Dandruff

A mild skin condition that produces white flakes that may be shed and fall from the hair. Dandruff is due to the sebaceous glands overworking. (The sebaceous glands keep the skin properly oiled.) Another cause of dandruff is fungus, especially one called Pitrosporum ovale. (Most people have this fungus, but people with dandruff have more.) For dandruff, there are several tiers of treatment: {{}}First-tier dandruff treatment: A good quality upper-end shampoo (e.g., Paul Mitchell, Aveda, Redken). If several weeks using a good quality shampoo does not stop the dandruff, it can be helpful use the second-tier of dandruff treatment. Second-tier dandruff treatment: An antifungal shampoo, (e.g., (in alphabetical order) Denorex, DHS Targel, ionil-T plus, MG217, Neutrogena T/Gel, Scalpicin, Sebulex, Selsun Blue, Tegrin, Zircon). The active ingredients approved for dandruff treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include tar, pyrithione zinc, salicylic acid, selenium sulfide, sulfur, and ketoconazole. Ketoconazole, once only available by prescription, was approved in 1997 by the FDA for over-the-counter (OTC) sale in the form of Nizoral A-D shampoo. This medication can be helpful for particularly difficult cases, according to some pharmacists.

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The presence, in varying amounts, of white or gray scales in the hair of the scalp, due to excessive or normal branny exfoliation of the epidermis. SEE ALSO: seborrheic dermatitis. SYN: pityriasis capitis, scurf, seborrhea sicca (2).

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dan·druff 'dan-drəf n scaly white or grayish flakes of dead skin cells esp. of the scalp also the condition marked by excessive shedding of such flakes and usu. accompanied by itching

dan·druffy -ē adj

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n.

visible scaling from the surface of the scalp. It is extremely common, occurring in about 50% of the population, and is associated with the presence of the yeast Pityrosporum ovale. It is the precursor of seborrhoeic eczema of the scalp, in which there is a degree of inflammation in addition to the greasy scaling. Dandruff can be controlled by shampoos containing tar, selenium sulphide, zinc pyrithione, or imidazole antifungals. Medical name: pityriasis capitis.

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dan·druff (danґdrəf) 1. dry scaly material desquamated from the scalp; the term is applied to that normally desquamated from the epidermis of the scalp as well as to the excessive scaly material associated with disease, as in 2. seborrheic dermatitis. seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp; called also pityriasis sicca.