Can Dandruff Cause Hair Loss?

Many people are wondering if dandruff can be the reason of hair loss, and whether these two problems are related to each other. Let’s analyze this subject from the point of scientific knowledge and not prejudice.

Dandruff: causes

Dandruff (seborrhea) is the accumulation of peeled skin particles, sebum, and the products of yeast fungi activity. There are three forms of seborrhea – dry, oily and mixed. They are caused by different reasons:

• dry scalp;
• pathogenic reproduction of Malassezia fungi;
• skin diseases (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis);
• hormonal fluctuations;
• malnutrition;
• violation of hygiene rules;
• bad choice shampoo;
• some internal diseases;
• some medicines;
• stress.

Dandruff and hair loss

Dandruff worsens the condition of the scalp, causing itching. We scratch our head, damaging the skin even more and stimulating further aggravation of seborrhea.

The clogged scalp doesn’t receive proper breathing, and its metabolism worsens. The follicles become weak. When we comb, we physically remove thin hair – that’s how dandruff effects hair loss.

Dandruff is quite a common problem and a secondary cause of baldness.

There are other, less obvious connections. For example, dandruff and hair loss can cause the same disease – dermatitis. As you can see, it’s a vicious circle where dandruff and alopecia aggravate each other, and the real reason for hair loss might be still unknown.

Both symptoms can be caused by thyroid disease, hormonal imbalance, or severe stress.

Drugs can cause an increased formation of dandruff for baldness treatment, for example, shampoos with Minoxidil.

If you are suffering from white flakes and thinning hair at the same time, we recommend to see a dermatologist (trichologist) and let him figure out what is causing your dandruff and hair loss. Whether it is one single cause, or several different ones, knowing the reason can allow you to correctly treat both conditions.