What Causes Dandruff? A Simple Guide to Scalp Health
Dandruff is a very common scalp condition that causes flakes of skin to appear. It isn't exactly "growing" like a plant or fungus, but rather it is the result of the natural skin renewal process speeding up significantly. Here is a breakdown of how and why it happens: How Dandruff Happens (The Mechanism) Your skin cells are constantly renewing themselves. In a healthy scalp, old skin cells die and fall off (shed) about once a month. This usually happens invisibly. With dandruff, this cycle accelerates. Skin cells mature and die much faster than normal, sometimes in just 2-7 days. Because they are shedding so quickly, they don't have time to separate properly. Instead, they clump together with natural scalp oils, becoming visible white or yellowish flakes. Why Dandruff Happens (The Causes) The exact cause can vary from person to person, but it is usually due to a combination of three main factors: A Microbe called Malassezia globosa : This is a yeast-like fungus th...