Dandruff Myths

You should know some of the more common dandruff falsehoods, to set the record straight.
Myth:	"Dandruff can be passed on by sharing combs, hairbrushes and pillows."
Fact:	While dandruff usually has a medical cause, it is not a disease or a virus and so cannot be transmitted from one person to the next. The flakes normally found on combs, hairbrushes and pillows are just dead skin cells.
Myth:	"Stress causes dandruff."
Fact:	Stress by itself has never been provent to actually cause dandruff. But it is important to take care of yourself: stress can compound the problem by affecting your body's ability to fight the Malassezia (formerly called Pityrosporum ovale or P. ovale) fungus - the main cause of dandruff.

Myth:	"Dandruff flakes come from a dry scalp."
Fact:	Wrong! This is a common misconception. Not only is this wrong, people who believe it may be making their dandruff problem worse. Dry scalp is simply a lack of either moisture or not enough natural oils on the scalp. This may indeed lead to small, dry flakes, as well as itchiness or tightness of the scalp. But dandruff flakes tend to be larger in size, white in color, and oily looking. The dandruff flakes are actually groups of dead skin cells that are being replaced at rapid levels because of too much Malassezia fungus. The Malassezia fungus causes skin irritation, which then makes old skin cells shed faster. The result: Dandruff.
Myth:	"Poor hygiene causes dandruff."
Fact:	You could have the best hygiene habits in the world, but still have dandruff. So, don't feel that you are the problem, and don't look down on others with dandruff. Because dandruff results from higher levels of the fungus called Malassezia, washing your hair regularly can help remove flakes, but it does little to fight the actual fungus problem. To control dandruff, you will need to fight the actual cause.
Myth:	"Greasy hair causes dandruff."
Fact:	Actually, this is only partially a myth. The greasy hair doesn't actually cause dandruff because the skin and hair has a natural oil or seblum. People with dandruff or seborrhea have a different chemical composition of sebum that allows the Malassezia fungus to grow more readily. So, just keeping your hair less greasy may not help control dandruff, because its the type of oils in your hair not just the amount that contributes to dandruff flakes.
Myth:	"You can get dandruff by wearing a hat."
Fact:	While wearing a hat won't cause dandruff, it might make your problem worse. Be careful when wearing a hat if it doesn't allow your scalp perspiration to properly evaporate. The trapped perspiration can become alkaline and allow fungus to easily grow.
Myth:	"You need to wash your hair frequently to control dandruff."
Fact:	If only this were true. Anyone suffering from dandruff has probably worked harder to scrub and wash their hair diligently in hopes of combatting embarassing flakes. But no matter how many times you wash your hair, you'll never eliminate dandruff without treating the actual cause. Since dandruff is caused by a fungus called Malassezia, the best way to clear your scalp of dandruff is to use a shampoo designed to fight Malassezia.