During puberty, along with many other problems related to sudden development, there are lots of chances of developing dandruff. So, we are here to discuss about why it is likely to get dandruff in the teens.
Literally “13 to 19” – the teenage years might prove to be tough if one fails to get rid of the persisting dandruff issues. Sadly, teens are more likely to experience issues related to dandruff. So, both the teenagers and their parents need to know about the solutions, and what can you do about it.
This issue is caused by a microbe called Malassezia globosa that occurs naturally. Their main function is to break down the oils present in your scalp into such substances that are directly related to dandruff conditions. Most victims are sensitive to such substances, and as a resultant condition, the scalp skin reacts to produce new skin cells at a highly accelerated rate. These cells eventually form dandruff in the form of extra dead cells. These again scatter across the scalp area and all over the hair as small greyish white flakes, and are often seen accumulating all over the shoulders.
Just like other teenage issues, including acnes, voice breaking, etc., dandruff too is a result of the exuberance of hormone secretion. All these changes that a teenager goes through from within his/her body is a very common experience, and is not just limited to a handful of them.
When we fall in our teenage years, the levels of various hormones go high, thus contributing to the production of a considerable amount of sebum, i.e. oils in our skin, and scalp is not an exception. The sebum breaks down into substances that potentially irritate the scalp skin, resulting in the development of dandruff.
Teenage period is probably the beginning of prolonged dandruff issues, or might be a passing phase that develops because of the change in your levels of sebum and several teenage hormones. However, the intensity varies from person to person in the sense that, one teenager might be more prone in developing dandruff than the other.
The dandruff symptoms primarily develops in the form of skin irritation that develops mostly because of the Malassezia globosa microbe, as mentioned above. Gradually the symptoms move ahead one after the other, as below:
The whitish flakes that appear all over your hair and gather on your shoulder, is the primary and most common sign of dandruff. This condition becomes worse with your body increasing the skin cells renewal rate. Resultantly, the extra skin cells of your scalp develop around your entire head region, and finally, flake off.
However, even though this is one of the most visible signs of dandruff, it is not necessarily the first symptom to look out for. Sensation of itching is generally the primary symptom that appears first, and often seem to be the initial warning signal before the white dandruff flakes shows up. Red patches and dryness might as well show up earlier too. In such cases, you get a tight sensation on your scalp.
So, you see, there is no fixed rule that one symptom will develop prior to the other, but you might need to look out for one of these symptoms, and act accordingly, as fast as possible, either by experimenting with an anti-dandruff shampoo, preferably with natural ingredients, or else, consult your consultant dermatologist. One should not ignore washing one’s hair from time to time, use a good conditioner to keep the hair oily and moist, as also, make sure, not to let the hair get sweaty, especially after outings like a sporty session, a long drive, or even after partying.
