Dandruff - caused by the overgrowth of a microscopic yeast - affects more than 50% us at some time and men are more susceptible to it than women. It’s quite normal to shed some dead skin flakes since skin is constantly renewing itself, but yeast overgrowth on the scalp can speed up this process and lead to the formation of unsightly flakes. Nobody’s entirely sure what sends the yeast into overdrive but stress, hormonal changes, humidity of changes in diet are thought to be triggers. The good news is that it tends to ease off in middle age but until then you’ll need a good anti-dandruff strategy.

 

Here’s what you can do to combat it:

 

* Cut back on sugary and salty foods as both of these may cause your scalp’s natural secretions to alter making your skin vulnerable to yeast overgrowth.

 

* Don’t scratch! The more your fiddle with your scalp the more you’ll irritate the skin and the bigger the flakes will be. You also run the risk of damaging the hair follicles.

 

* Always use an anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner like American Crew Anti-Dandruff Shampoo which helps dislodge the flakes so they can wash out of the hair. Or try a product like Phyto Dandruff Treatment that contains tea tree oil which has anti-fungal properties. In fact, research in Australia has shown that tea tree oil can cut the incidence of dandruff by nearly half.

 

* If normal anti-dandruff shampoos don’t do the job try one containing the anti-fungal agent ketoconazole which attacks the yeast itself.

 

* Get out more! Studies have shown that men who spend more time outside tend to suffer from less dandruff than those stuck inside al day. It’s thought that sunlight inhibits the growth of the dandruff-causing Pityrosporum ovale yeast.

 

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