Darunak or commonly known as dandruff, is a disorder that affects the scalp. Dandruff causes white, dry flakes of dead skin cells to shed from the scalp. Although dandruff rarely causes baldness and hair loss, the itchiness of this condition may most certainly be a cause of concern. If white flakes persist for a long time, the person may experience symptoms of seborrhea, psoriasis, or eczema. According to Ayurveda, Darunak is a Vatakapha predominant tridoshaj disease. According to Acharya  Sushrut , Madhav  and Yogratnakar , Darunak have symptoms like Itching, White scales like structures, Dryness in the scalp. Along with aforesaid symptoms of Acharya Vagbhatta also considered Hair loss and Numbness of scalp. The Adhisthan (place of origin) of this disease is the keshbhumi (Scalp). 

Over time, proponents of Ayurveda have conducted various researches on this disease, trying to find out an effective solution when it comes to dandruff related problems. 

Prolonged Treatment for Wet or Oily dandruff: 

The scalp skin produces sebum (Kapha), which is an oily substance. This sebum helps in keeping your scalp and hair hydrated. It is a natural process, without which your hair may turn dry and frizzy. However, when this sebum (kapha) is over produced due to certain reasons, you may suffer from problems of the scalp. Over production of sebum (kapha) causes oily scales to appear on the scalp, which may cause severe itching and may also result in infection. Therefore, wet dandruff requires prolonged treatment, whereas it is easier to treat dry dandruff. 

Impurity in the blood: 

According to Ayurvedic system of medicine, dry dandruff is caused because of  Vata Pradhan Kapha dosha . On the other hand, wet dandruff is caused because of  Kapha Pradhan Vata dosha . As per Acharya Videha Pitta and Kapha are involved in causing darunak i.e. Dandruff. The vitiation of Vata and Pitta in the body leads to vitiation of Raktadhatu(blood) thus giving rise to impurities in the blood. This in turn leads to poor nourishment of the scalp. In such cases, detoxification of blood is also required to get rid of dandruff. 

Ayurvedic View

Ayurveda places the problem of dandruff in the category of Shudra Roga, which appears due to an imbalance of all three doshas (Ayurvedic humor). The primary doshas involved are Kapha and Vata.Kapha is an Ayurvedic humor which symbolizes Softness, Stickiness, provides nourishment & lubrication. Vata is dry and rough in nature. In an aggravated state, both doshas as per their predominance cause the production of specific impurities in scalp, which are dry and sticky in nature. These impurities accumulate in the deep tissues of the scalp and contaminate them. Contamination of the deep tissues and aggravated Vata-Kapha Dosha causes itching and flaky patches on the scalp. Due to these factors, the scalp sheds larger than normal amounts of dead epidermal cells, which leads to the problem of dandruff. 

The Ayurvedic line of treatment is to generally pacify Kapha and Vata through herbal medicines, as well as a tailor-made diet and lifestyle plan. Also, special herbs are administered to cleanse the body of accumulated digestive impurities. 

The Ayurvedic system of treatment for wet or oily dandruff, in particular, is briefly mentioned here: 

According to Ayurveda, dandruff could be caused due to prolonged intake of cold water, Excessive usage of foods that taste salty, Chronic Rhinitis,  Irregular Sleeping Habits, Excessive Exposure to UV of sun, Suppressing Natural Urges, Excessive consumption of alcohol, Excessive sweating , Improper maintenance of Hair and using very less or no hair oil for massaging Head and Scalp.
Ayurveda suggests both topical and internal medicines for the treatment of wet or oily dandruff. The topical medicines are intended to manage dandruff and also provide relief from itching and infection, if any. The internal medicines are intended to detox the blood and also improve immunity, nourish the skin and thereby help in improving the quality of hair.
If dandruff is caused due to psoriasis and eczema, then there are exclusive medicines to combat the infection, detox the body and nourish the skin and hair.
Ayurveda suggests that foods like coconut, Indian gooseberry ( Amla), Raisins etc. help in preventing dandruff.
In addition to these, Ayurveda also suggests various home remedies for effective management of both wet and dry dandruff, like washing your hair with decoction prepared with Neem Leaves or Take powder of Mustard seeds and licorice, make them into paste by adding milk to it and leave it on head for 20min and wash later with water.
Taking Panchkarama detoxification procedures like Nasyam, Raktamokshnam, Shirobasti, Abhyanga Swedanam under the guidance of expert can also play very important role in the management of both the types of dandruff. 
Accumulated hair and dandruff scales can be made returned to the healthy scalp from unclean combs and brushes. This may irritate the scalp and causes flare of dandruff again. Combs and brushes are the tools for the care of your hair; they should be properly made and well cared to accomplish this purpose. Neem wood combs can work wonder but they should also be regularly cleaned and changed every six months. It can be easily deduced that wet dandruff can be effectively managed and treated by undergoing treatment under Ayurvedic system of medicines. 
However, you should avail such treatment under the supervision of an experienced doctor specialised in Ayurvedic medical science.

