Malassezia exists on nearly all warm-blooded mammals, so we’re not alone in having to deal with its effects.
El Malassezia existe en casi todos los mamíferos de sangre caliente, así que no somos los únicos que tenemos que lidiar con sus efectos.
And it doesn’t just cause dandruff – it’s also been found to cause a whole host of other problems, from allergies and infections in humans, to ear infections in cats.
The main culprit for dandruff The root cause of dandruff is a single-celled microbe, Malassezia globosa, that exists on everyone’s scalp.
Around 50% of people experience a negative reaction to the presence of this fungus, which results in dandruff.
It feeds on scalp oils… Natural scalp oils, known as sebum, are a key requirement to feed the dandruff-causing microbe.
The Malassezia feeds on these oils and breaks them down into by-products, including oleic acid.
That’s where dandruff starts.
Half the world is sensitive to oleic acid If you’re one of the 50% of people in the world sensitive to oleic acid, you’ll likely experience dandruff.
The body reacts to the presence of oleic acid by increasing the speed at which cells renew.
It’s an attempt to “shed” the irritant and is the mechanism that produces flakes. Dead skin cells build up on the scalp and become visible in the hair and fall onto the shoulders.
It’s not just about the flakes, either The body also reacts in other ways to Malassezia globosa and oleic acid besides flaking.
If you have dandruff, you’re likely to experience:
- An itchy scalp
- A dry scalp
- Inflammation
- Redness of the scalp
These are all symptoms caused by your body’s response to the irritation from Malassezia.
Malassezia research means better dandruff treatments At Head & Shoulders, we’ve been researching Malassezia for decades and our scientists sequenced all 4,285 of its genes in 2007.
By understanding how it works, we can better identify the irritants it produces and work to develop anti-dandruff shampoos that tackle these irritants and help eliminate dandruff.
But it doesn’t end there. We continue to research and work hard, not only to improve our shampoos, but also to investigate the biochemical changes to skin caused by the stress caused by Malassezia.
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