Symptoms
Often, the first symptom someone with dandruff will notice are white flakes of dead skin in the hair or on the shoulders. The scalp may also become itchy and scaly.
Other signs of seborrhea:
- dry, flaky skin that gets worse in cold weather
- dry skin on the face, forehead, ears, or eyebrows
- flaky skin on the chest or other parts of the body that have hair
- greasy or oily areas of skin on the scalp or other parts of the body
- mild redness in the affected area
- temporary hair loss
When to Call the Doctor
Most cases of dandruff won't require a doctor's visit and can be treated with special dandruff shampoos available without a prescription.
Sometimes the dandruff is particularly hard to treat, or the rash is coming from a completely different problem. If your child's dandruff doesn't get better after a few weeks of using dandruff shampoo, or if the skin becomes red, swollen, or drains fluid, you should contact your doctor. Also call if your child's seborrhea gets worse, spreads to other parts of the body, or causes hair loss.
Treatment
Many cases of mild dandruff can be treated just by shampooing every day with a gentle shampoo. This will reduce oiliness and keep dead skin cells from building up.
Moderate cases of dandruff usually can be treated with an over-the-counter dandruff shampoo. Many types are available and not every one works for every person, so you may need to experiment until you find the one that works for your child.
The different types of dandruff shampoos include:
- Selenium sulfide shampoos. These help slow the rate at which skin cells die and may fight the fungus that can cause seborrhea.
- Tar-based shampoos. Made from coal tar, these also slow down the rate at which skin cells die and flake off.
- Zinc pyrithione shampoos. These tackle the fungus on the scalp that can cause seborrhea.
- Salicylic acid shampoos. These help remove flaky skin from the scalp but may leave it dry, which can lead to more flaking.
- Ketoconazole shampoos. These antifungal shampoos, available in stronger doses with a prescription, are designed to reduce fungus on the scalp.
At first, kids with dandruff may need to use one of these shampoos every day to get their dandruff under control. After that, most can cut back to once or twice a week.
Have your child massage the shampoo into the scalp and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before rinsing it out. After rinsing, kids can use regular shampoo or conditioner if they want, as the treatment shampoos tend to be a little smelly.
If over-the-counter dandruff shampoos don't improve your child's dandruff, or if seborrhea develops in places other than the scalp, talk to a doctor. You may need to get your child a prescription-strength shampoo, an antifungal lotion, or cream containing steroids.
After treatment, some people will notice that areas of skin that had seborrhea will be lighter in color than the rest of their skin. This is more common in those with darker skin. This color difference will fade over time and the skin's color will eventually return to normal.
Dandruff is a chronic condition, meaning it can't be cured, but it can almost always be kept under control. Once it's under control, it's usually impossible to detect and will go from being a problem to something that's barely on your child's mind./p>
Date reviewed: August 2014