It is hypothesized that for people with dandruff, skin cells may mature and be shed in 2–7 days, as opposed to around a month in people without dandruff. The result is that dead skin cells are shed in large, oily clumps, which appear as white or grayish flakes on the scalp, skin and clothes. According to one study, dandruff has been shown to be possibly the result of three factors:
Skin oil, commonly referred to as sebum or sebaceous secretions
The metabolic by-products of skin micro-organisms (most specifically Malassezia yeasts)
Individual susceptibility and allergy sensitivity. Microorganisms
Older literature cites the fungus Malassezia furfur (previously known as Pityrosporum ovale) as the cause of dandruff. While this species does occur naturally on the skin surface of people both with and without dandruff, in 2007, it was discovered that the responsible agent is a scalp specific fungus, Malassezia globosa, that metabolizes triglycerides present in sebum by the expression of lipase, resulting in a lipid byproduct: oleic acid. During dandruff, the levels of Malassezia increase by 1.5 to 2 times its normal level. Oleic acid penetrates the top layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, and evokes an inflammatory response in susceptible people which disturbs homeostasis and results in erratic cleavage of stratum corneum cells. Seborrhoeic dermatitis
In seborrhoeic dermatitis, redness and itching frequently occur around the folds of the nose and eyebrow areas, not just the scalp. Dry, thick, well-defined lesions consisting of large, silvery scales may be traced to the less common condition of scalp psoriasis.
However, it is mostly sold as cream and its main use is for treating athletes foot, jock itch, and ringworm. Coal tar
Coal tar causes the skin to shed dead cells from the top layer and slows skin cell growth. Essential oils
Essential oils, such as tea tree oil (for composition, see ISO 4730:2017), are found to be effective in the treatment of dandruff, but more research is required. Etymology
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word dandruff is first attested in 1545, but is still of unknown etymology. References


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