Cause of dandruff

Is Dandruff a disease or a cosmetic concern?

On account of its being caused by a fungus, dandruff can not be regarded merely as a cosmetic concern. Medically, the cause of dandruff is now known more clearly than ever before. Although its medical importance can not be denied, dandruff is in fact more of a social and psychological problem, and probably it is more factual to say that dandruff is a ‘socio-psycho medical condition’ for the sufferers. It has been evidenced that those who suffer from excessive dandruff suffer from the lack of confidence and loss of self esteem. It is quite embarrassing to note the flaky dead cells falling on One’s shoulders from the hair. Itchy scalp, as is the case in dandruff to draws attention of others to the embarrassment of the sufferer. It is also very pain inflicting to think of people taking the falling scales or flakes as live microorganisms that can infect the others too, whereas this presumption is a total misconception. The shedding flakes are clusters of dead cells and in no way they are pathogenic (disease causing microbes).

What is the process of dandruff development?

Human scalp comprises of five layers; the skin, connective tissue, epicarnial aponeurosis, looses areolar tissue and the pericardium. The top three layers are merged in one unit and such can move over the rest two layers. Topmost layer; the skin contains hair follicles and sebaceous glands which produce sebum; the skin oil to keep the scalp soft and supple. Sometimes on account of hormonal imbalance, sebaceous glands are prompted to produce sebum in excess of the normal quantity. There is some microflora (bacteria, fungi, yeasts) that is commonly found on scalp and other body parts and they are known as ‘commensals’. Malassezia globosa, named after the discovering French Microbiologist; Louis Charles Malassez, is one of these microbes and it is Lipophyllic (Lipo-fat, phylic loving), therefore thrives upon sebum; the skin oil. The fungus splits the oil to produce fatty acid which is highly irritating to the skin and accelerates the degeneration of scalp cells; commonly known as dandruff flaking; phenomenon is medical known as; desquamation and this in fact is the process of dandruff development.

What is the cause of dandruff?

It had been held for long that dryness of the scalp was the cause of dandruff, but the thought was rejected soon after the discovery of Malassezia furfur; formerly known as ‘Pityrosporum ovale’ and its relationship with sebum. Another hypothesis that followed considered that death of skin cells was a normal phenomenon and the cycle took abut two moths in normal case, but was accelerated to a couple of weeks in case of dandruff. The cycle, according to this hypothesis was followed by the growth of the fungus. The latest research, utilizing genomic based methodology, nullified this hypothesis too and concludes that the real causative organism is ‘Malassezia globosa’. This organism nourishes on sebum triglycerides and produces unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid, which is irritating and causes cells hyper proliferation.