Dry Scalp or Dandruff? (Which is Which and How To Treat Them)

Whether they happens to us all the time or just occasionally, a common hair concern for a lot of us are those pesky white flakes that we see form at the tops of our scalp that eventually fall throughout our hair and then fall onto our clothes, loving to cling to our favorite black sweaters most especially. Contrary to popular conception, though, not all flaky scalps are created equal and can be caused by dandruff or dry scalp. These conditions are often mistaken as one and the same but are actually quite the opposite of each other,

Dandruff: Despite the appearance of loose, dry-looking skin that is dandruff, dandruff is actually caused by an overproduction of oil within the scalp. Most commonly, it is a byproduct of something called seborrhic dermatits, which is a kind of eczema caused mostly by excess oil, heat, and inflammation all building up within the skin brought on by an overactive immune system or stress responses. Also, dandruff can be caused by an overabundance of a fungus called malassezia. Malassezia is a naturally-occurring fungus in everyone's scalp, but some people are born with more of it than others and will, therefore, have more of a buildup of skin cells on the scalp which creates the dandruff. The areas surrounding the flakes of dandruff will often feel oily and sometimes will even be warm to the touch, and the flakes themselves will also often have a yellowish tinge to them and be difficult to remove from the hair due to them adhering to the strands because of the excess oil. In times of stress, hormonal change, or changes in weather conditions dandruff and all seborrheic dermatitis will likely flare up.

Dry Scalp: Dry scalp, quite simply, dry skin on your scalp. In essence there is a lack of oil to keep the hair follicles lubricated,and the scalp is not able to retain a sufficient amounts of the oil that does come through it People with a dry skin, especially those experience flaky skin elsewhere on their bodies are particularly prone prone to dry scalp. Unlike dandruff, the flakes associated with a dry scalp are usually easily detached from the hair, and they are usually comparatively smaller in size and more of a pure white or gray color.. Like dandruff, however, dry scalp can flare in times of stress and is also particularly sensitive to both extreme dry heat or cold.

So how do we treat each condition? For people with dandruff, medicated shampoos often with extracts of things like mint and rosemary and tea tree oil to cool and calm with inflammation with the scalp can be extremely helpful. More frequent washing during times of flare-ups can also be helpful as can more brushing, not only to help dislodge the flakes but also work the oil down through the hair so that there isn't as much sticking onto the scalp.

For those with dry scalp, using deep conditioning masks aimed at treating dry, damaged hair concentrated on the scalp itself can be very helpful, so long as they are thoroughly rinsed off to avoid any potential buildup of excess product. Even for those with dry scalp, the hair follicles can still get clogged up, so it is best to treat the hair often with these products but be sure to rinse thoroughly each time. Hot oil treatments can also sometimes be helpful, but as someone who deals with dry scalp myself, I would caution against using them too often as excess heat on the skin inherently will dry it out. Personally, I have also noticed that avoiding heated styling tools, even blow dryers, has definitely calmed my dry scalp's flakes and made any flare-ups much less severe and less frequent all together.

Scalp issues, no matter what they are, are never fun to deal with. But figuring out which one you have and what triggers it is the first step in finding the best remedy so that you can say goodbye to those flakes for good!