No More Bad Hair Days : Tips For Clearing Stubborn Dandruff

by News Canada

(NC)-Dandruff - that dry, itchy, white flaking of the scalp - affects up to 70% of the population in various degrees of severity. It results from skin cells reproducing too rapidly, producing visible flakes. Dandruff is worse in dry climates and when the hair is not washed often. Mild dandruff can be kept under control with shampoos containing zinc pyrithione such as Dan Gard. What happens when these do not work?

This means you may have stubborn, more severe dandruff. And if you have yellowish crusting (scales) either on the scalp, face, chest or back, you may have seborrheic dermatitis. In this case, the crusty scales are often oily, accompanied by a red, itchy scalp. Seborrheic dermatitis tends to flare up with stress and with the cold, dry winter months.

An effective option for these stubborn cases is shampoos containing tar which have a triple action - they dissolve the scales, are antiseptic (fight bacteria), and soothe itching and redness. Dr. Robert Solomon, a Dermatologist in Toronto at St. Michael's Hospital states: " Tar shampoos are generally safe and effective against severe dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis. A tar shampoo like Polytar AF is highly effective since it is the only combination of tar with salicylic acid, as well as an antifungal and soothing menthol; unlike other tar shampoos, it actually has a nice scent".

Here are some general tips to follow:

Shampoo at least 3 times a week with a non-medicated shampoo or an anti-dandruff shampoo (depending on severity), massaging scalp gently
Three times a week, do the following: use an anti-dandruff shampoo first to clean your scalp, then rinse well. Follow with a trusted medicated shampoo like Polytar; Make sure you leave it in contact with your scalp for at least 5 minutes before rinsing
If your scalp condition does not improve within 2 weeks of this regimen, see your physician or pharmacist.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Other Related Sites:

osteoarthritis osteoporosis - osteoarthritis pain - osteoarthritis physical therapy - osteoarthritis picture - osteoarthritis post traumatic - osteoarthritis prognosis - osteoarthritis relief - osteoarthritis research - osteoarthritis running - osteoarthritis shoulder - osteoarthritis social security disability - osteoarthritis spine - osteoarthritis stage - osteoarthritis stiffness - osteoarthritis symptom - osteoarthritis symptom treatment - osteoarthritis thumb - osteoarthritis treating - osteoarthritis treatment - otc drug abuse - oticon hearing aids - outdoor wheel chair lift - outpatient program and substance abuse - outpatient rehab medical center - over the counter acne treatment - over the counter diet pill - over the counter diet supplement - over the counter drug abuse - over the counter drug addiction - overcoming addiction - overcoming drug addiction - overcoming food addiction - overcoming porn addiction - overcoming pornography addiction - overcoming sexual addiction - oxford freedom health plan - oxford health care plan - oxford health insurance - oxford health insurance plan - oxford health plan - oxford health plan inc - oxford health plan new york - oxford health plan onmousedown - oxford health plan web site - oxford medical insurance - oxycontin addiction - oxycontin addiction treatment - oxycontin drug abuse - oxycotin addiction - oxygen womens fitness magazine