Dandruff is a problem that almost every adult has to deal with. Many kids are also known to suffer from dandruff issues. Dandruff is such a common hair problem that almost every person has experienced it once. Dandruff in kids can be especially problematic as it can cause irritation and itching on the scalp. As kids play a lot outdoors, they are more susceptible to dust which causes dandruff in them. So, you need to be aware of the causes of dandruff in children.
Firstly, what exactly is dandruff? It is mainly the dead pieces of skin found in a person’s hair that lead to the formation of white flakes and cause itchiness. This happens when inadequate hair protection from pollution is maintained. Such dandruff is widespread, but it develops into something much more severe like seborrhoeic dermatitis in some rare cases, which causes inflammation of the scalp area.
Causes of Dandruff in Child
The causes of dandruff are many things in adults, but in children, the reasons are given below.
- The improper shampooing of the kids’ hair can eventually cause dandruff in the child’s head. When we shampoo our hair, the dead cells need to be washed away properly. But this does not happen when a child’s hair is not washed correctly. In this way, the dead cells get accumulated on the kid’s scalp, resulting in dandruff.
- Malnutrition is one of the primary reasons why children suffer from dandruff. Kids have a lot of drama regarding food. They don’t like eating healthy veggies and will try to avoid eating them in any way possible. At the same time, they will always be ready to munch on unhealthy junk food. This doesn’t allow them to have a nutritious diet, leading to dandruff.
- Occasionally the hair products you use on your child’s hair might not suit them, and this causes dandruff. You can change these effects by changing the products that you use. Sometimes the products are insufficient to provide hair protection from sun damage and other kinds of elements. But a proper consultation with a doctor is always recommended.
- Malassezia is a yeast-like fungus that proliferates and causes a disturbance in the growth of the cells. Some illness or changes in the hormones in kids causes this fungus to emerge, and the consequences are most often dandruff.
- Another disease is seborrhoeic dermatitis which is also commonly known as eczema. It causes inflammation of the skin and doesn’t go away quickly, but fortunately, dandruff is just a milder form of this disease.
Dandruff is well-known, and thus noticing that your child has dandruff is also going to be relatively easy. You should immediately take adequate measures to control the symptoms whenever you notice them. Suppose you see visible white-coloured dry flakes on the scalp or even your child’s outfits, the scalp area filled with oily flakes. If your child is continuously itching their scalp area, red patches on the scalp caused by excessive itching or dandruff call for instant attention.
Consequences
If your child has mild dandruff, then you don’t have to worry about any severe consequences to their scalp. But if it develops into the condition of seborrhoeic dermatitis, Malassezia, eczema, or psoriasis, then your child’s scalp will get inflamed and turn red. Though it is scarce, you should still immediately consult with a doctor if any such symptoms occur, and the doctor will suggest an effective treatment to provide relief to your child.
Remedies for Children’s Dandruff
The kid’s skin is quite sensitive, so much care must be taken when you try our regular dandruff treatments on your kid. Here are a few treatments that are tried and tested to be safe for children.
- A good medicated shampoo can help your kid’s dandruff condition a lot. Any regular shampoo will not be helping in removing or controlling the dandruff condition, while some might be causing it to fester. Consulting with a skin specialist is highly recommended as they can tell you precisely the kind of medicated shampoo to get that would help improve your child’s condition. The shampoo Ketomac is also quite well known to be effective in removing dandruff and being safe for children.
- Dandruff is most often caused due to dry conditions, and your body is dehydrated. So you should make sure that your child is properly hydrated at all times. Ask them to drink more and more water. If they don’t do it, you need to provide them with measured quantities of water at regular intervals. This will surely improve the dandruff condition.
- Before shampooing your kid’s hair with the medicated shampoo, you should thoroughly brush your child’s hair. Brushing will remove the dead skin cells and the flakes, thus making it easy for the shampoo to do its work. This way, you will get maximum efficiency from the shampoo.
- You must ensure that all your children have their towels and combs and use their ones at all times. The germs can quickly transfer from one child to the other when they share combs or towels, and those germs also boost other dandruff issues. Thus separate towels and combs will ensure that the condition doesn’t spread.
- As was mentioned in the causes, malnutrition can cause dandruff. So you have to make sure that your child is receiving proper nutrition daily and that your child eats all the green and leafy vegetables. Carbohydrates and proteins also help maintain healthy and moist skin, so they will also help ultimately remove dandruff.
- It would help if you oiled your child’s scalp regularly and shampooed regularly. This will help keep your child’s scalp and hair moist and healthy. The oil moisturizes the scalp, and shampoo removes dirt and dust. Together they become the best hair care system.
If you follow these hair care tips and advice correctly, your child will be free of dandruff in a short time.