How to Get Rid of Dandruff

Dandruff is messy and it's a pain to keep having to flick bits of dead skin from your clothes, chairs, furniture, etc. Seemingly everywhere you go, you're leaving a trail of white dandruff flecks behind you.

You've probably tried Head and Shoulders and other dandruff shampoos. Maybe they helped, maybe they didn't. Maybe you gave up on them like I did when you read about the nasty ingredients such as Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulphate, innocently "derived from coconut".

And, like me, you've probably still been left with annoying dandruff. Sure, shampooing more often helps get rid of the flakes. But it takes all the life out of your hair and is just disguising the problem.

Despite some common misconceptions, you can get dandruff whether you've got a dry scalp or an oily one.

Commercial anti-dandruff shampoos use different chemicals to combat your dandruff. Check for these in the small print on the label:

• Zinc pyrithione, found in Head and Shoulders classic, this works with dandruff caused by yeast and fungus. If you start with this, carry on until the course is finished or expect your dandruff to return with a vengeance.


• Ketoconazole, found in Nizoral. Works similarly to zinc pyrithione except you need to continue using it forever.


• Selenium sulfide. Often only works while you're still using the shampoo.


• Coal tar. A by-product of distilling coal and a listed carcinogen.


• Salicylic acid is used to help your scalp shed excess skin.

Do yourself a favor and read up more on these ingredients before you subject your body to them. It's not as easy to find shampoos without nasty ingredients but it is possible.