Listed below are basic lifestyle and home remedies to help control your dandruff problem.

Wash your hair on a regular basis – When you clean you hair regularly excess dead skin cells are prevented from collecting on the scalp, accumulation of residual oil (sebum) is lessened and hair follicles are stimulated. It is, therefore, a must that you regularly wash your hair with an herbal or mild shampoo. When you have finished shampooing your hair, thoroughly rinse it with cold water because soap left in the scalp can irritate the scalp. So as not to let dead skin cells and oil to accumulate on the scalp, it is important to wash your hair every day or at least every other day.

Brush your hair – Brush your hair after you have shampooed during shower. If your hair is still wet, there is no need to brush it yet. You can wait till your hair is slightly damp before brushing it.  You need to use a good quality hair brush for brushing your hair and scalp and brush by slowly working outward. This way of brushing can evenly distribute the naturally occurring oil in your scalp along the hair strands and prevent the sebum from accumulating on the scalp area. Brush your hair a minimum of twice a day to get good results.
Use an anti-dandruff shampoo – A good dandruff shampoo should contain ingredients like zinc pyrithione and selenium sulfide.  You can talk to a dermatologist who can recommend a good anti dandruff shampoo for you. When washing your hair with this type of shampoo, leave the shampoo for a minimum 5 minutes before rinsing it off. This allows the shampoo to work in an optimal manner.

Eat a healthy diet – A good and healthy diet consisting of foods rich in vitamin B can nourish the scalp and stabilize it. Foods recommended for people with excessive dandruff include vegetables, water based fruits, salmon, sardines, sunflower seeds, red meat and shellfish. Avoid greasy and oily foods as well as seafood, flour, animal fats, junk foods and sugar.

Drink water – Drinking adequate amounts of water coupled with a good diet will wash out harmful products and toxins in the body. Around eight to ten glasses of water a day is good enough to keep the body properly hydrated. You can include vegetable and fruit juices along with water for hydration and avoid or limit consumption of coffee and alcohol.

Lifestyle change – A good lifestyle that can resolve your dandruff problem is one involving getting adequate sleep (minimum of 6 hours) and doing regular physical exercise.

Limit or avoid use of styling products – Certain styling products (gels, sprays, etc.) can assist in the collection of oil in the scalp. Heat from blow dryers and hair dye chemicals can dry out the scalp causing a lot of flakes.

Avoid sun exposure – Too much sun can cause sunburn and lead to dead skin cells in the scalp. Avoid too much sun exposure in the scalp by wearing a cap, hat or a scarf.

Tea tree oil – Tea tree oil has antiseptic properties that kill fungus and help the scalp stay moisturized.

Apple cider vinegar rinse – Apple cider vinegar can help clean out hairspray, conditioner, shampoo residues and whatever else you’re putting on your scalp. Keeping you scalp clean will rid you off any dandruff and itchy scalp problem. After you have shampooed your hair use a solution of water and apple cider vinegar to rinse your hair. Next, use a towel to cover your head. Cover your head for about 30 minutes and then go to the shower to wash the solution off. Apple cider vinegar rinse can be done just once a week.

Massage your scalp – Massaging your scalp on a daily basis is good for controlling dandruff. When massaging your scalp be sure to use essential oil as it can assist a lot in limiting the development of dandruff.  You can use tea tree, lemon or rosemary oil. Use a few drops of essential oil and with it gently massage the scalp for around 15 to 20 minutes. Do this before going to bed.  The next morning wash off the oil with anti-dandruff shampoo.

Hot oil treatment – Getting a treatment of hot oil once a week helps remove dandruff when you’re having dandruff problems. Hot oil treatment will keep your hair soft and shiny and will help nourish your scalp.  You can use oils such as light vegetable oil, coconut oil, grape seed oil, almond oil or olive oil for this type of treatment. Choose the oil that works best on you. Slightly warm the oil and then use it to massage your scalp and hair with your finger tips. After you have done massaging, don a shower cap and wait for a few minutes before shampooing your hair.  A hot oil treatment is a nourishing and soothing treatment for your hair. You can utilize this treatment a minimum of two times a week.

Minimize your level of stress – The proliferation of dandruff in your scalp can also be due to a high stress level in your body. Besides dandruff stress can also cause a great number of health conditions. Research has observed that the severity and incidence of dandruff starts to lessen after the underlying reasons for stress are resolved. Therefore, if you are serious in treating your dandruff, you need to manage your stress level well. You can reduce stress through meditation, exercise and acupuncture.

Take in right amounts of sunlight – As stated above, too much sun exposure is bad for you.  Limited sun exposure, though, is beneficial for you if you have dandruff problem. Sunlight stimulates the development of vitamin D3 and likewise stimulates the production of healthy oils in the skin. You might want to expose yourself to sunlight during late evening or in the morning to help you rid of your dandruff. Expose your head during these times of the day but be sure not to overexpose yourself..

Synoma Wellness Centre
2150 Alt. 19, Suite B,
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
Phone: (727) 785-5950
www.palmharboracupuncture.com