Dandruff 

Dandruff is a common, non-contagious skin condition that affects the scalp (the skin that covers the top and back of the head) and causes flakes of skin to appear. Non-contagious means that you cannot catch dandruff from someone who has the condition.

Dandruff can vary in severity- it can be mild, moderate or severe.

How does dandruff occur?

Skin cells are constantly renewing themselves. When skin cells on the scalp are renewed, the old ones are pushed to the surface and come away from the scalp.

In people with dandruff, skin renewal is faster, which means that more dead skin is shed and your dandruff is more noticeable.

How common is dandruff?

Mild dandruff can affect anyone, although it tends to affect men more than women. Dandruff often occurs after puberty and is most common in people in their early twenties. Puberty is the period of life when the body reaches sexual maturity and causes physical, psychological and behavioral changes.

Dandruff is uncommon in pre-pubescent children (those who are between two and ten years of age).

Seborrhoeic dermatitis

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a common, non-infectious skin condition that affects about 3 in 100 people. It is the commonest cause of dandruff and makes the skin become inflamed or flaky.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a condition that can affect a number of areas of the body, including:

• the scalp
• the face
• in and around the ears
• the front of the chest and between the shoulder blades
• body folds (flexures)

Seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp can be mild, moderate or severe and causes red areas that can sometimes weep and are covered with oily white and yellow scales.

See Dandruff- prevention for more information and advice about how seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff can be prevented.

Outlook

Dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis are treatable skin conditions that usually respond well to treatments such as medicated shampoos. However, following treatment, dandruff can reoccur at any time. See Dandruff- treatment for more information.