Most skin conditions although very common, aren’t often spoken about.
Take dandruff for example - it affects 11% of the population worldwide, however, because people tend to be embarrassed by it, they simply don’t like to talk about it (after all, it’s hardly a topic you’d bring up over dinner).
Since Dandruff is hidden within the hair, many sufferers decide to just live with it and oftentimes never even seek any professional help to treat it. However, the health and appearance of the hair will be affected by Dandruff because shiny, gorgeous locks need a healthy scalp to grow from. This can lead to negative effects on a person’s confidence, urging them to try DIY treatments at home, which can actually make the problem worse.
Whilst Dandruff is pretty harmless, unbeknown to most there’s actually a more advanced version, medically known as Seborrheic Dermatitis, which involves inflammation and itchy, flaking or scaling skin, which is often mistaken for Dandruff. So, for those suffering from what seems like Dandruff, it’s of the utmost importance to seek professional advice.
It is estimated that SD and Dandruff combined affect half of the adult population.
Since Seborrhoea presents itself with white, scaly flakes, many people assume they have dry skin, and often think using oils and moisturisers will fix the scaling and relieve the itchy feeling. This condition however, is not caused by dry skin, quite the opposite in fact - irritated, oily skin is one of the main culprits of both Dandruff and Seborrhoea, so slathering on oils will definitely do more harm than good!
If the problem is in the scalp, most pharmacies offer a range of anti-dandruff shampoos available over the counter and can offer advice on how to use them. However, if symptoms persist after using anti-dandruff shampoo for a month, there seems to be a lot of dandruff, the scalp is very itchy or red or swollen, or the problem is on other areas of the face or body, then it’s time to seek professional advice as this is likely to be Seborrhoea.
What causes Seborrhoea?
In addition to oily skin, there are a number of contributing factors that can cause Seborrhoea: an unbalanced diet, poor scalp hygiene and psychological stress, as well as a yeast-like fungus (called Malassezia furfur) which feeds on scalp oils and although is present on everyone’s skin, can be known to overgrow in some cases, especially those whose immune system is impaired, like people who suffer from diabetes for example.
Dandruff vs Seborrhoea
Dandruff is limited to the scalp, however, whilst Seborrhoea also affects the scalp, it can be found on other parts of the face and body where there’s the most sebaceous (oil) gland activity including the upper back and chest, face/forehead, the around the nose, behind the ears, the navel (belly button), eyebrows, under the breasts and in the creases/bends of the arms, legs and groin.
WOW fusion® for Seborrhoea
Seborrhoea is treated with corticosteroids or other inflammatory ingredients which usually come in topical creams, lotions, foams, and solutions. As such, these solutions will work superficially, but to target the problem on a deeper level, we recommend micro-needling. This allows the solution to penetrate deep into the scalp or skin, reducing inflammation, dryness, and redness, giving effective, long-lasting results.
WOW fusion® practitioners are expertly trained to prescribe the right cocktail of ingredients in the award-winning WOW fusion® micro-needling device. WOW practitioners can offer a professional, results-driven solution to combat most skin conditions.
To find a WOW fusion® provider close to you, click on ‘Find a provider’ from the main menu, enter your postcode and choose ‘WOW fusion® centre’ from the dropdown menu, then click search. Your closest practitioners will be listed, so you can contact your nearest clinic to book your skin assessment and begin your journey to skin health.
Author: Danielle
Category: Skincare, WOW Journal