Dandruff
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You've tried washing your hair and not washing
it. You've tried blow-drying and not blow-drying. You've tried every
shampoo, conditioner, oil treatment, comb, brush and miracle salve
known to man. And you still can't wear your favorite black blazer
because of that stubborn dandruff.
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It seems like such a simple problem to solve.
After all, dandruff is nothing more than skin cells flaking off
your scalp. Still, the condition has long defied treatment. Researchers
believe dandruff may be caused by a yeastlike fungus on your scalp,
though they haven't figured out a foolproof way to beat it. For
now, most experts suggest shampoos that contain zinc pyrithione
or selenium sulfide. And the natural remedies in this chapter, used
with your doctor's approval, may help prevent or relieve dandruff,
according to some health professionals.
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See Your Medical Doctor When...
· You have severe dandruff despite using a dandruff shampoo.
.You have red patches on your scalp, especially along the neckline.
.You notice yellowish crusting on your head.
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| Aromatherapy
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Aroma therapy,We suggest an aromatic formula
to treat dandruff. After using a dandruff shampoo, she says, let
your hair dry thoroughly and pour a few drops each of rosemary and
lemon essential oils into your palms. Massage the oils into your
scalp and brush your hair with a soft brush.
For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including
cautions about their use. For information on purchasing essential
oils, refer to the resource list on our website
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| Ayurveda
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Dandruff may be a sign that circulation is blocked.
He recommends massaging the scalp with sesame oil for five to ten
minutes once a week, applying the oil before your evening shower
and then washing it out in the shower.
The herb fenugreek is also an Ayurvedic remedy for dandruff. Cooking
o r king a teaspoonful daily, mixed with honey. Fenugreek works
best for people with vata or kapha doshas, he explains, and is less
effective for pittas. (For more information about the Ayurvedic
doshas,
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| Food Therapy
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Dandruff is not something you should treat with
shampoo. You should treat it with diet, that teaches physicians
about nutrition and its relationship to disease. Part of the reason
dandruff occurs is that skin oils in the scalp are thick and acidic,
largely from a diet of saturated fat Dr. Klaper explains. Thick
secretions of skin and dried oil flake off-that's what dandruff
is. But if you get a person to clean up his diet by eliminating
the junk food, animal fats and heavy plant oils such as palm and
coconut and to eat more of the good fats that are found in nuts
and seeds, dandruff often improves greatly or disappears.
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| Homeopathy
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Several homeopathic remedies can help you shake
off dandruff, one of the following 6C remedies three times a day
for up to two weeks. If your dandruff is thick, you scratch your
head a lot at night, your scalp burns and washing your hair makes
your scalp even drier, try Sulphur,. If there are moist, smelly
spots behind your ears, your itching is worsened by heat and you
feel as if there were insect bites along the hairline of your forehead,
Oleander may be the remedy for you. He also says that Sepia will
help soothe a scalp that is moist, greasy and sensitive near the
hair roots.
Sulphur, Oleander and Sepia are available in many health food stores.
To purchase homeopathic remedies by mail, refer to the resource
list on our
Website.
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| Vitamin and Mineral Therapy
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To help stop dandruff, try supplementing your
diet with flaxseed oil, says, Acharyaji, , that teaches doctors
about nutrition and its relationship to disease. Adding flaxseed
oil to your diet can cut down on skin oil secretions, which flake
and cause dandruff, he says. He recommends taking one to two teaspoons
a day of flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil is also sold in capsule form,
and about three capsules equals one teaspoon of the liquid. Both
forms can be found in most health food stores.
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