6 Tips To Eliminate Child Dandruff

This dermatological condition is very common in humans, at all ages.

Many children have dandruff in their hair from a young age. Dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis is a very common condition in both children and adults, regardless of their age. It is not a disease and is usually easy to remedy, but it is uncomfortable and unsightly for many children and adults.

Dandruff is usually recognized in children when flakes of white or yellowish skin appear on the scalp. Babies may also have a series of scales called cradle cap. This can also be evidenced because it appears accompanied by redness of the affected areas and, even, the appearance of scabs and itching (which can sometimes be very intense and uncomfortable).

Although many think otherwise, it is necessary to clarify that dandruff is not contagious nor does it indicate a lack of hygiene. In fact, in some cases it comes from a constant and excessive use of shampoos, conditioners and other hair products.

Most common causes

The most common cause of dandruff is an excessive production of the skin’s own oil by the sebaceous glands and hair follicles. There is also a type of yeast or fungus called Malassezia that can grow in sebum along with bacteria.

Dandruff-associated flakes can sometimes be caused by conditions other than seborrhea such as: dry skin (due to exposure to extreme cold) or skin conditions (such as acne or psoriasis). It also usually appears when we wash our hair too often or with aggressive hair products or if we wash our hair too little.

Normally, this problem does not require a visit to the pediatrician, but it improves quickly with a mild daily shampoo or an anti-dandruff shampoo. If this does not happen you will have to go to the pediatrician or specialist.

6 tips to eliminate dandruff

1. Try to brush your child’s hair every day and especially before shampooing to remove visible scales. Just following this advice will surely improve the problem.
2. Use a mild shampoo for daily use that you can find in your store or supermarket of preference.
   • If the dandruff does not disappear, consult your pediatrician to see if you can give him a specific dandruff shampoo that exists on the market and is sold in a pharmacy.
     
     
3. Today there is a wide variety of anti-dandruff shampoos such as selenium sulfide, zinc pyrithione, salicylic acid, pitch or ketoconazole. Consult your pediatrician or specialist before choosing any of these products. It is also advisable to wash the child’s hair twice a week, interspersing the mild shampoo with the anti-dandruff.
4. Try not to use conditioners, masks, or greasy products that can help create more dandruff. These products can be harsh on your child’s hair and also on your child’s scalp.
5. A good idea is to do hair massages with your own shampoo or even with aloe vera. The ideal is to do these massages with aloe vera and then rinse with water and then add the shampoo and rinse again with water. The properties of aloe vera are in the gel that is extracted from its leaf. Aloe vera is very effective if we apply it to the scalp, as it works by expelling bacteria and fat deposits that clog the hair follicles.
6. You can also add a little lavender oil (before shampooing)  as this tends to slow down the production of dandruff and is usually very effective. Lavender oil is very useful to improve any skin condition like acne, eczema and also to control dandruff.

Dandruff can also increase if the child is nervous or stressed. We recommend that to reduce anxiety you do exercises with the child to relax, practice mindfulness or even do yoga for children. These exercises will have many other benefits for children if you practice them weekly.