Dandruff (Oily & Wet) and its Management With Ayurveda 

Do you know that dandruff causes acne?

Acne is a skin condition that happens when pores get clogged with dead skin cells and oil, giving rise to pimples. It can be caused by numerous reasons like hormonal changes, improper diet, stress, consumption of specific drugs, excessive use of cosmetic products etc. In addition to these factors, acne can be caused by dandruff too, which may not be known to most of you. It has been observed that people who suffer from dandruff problems are more prone to getting pimples.

How does dandruff cause acne?

Dandruff has been associated with presence of yeast or fungi, it is also associated with abnormal skin ultrastructure. Dandruff makes the skin on your scalp flaky. These dry flakes of skin are often responsible for clogging the pores on your face, mostly affecting your forehead. In this way, dandruff triggers appearance of acne and can worsen the condition of your skin if you already have pimples. Though acne is more common among teenagers, acne due to dandruff is mostly experienced by people above the age of 20.

How can you prevent acne due to dandruff?

Eradicating dandruff from your scalp is the best way to prevent acne breakouts on your skin due to dandruff. Here are some simple ways to keep acne due to dandruff away from your skin.

1. Ensure that your hair stays off your face

Keeping hair off your face will ensure that dandruff doesn't come in contact with your skin and clog pores, preventing pimples. For this, you can use hair bands or tie your hair in a ponytail or braid.

2. Brush your hair at least twice a day

Brushing your hair at least two times a day will ensure that the dead cells on your scalp are removed and don't get a chance to clog pores. This option is highly beneficial in getting rid of acne caused by dandruff.

3. Use medicated anti-dandruff shampoo

Topical medicated solutions like a medicated shampoo should be used as a treatment. Short contact period of shampoo with scalp is important for more benefit. Good conditioner should also be used after head wash with shampoo.

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Do You Know that Dandruff Causes ACNE?

Dandruff is also known as Seborrhea, the white flakes that you may notice on your scalp or skin. It is generally caused due to dryness. Dandruff can only be controlled and not absolutely cured. It can give rise to other skin problems as well. The following are the ways in which your skin may be adversely affected due to dandruff

Pimples may pop out: Due to dandruff pimples may pop out on your skin. If the white flakes fall on your T- zone region, the facial area which is more prone to pimples.
Problem of pigmentation: The pimples leave behind dark spots all over your skin leading to the embarrassing problem of pigmentation. Dandruff makes the condition even worse.
Chest rashes may appear: If your dandruff becomes uncontrollable then it keeps falling all over your body. This may lead to the break out of chest rashes.
Acne: Acne is another distressing problem that may be the result of dandruff. This also promotes the break out of pimples and red rashes on your skin.
Facial rashes: Facial rashes may also appear in many cases. Rashes can be seen near the eyebrow or forehead region. In case of men, beard rashes are also common.
Itchy scalp: Dandruff gives you an itchy scalp. This further makes the condition of dandruff worse and the skin of your scalp becomes scaly resulting in further problems.
Eczema and psoriases are unfavorably affected: Skin problems like eczema and psoriases become far worse due to dandruff.
Inflammation and redness: Dandruff may cause your facial skin to suffer from the problems of inflammation and redness.
It is highly recommended for you to use natural remedies and good hair care products to control your dandruff so that your skin is not much affected. But if it is uncontrollable, visiting a dermatologist is a must.

How Is Dandruff Affecting Your Skin?

Seborrhea or dandruff can be a very distressing as well as an embarrassing problem. Dandruff, primarily caused due to dryness, refers to the white flakes that fall off your scalp. The problem of dandruff is common for both men and women, irrespective of age. Dandruff is such a problem that cannot be cured easily but can only be controlled. There are many remedies for controlling dandruff.

