Scraping the scalp can cause damage

However, I must warn you, when you scrape your scalp with a hard comb or a brush to remove these flakes, you can be creating a much more sensitive and damaged scalp environment.

Everyday our body spills off dead skin cells that are replaced by new cells.

You know its best to shower with a rag in order to rub your skin to remove, what our parents would call dirt. They taught us to “soap that rag and rub your skin good”.

Well, that so call “dirt”, is dead skin cells that our body is throwing off. Most of us bathe once or twice a day, but how often do we wash our hair.

The answer for most of us is that we wash our hair and scalp once a week, or even once every two weeks. Can you imagine how many dead cells we are accumulating on our scalp? Specialised shampoos are great for removing the dead cells from the scalp.

On the other hand, there are harsh detergent type shampoos that strip the hair and scalp of special natural lubrication — sebaceous oils (sebum).

This causes a drying of the scalp and leads to itching and flaking.

The side effect of the itching is that the scalp can become damaged, which can cause hair loss.

Now, you see how it all ties in.

Seborrhoea dermatitis can be seen on the hairline of most sufferers.

I say sufferers because if it is not treated with a multi-therapeutic approach, it can return with more vengeance. I see this one frequently and though this condition is not curable, it is controllable.

This condition is caused by a combination of things including, medical condition, use of some medications, stress, dry/cold weather and environmental toxins.

Hence before treatment, one must consider the internal and external factors that may be contributing to this condition.

Scaly scalp disorders can be embarrassing, since the flakes can be seen on clothes, in spite of the colour of the garment.

Black fabric against white flakes is even more noticeable.

In severe cases, flakes can also be seen in the eyebrows, moustache and the side of the nose.

So look around your office today and see whether there are or co-workers whom you may be able to advise to see a trichologist.

Tell them to seek advice so they can be saved from embarrassment.

Tell them that topical shampoo alone will not work, since it is necessary for the trichologist to examine the scalp, discuss their history and then take a holistic approach, for best result. Tell them that seborrhoeic or seborrhoea dermatitis may be a simple and common skin disease, but it is a disease that can be controlled.

Germaine Williams-Beckles is a Doctor of Trichology (DT T?CT) and nutrition consultant (NC), geesexclusive.com. For more info: 627-4659 or email your questions to queries@geesexclusive.

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