Oily hair
At puberty the increased production of oil I by the sebaceous glands also happens in the scalp, where there are many more closely packed glands than in the skin of the rest of the body. This often makes hair lank and oily within 24 hours of a shampoo. The only solution is to shampoo more often, but don’t overdo it – once a day is enough. Your hair will become less oily towards the end of your teens.
Dandruff
Dandruff is a problem mainly of adolescence and young adults, reaching a peak at about the age of 20, though about 30 per cent of adults over the age of 30 still have the problem. Uncomplicated dandruff won’t otherwise disturb your health, but most of us would prefer to be free of those tiny pale flakes on our shoulders.
We don’t know why dandruff happens. There’s no connection between dandruff and whether the hair is oily or not. An infectious cause has never been proved, so dandruff isn’t contagious. Affected people have more yeasts in the scalp, but reducing the yeasts doesn’t reduce the dandruff. It’s thought that the yeasts are there because of the dandruff rather than vice versa.
What about treatment? Because we don’t know the cause, there’s no specific cure. Treatment is aimed at removing the scales as quickly as they form, or reducing their formation. Shampooing will reduce the amount of scale but the flakes show up again in a few days. Thus shampooing the hair often enough to control scale may be all that is needed.
In severe cases an antidandruff shampoo containing selenium or zinc salts usually helps, and shampooing need not be so often. Your pharmacist will recommend a suitable product. Follow the directions on the label for use. Dandruff often returns when treatment is stopped, so antidandruff shampoos may need to be used for years.
If your scalp is very itchy with dandruff or there is any sign of inflammation of the scalp, see your doctor.
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