Flakes upon flakes...and not the snow kind.

Some of us are affected by it more than others, but no matter the gravity we still feel self-conscious about having dandruff.  Walking in public with visible white flakes all over our scalp and (possibly on our clothes, too) is an embarrassing picture to paint in our minds... to say the least.

If this is something that has been bothering you for a while and you'd like to keep your dandruff in check, this blog post is exactly what  you've been looking for!

So what exactly causes it?

Dandruff can be caused by a series of phenomena, including fungus proliferation, overproduction of oil or skin conditions like eczema. Some believe that lack of sleep, overstress, or poor diet are all contributors to flaking, but that remains a disputable claim. At the end of the day, dandruff is simply the accumulation of dead skin cells which shed off onto the scalp, once replaced by new ones.

How do I treat it?

Depending on what's causing your dandruff, you'll have to change your current hair products for those that are made for your particular condition.  For example, if you experience itchiness and  redness, you'll want to buy a hair care line made for sensitive scalp. Similarly, if you diagnose oily glands as the culprit, you should go for a line targeting oily hair and so on.

 Regulating... Sensitive Scalp!

Lakme's K.Therapy Sensitive Relaxing Shampoo

This shampoo is a great choice for those struggling with the side effects of flaking. For starters, it has both  Aloe Vera and Bisabolol in its formula.  Both ingredients are excellent in getting to the root of the problem, each attacking the issue from a different angle.

Besides acting as a dandruff relief, aloe vera stops the itching almost instantly (way to kill two birds with one stone, eh?!).  To benefit from its effect, you can simply massage it onto your scalp and leave it alone for a couple of minutes; once you have waited the 5 to 10 minute mark, go ahead and rinse it off.

Meanwhile, bisalol acts as a skin repairing agent. It speeds up the skin's healing process; improves its overall aspect and encourages healthy hair growth. Bisalol also has a pleasant (mild) floral scent that will be noticeable once washed off.

You seriously can't go wrong with this shampoo if sensitive scalp is your main concern!

K. Therapy Sensitive Relaxing Balm

In addition to Aloe Vera and Bisabolol, this relaxing balm has wild sage and ginseng. Most commonly known for its ability to darken grey hair, sage has the additional benefit of reducing dandruff  and improving skin problems alike. Much like Bisalol, sage also helps with the overall appearance of hair:

  1. IT ADDS SHINE
  2. MAKES THE HAIR SOFT
  3. IMPROVES HAIR'S SILKINESS

Along with sage, ginseng brings all sorts of benefits to the hair. These include aiding in hair growth, soothing scalp inflammation and preventing grey hair, among others. Most importantly,  ginseng has a natural spice highly concentrated in Saponin. This antibacterial is responsible for removing dryness and flaking as well as helping to keep the scalp clean and putting an end to re-occurrence.

Recommended usage: This product is meant to be used twice a week, but may be applied more often should the itchiness persist.

K. Therapy Sensitive Night Drops

An alternative for evening use is Lakme's Night Drops. It is extremely easy to use; all that is needed is to apply the product to the scalp and massage it through. For effective results, comb through hair and repeat the conditioning process twice a week.

Now  moving on to the second scalp condition we'll be looking at...

 Regulating...Oily Scalp!

Lakme's K. Therapy Purifying Shampoo

This shampoo  is light enough for everyday use and keeps the production of your hairs' natural oils in check . Two of its main active ingredients are Sebaryl and bamboo extract. Given that excessive oil clogs up hair follicles, it is crucial to remove some of that sebum buildup. This is where Sebaryl and the extract come in: the former is a commercialized compound in charge of cleansing the scalp, whereas the extract is used to promote healthy hair growth  and provide lightness to the hair.

One additional benefit is that it is  a natural astringent, which means it not only normalizes the scalp's pH, but also reduces pore sizes. Directly targeting the pores is a strategic way of combating flaking as smaller pores don't allow as much sebum to be secreted.

Heads up!

It is important to take action if you notice an excessive amount of sebum on your scalp as this could be a sign that seborrheic dermatitis is potentially underway.

Seborrheic dermatitis is often characterized by yellowish, oily scales that can affect the scalp and other body parts. Generally, flaking tends to become more severe, which is all the more reason for regulating your oily scalp.  Although this skin condition is rather common, you'd want to intervene before it gets at this stage.

Lakme's K. Therapy Purifying Matt

This Purifying Matt is a sebum regulator mask; much like the Purifying Shampoo, it also has Sebaryl and bamboo extract, with an additional natural clay added onto the formula.

This products helps with taking up excess lipids (fats & oils) from the scalp, and this way, restoring sebum levels back to normal.

If using this product, it is best to apply the shampoo from the same line. When applying it, you want to make sure that your hair is dry and NOT washed! You really want to take your time with this mask: patiently spread it onto your scalp, strand by strand. Once it has been left alone to act for 5 minutes, rinse the excess and proceed to wash your hair with the Purifying Shampoo.

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We hope that this blog post has been helpful to you!

May those white flakes not bother us again!

xoxo,

Nádia.