Dandruff can appear at any time, but it’s most likely to start when you hit puberty.
It’s all to do with the amount of oil (sebum) your body produces – a natural process that kicks in during puberty.
Sebum is essential for keeping your hair and scalp moisturized. But it’s also one of the key ingredients needed to cause dandruff.
The natural scalp microbe, Malassezia globosa, breaks down sebum to produce irritants like oleic acid. It’s a totally typical process that happens on everyone’s scalp.
However, around 50% of the world’s population are sensitive to these irritants. Their scalp’s reaction is to increase the rate of skin cell turnover. These excess cells clump together to form the white flakes associated with dandruff.
As your hormones change during puberty, your sebaceous glands increase the amount of oil they produce. More oil equals more oleic acid and if you’re in that 50% of the population who are sensitive to it, you’re very likely to experience dandruff for the first time.
If you’re going through puberty, or for any other reason experiencing increased oil on your scalp, look for Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner to help you keep dandruff at bay.
They’re clinically proven to tackle dandruff flakes, as well as the associated symptoms of dandruff like an itchy and dry scalp.