JEDDAH, 6 June 2007 - Dandruff is a global phenomenon that affects more than 50 percent of the population. It is due to the excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp and can occur at any age, but is most expected in the early 20s.
"In Saudi Arabia, dandruff seems to occur more commonly than rest of the world," said Saudi hair and skin care specialist Rana Atiayah. "We estimate that around 60 percent of Saudis suffer from dandruff. The heat, humidity and air conditioning play havoc with the scalp. Scalp becomes dry, chafed, scaly and itchy sometimes causing hair loss too. And while most of my patients are young men, an estimated 25 percent dandruff-affected girls are in in their teens and a few women over 40," he said.
Most complain of dandruff associated with hair loss. In most cases test results indicate that conditions are diet and vitamin deficiency related. In search of the ideal figure and lack of exposure to the sun, many females suffer from deficiency in vitamin E and C in the Kingdom, which affect the hair, causing loss. Most anti-dandruff products do not help as they strip the hair of the essential minerals and oils.
Despite being a commonplace ailment, the condition can cause social or self-esteem problems. Treatment may be important purely for psychological reasons. For unknown reasons, people with some illnesses, or under stress, are more likely to have dandruff. Hormones may also be involved, because dandruff usually starts after puberty and is more common in men than women.
Small amount of flaking is normal and in fact quite common. The cells of scalp naturally flake as part of the rejuvenation process. These flakes are usually too small and unnoticeable. However, sufferers of dandruff experience an unusually large amount of flaking, accompanied by itching and irritation. Certain conditions such as environment and general ill health may cause cell loss to be unusually rapid.
Dandruff is a bit of a riddle. Pharmaceutical and health care specialists have been battling for over 40 years to find the solution to the embarrassing problem. There have been many lines of attack for the control of dandruff. Most anti-dandruff shampoos contain the active ingredient Zinc pyrithione. However, sufferers often complain that while treatments may control the dandruff with frequent use, unfortunately they may also leave hair rather dry and hard to style.
Dermatologists identified a fungus Malassezia found naturally on the surface of people's skin. The fungus thrives on fat compounds in human oil, creating an acid, which may trigger an inflammatory response disturbing the scalp. The fungus grows out of control, on the disturbed scalp resulting in the excessive flaking of scalp.
