair.

Action: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory agent, protects the stratum corneum of the epidermis from further irritation and promotes its restoration.

Usage: zinc ointment should be applied to the head in a thin layer and washed off after 1 hour. The cream has a drying effect, so for dry strands it is used in combination with olive or vegetable oil, as well as with baby cream. The duration of treatment with zinc ointment is 30 days, twice a week. The positive effect is noticeable after 1-3 procedures, complete recovery occurs consistently.

Contraindications: zinc ointment does not threaten complications during pregnancy or lactation, because a cream containing zinc, on the contrary, is recommended for infants for external use in diaper rash areas.

https://youtu.be/EugUaIEsd4Q

How to wash off zinc ointment from hair

Due to the high content of petroleum jelly in zinc ointment, it is not easy to wash it off your hair. You can reduce the amount of zinc ointment on your hair by using a hand-held hair dryer, heating the Vaseline to a more liquid state and carefully blotting each strand with paper towels.

Next, it is recommended to use highly absorbent corn starch. You should evenly distribute and rub it over the entire length of your hair to maximize the absorption of zinc ointment, and then wash your hair thoroughly with warm water and cleansing shampoo. If necessary, the procedure is repeated several times.

Treatment of an advanced case

In severe cases of dry seborrhea (when the shoulders are regularly strewn with white flakes of dead skin), treatment with 10% sulfur ointment is suggested.

Here are the main steps of the procedure:

• From the first to the eighth day of treatment, the ointment should be rubbed into the scalp daily. To do this, divide your hair into thin strands and apply the substance along the partings, rubbing it into each part for at least 4 minutes.
• On the ninth, give your hair a rest: don’t make masks, don’t go to the shower, don’t use ointment.
• On the tenth day of treatment, rinse your hair with clean, freshly boiled water and a specialized shampoo for dry dandruff.
• From days 11 to 14 of treatment, treat the scalp with a solution of boric acid (2 teaspoons of acid per 150 grams of hot water). Rub the liquid into the roots of your hair before going to bed, wrap wet hair in a scarf and leave overnight.
• Then there is a seven-day rest from the procedure and the entire treatment is repeated. Ideally, you need to do it 3 times.

Ointment "Sulsena"

Along with zinc and sulfur ointment, this cream is also used in the fight against seborrhea. 1% of the drug is used to prevent the disease, and 2% is used directly for treatment.

Action: disulfide contained in the product reduces the secretion of excess subcutaneous sebum, corrects the appearance of the skin, removes dandruff, and strengthens hair follicles.

Usage: the cream is thoroughly rubbed onto washed hair. After 10-15 minutes, the drug must be washed off with clean water.

Contraindications: pregnancy, allergy to the composition.

Just about the mechanism of appearance

The skin on the head is not much different from the skin on the entire surface of the body: it is also completely renewed in two weeks, leaving behind small flakes of dead epidermal cells. In healthy people, these scales are microscopic in size and can be quickly removed with water and shampoo.

Every person's skin contains microscopic bacteria called Pityrosporum Ovale, a yeast fungus that feeds on sebum and regulates skin exfoliation. When the sebaceous glands are disrupted, the number of bacteria increases and exfoliation occurs even faster. Skin flakes accumulate, stick together into flakes and are difficult to remove from the head. This is how dry dandruff appears.

Small flake-like flakes of dandruff begin to concentrate in the frontal and parietal parts of the head, gradually spreading throughout its entire perimeter. Itching begins, the skin reacts more sensitively to shampoos and conditioners, irritation may appear, and the hair becomes drier and thinner. Dry dandruff flakes off quickly, falls on the shoulders, accumulates there in white flakes and spoils a person’s appearance.

At the same time, the layer of keratinized scales on the head grows and blocks the access of oxygen to the hair follicles. They dry out, become thinner, and shrink the hair. The latter are starting to fall out. This process is the most difficult to stop, because it takes months of treatment to restore the bulb.

If dandruff has already appeared, or it does not leave your head for genetic reasons, all is not lost. Use our methods of dealing with the problem, which have been tested by thousands of women and men, and do not shy away from treatment. After all, it is not so much the method itself that is important, but the regularity of its application. Dandruff will not disappear in two days under any circumstances.

Salicylic ointment

Salicylic ointment actively heals oily seborrhea, which causes dandruff and irritation.

Action: salicylic ointment fights infected scalp, eliminates dandruff and oily seborrhea.

Usage: salicylic ointment 5% is applied to the head for half an hour, after which the hair should be carefully washed. The course of treatment takes up to 21 days, 2 procedures per week.

Contraindications: salicylic ointment should not be used in case of renal failure, intolerance to the components of the drug, or in infants. During pregnancy - only after consulting a doctor.