Dry Flakes: How to Get Rid of Them?

In France, dandruff affects 1 in 2 people. Despite being harmless, dandruff can tarnish the daily life of those affected as it is unsightly and can cause varying degrees of itchiness.

Easily identifiable, these are dead cells or scales that are whitish or greyish on the scalp. These dead cells are the result of an accelerated cellular renewal at the scalp level. This too rapid cellular renewal leads to a maturation defect of the epidermal cells that cannot naturally eliminate themselves. They clump together, thus forming dandruff. Generally, dandruff appears from puberty onwards.

Although the mechanism of accelerated cell renewal causing dandruff is well understood, theorigin of dandruff remains a topic of debate. Indeed, the proliferation of microorganisms (Malassezia fungus), genetic predisposition, and excess sebum are the main causes identified. However, there are other factors that promote the appearance of dandruff (diet, moments of stress...).

Dandruff is therefore a common condition of the scalp. There are two types of dandruff: dry dandruff and oily dandruff.

The dry flakes represent the most common type of dandruff. Thin, dry and of a whitish colour, they fall like snow onto the shoulders.

It's important to note : unlike oily dandruff which sticks to the scalp, dry dandruff does not adhere to the scalp. As a result, it becomes visible on clothing. This type of dandruff is rarely accompanied by itching.

Generally, dry dandruff is predominantly observed on dry or normal scalps. A dry scalp is characterised by a lack of substances that help to keep skin cells together (ceramides, fatty acids, cholesterol). Consequently, the skin's barrier function is impaired. This results in an insensible water loss at the scalp level.

This dryness leads to a phenomenon of desquamation with the appearance of dry flakes on the scalp. Due to a lack of sebum, these flakes do not adhere to the scalp and fall like snow.