Health News and Information

Both hair and nails are derived from the epidermis, and both consist of the same dead tissue—the protein, keratin. Because of their derivation from the epidermis it is not surprising that diseases affecting the skin may affect the hair and nails as well. In addition, there are a number of disorders which are peculiar to the hair (including the scalp) and nails.

Dandruff is the commonest condition of the scalp for which treatment is sought. It is not however a disease. It is simply a physiological state which has been elevated to the status of a ‘disease’ solely on cosmetic grounds. Basically dandruff consists of normal, dead skin cells which have been shed only to become trapped among the hairs of the scalp or in the oily sebum film. It is most common after puberty and is absent on the bald scalp. If it occurs in excess, it may appear in other hair-bearing areas and is then called seborrhoeic dermatitis. Occasionally psoriasis is mistaken for severe dandruff, and so if what appears to be dandruff does not respond to simple measures, a doctor should be consulted. Dandruff is not an infection, nor has it any relationship with hair loss. Usually dandruff may be satisfactorily controlled by the use of shampoos containing tar, selenium disulphide, or zinc pyrithione, all of which act by reducing the rate of normal skin shedding (turnover rate). Sometimes salicylic acid or corticosteroid creams are required intermittently to control the condition. From the plethora of proprietary preparations sold over the counter it is obvious that dandruff concerns people, and that there is no one preparation which suits all sufferers.

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