Eight such remedies are mentioned below:

1. Use anti- dandruff hair care products: using anti-dandruff shampoos and conditioners can help you to control your problem of dandruff.
2. Avoid oiling your hair on a regular basis: dandruff, at times, tends to increase if your scalp is excessively oily. So, to avoid it, try not to oil your hair regularly. Also, if you have an oily scalp, make sure to use the correct hair care products to control the problem.
3. Apply lemon juice: lemon juice is known to be a very effective remedy for treating dandruff naturally. Apply lemon juice all over your scalp to combat the problem of dandruff.
4. Baking soda: baking soda is an effective remedy. Baking soda helps to reduce the excess oil on your scalp
5. Use virgin olive oil: massage warm virgin olive oil on your scalp, this can help you to reduce your problem of dandruff to some extent.
6. Include more vitamins in your diet: a healthy diet can help you to deal with your problem of dandruff more efficiently.
7. Mental stress: reducing your mental stress can help you to control dandruff, since most hair problems occur due to stress or stress related problems.
8. Use the right comb: try using an appropriate comb for your hair. If the comb hurts your scalp, then the skin of your scalp may turn flakier resulting in more dandruff.
Following the above mentioned tips can help you to deal with your problem of dandruff efficiently. If you are unable to control dandruff, you should not ignore it and consider visiting a dermatologist for further advice.

8 Remedies to Treat Dandruff

Dandruff is a condition where flakes of dead skin appear on the scalp, accompanied with itching. There are different types of dandruff you can suffer from. It be can yellow and sticky or white and flaky. It is a very common condition, which is often the result of exposure to styling products, chronic constipation, stress, fatigue or pollution. A chemical treatment can surely cure the condition but it can also harm your hair as well as have its fair share of side effects. 

Here are a few ayurvedic treatments which you could try to treat dandruff:

1. Coconut oil and camphor: Mix a small portion of camphor with some coconut. Store it in a container and apply it to your scalp every night. The camphor will help cool your scalp, which will help reduce the dandruff.

2. Coconut and lemon: Lemon is a particular ingredient, which is used for many hair care remedies. Warm up the coconut oil, mix some lemon juice in it and apply it on your scalp. Leave it on for at least half an hour and then wash your hair with shampoo. Perform this remedy at least for two to three weeks.

3. Curd and gram flour: Take a small bowl of curd and mix two to three teaspoons of gram flour. Add half a spoon of lemon juice in the mixture before applying it on your scalp and leave it for half an hour. Curd and gram flour are considered to be the best cleansers to clean the scalp and one of the best remedies for dandruff.

4. Lemon and neem leaves: Take a few neem leaves and make a paste. Add only half of a lemon to the paste and apply the mixture to your scalp. Leave it on for half an hour before washing your hair with shampoo. Follow this for at least two to three weeks.

5. Hot oil massage: A hot oil massage not only gives you relaxation, but also helps a lot with dandruff. Heat up a small amount of oil and massage your scalp with it. The hot oil seeps deeper into the roots of hair.
These remedies not only clear your scalp of the dandruff, but they also make your hair soft, smooth and healthy. So go and try them out.

How to Treat Dandruff With Ayurveda

Dandruff is not a major health concern but it can affect your self-confidence and self-image. This condition is most often the result of a dry scalp or type of dermatitis. It could also be caused by a yeast infection or eczema. Common forms of treatment for dandruff include medicated shampoos that fight the fungus or slow down the ageing of skin cells on the scalp. Some ways of treating excessive dandruff are:

Neem- Neem is renowned for its anti-fungal properties that help in the treatment of dandruff. It is also well known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Neem can be used on its own by applying a paste of boiled neem leaves on your scalp or used as a hair mask made of dried and crushed neem leaves and olive oil. Your scalp may itch a little on the application of this paste but this is temporary.

Coconut and Honey Scrub- Coconut helps preserve proteins in the hair and lessens dandruff. Honey is also used to treat dandruff as it has well known anti-microbial properties. To benefit from this, apply and massage a mixture of 2 teaspoons of honey or coconut oil and 3 teaspoons of yogurt to your scalp for about 10 minutes before washing your hair. Wait for about half an hour before rinsing it out. Dry with a towel and massage a few drops of coconut oil into the scalp. However, do not rinse your hair more than twice with shampoo while washing off the paste as it can strip your hair of its moisture.

Banana and Apple Cider Vinegar- Bananas are a good source of vitamin B that helps improve circulation and keeps skin healthy. Apple cider is also a known fungicide that helps treat dandruff. If you suffer from acute dandruff, massage a paste of 1 whole banana and 2 cups of apple cider vinegar into your scalp and leave for 20 minutes on a daily basis for a week. Once dandruff reduces, you can apply the paste once a week.

Yogurt- Yogurt is rich in healthy bacteria that helps reduce yeast in the body and prevents the scaling of dead skin cells. To use yogurt as a form of treatment for dandruff, apply a cup of fresh yogurt to the scalp and leave for 15 minutes before rinsing off. You could also add two spoons of freshly ground pepper to the yogurt as pepper also has antifungal properties.  

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