Ayurveda treatment for dandruff

Dandruff is a non-contagious condition that is characterized by the appearance of skin flakes on your scalp. The disorder is not a serious one, but can be embarrassing

Symptoms

          The symptoms of dandruff are easily spotted; white flakes of dead skin appear on the hair and shoulders. Patients experience itchiness on the scalp due to the accumulation of the dead skin cells. The condition tends to aggravate in dry and cold weather conditions.

Causes
Dandruff can be caused by a variety of factors such as:

1. Not shampooing regularly

Irregular shampooing can cause dead skin cells to accumulate, leading to dandruff.

1. Oily and irritated skin

 This condition is characterized by the appearance of greasy skin covered by flaky white scales. It occurs in areas, which are rich in oil glands such as the eyebrows and the nose.

1. Fungus

Yeast like fungus, known as ‘malassezia’, lives on the scalp and may lead to the build-up of excess skin cells, thereby, causing irritated skin.

1. Dry skin

 Dry skin is the perfect spot for the accumulation of dead cells, a condition that results in dandruff.

Ayurvedic View
Ayurveda places the problem of dandruff in the category of kshudra Roga, which appears due to an imbalance of all three doshas. The primary doshas involved are Pitta and Vata. Pitta is an Ayurvedic humor which symbolizes heat or fire and Vata is dry and rough in nature. In an aggravated state, both doshas cause production of specific impurities, called ama, which are dry and heating in nature. These impurities accumulate in the deep tissues of the scalp and contaminate them. Due to these factors, the scalp sheds larger than normal amounts of dead epidermal cells, which leads to the problem of dandruff.