Dandruff. It’s not a cute word, is it? Dandruff has always been a personal problem for me since I was at least 10 years old. And I can’t be the only one, right? This week it occurred to me that it would be helpful to dive deeper into this problem that affects both me and my clients. Let’s get real about Dandruff! What is it? Why is it happening to you and I? And what are our options to fix it?

Dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis is defined as the excessive growth of skin cells. The cause of it is still pretty much unknown and boils down to genetics or environmental factors. Each case is somewhat personal and I’d like to start off by saying that having dandruff does not insinuate that you have poor hygiene! Typically if you have it, it most likely started becoming a problem for you when you were going through puberty. The joys of hormones, am I right, ladies?

Firstly, let’s address the common mistakes people make in their own shower. Let’s make sure that you’re not accidentally self-inflicting dry scalp.

A common mistake people make is they use a harsh clarifying shampoo that strips hair of moisture too much and they might shampoo too often. When you strip your hair and scalp of its natural oils, your body tends to overcompensate for the lack of moisture by overproducing sebum. If this is the case, switch to a gentle but moisturizing shampoo like Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo from Bumble and Bumble. You should also change the number of times you shampoo. By all means, listen to your body, but I typically recommend that you should be shampooing your hair only 1-3 times a week.

A very common reason you might be currently experiencing dandruff could be a dramatic temperature change that’s either too hot or too cold. If you’re showering in scalding hot water (it’s ok, we all do it from time to time), maybe cool it down a bit when you’re rinsing your scalp. Lukewarm water never hurt anybody.

And if the weather forecast in your area has changed dramatically as of recently, work a Dry Scalp Treatment from Moroccan Oil into your #selfcare routine. Whenever there’s a sudden cold front or it’s especially dry out, my scalp knows it before I do, haha.

Now it’s time to get serious. If your dandruff is getting really bad. Like there’s a blizzard up north, bad. And your scalp isn’t just changing with the weather, it’s time to switch to a shampoo specifically made for dandruff like this one from Redken. You need to be using a dandruff shampoo that contains ingredients like coal tar, pyrithione zinc, salicylic acid, ketoconazole, or selenium sulfide.

If you’ve tried every product or at home remedy, your hairdresser has prescribed and your scalp is STILL a problem… Girl… It’s time to pay your dermatologist a visit and see what’s up. You could have a serious Scalp Psoriasis problem or Contact Dermatitis, which means that you’re probably allergic to your current hair products. Or if your dandruff smells off or is an ~ interesting ~ color, you REALLY need to have your derm take a look and see if it’s a fungal problem.

Discovering what does and doesn’t work for a temperamental scalp can be a bit of a trial and error process, so I hope these recommendations from a licensed professional and experienced victim of dandruff saves you some time and effort in trying to find an answer.

Every product that I’ve recommended in this article is also available for purchase at J. Bauman salon, so feel free to call us at (407) 898-9044 and ask us to set aside a product for you if you’d like to swing by and add more J.B. Rewards points to your account by purchasing your products through us! Or you can book an appointment with us on our website.

-Naomi Kogan (@naomithehairfairy)