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Joanna M. African Author
Joanna M.
Hair
10 / 2020

How to Get Rid Of Dandruff on Natural Hair | Black African Hair 4C

afro hair dandruff

How to Get Rid Of Dandruff on Natural African Hair | 4C Hair, Black Hair

The struggle is real for many of us naturals. First dryness, then breakage, then finding out why our hair just won’t grow, and NOW, dealing with those horrible white flakes on our beautiful natural black African hair. My dear naturals, please persevere, and don’t let these struggles get the best out of you. With today’s topic, I will give some tips on how to get rid of dandruff on natural black hair.

Now, I've already talked about itchy scalp remedies for black hair. Itchy scalp often comes hand in hand with dandruff. However, did you know that oily scalp on natural hair is also a very common symptom of dandruff?

I suffered from severe dandruff and extremely oily hair for many years, which I later discovered was caused by my use of shampoos containing harsh chemicals such as Sodium Laureth Sulphate. It was not until I stopped using these shampoos that my dandruff reduced – but it still didn’t go away. Because I used to wash my hair every week for seven years, the damage was done.

Luckily my dandruff has reduced drastically due to my learning more about the causes, along with using home remedies to prevent dandruff on black hair.

Of course, dandruff is not a pretty sight on our naturally dark hair, and what’s worse is that dandruff can be persistent. But if you take the right measures, AND STICK TO IT, you can get rid of it. Bear in mind that any remedies I present to you must be used regularly. There is no magic overnight fix to dandruff.

Continue reading below to find out how to get rid of dandruff permanently. P.S Also, check out my article on how to grow natural hair fast if you're looking for hair growth tips.

What is Dandruff

Dandruff is one of the most common aesthetic problems that many of us naturals face in our daily lives. Every person has mild dandruff every day, because it is basically old, dead cells that have to give way to the new ones. Every four weeks, the scalp is renewed which causes the dead cells to shift. However, if this process of call shedding happens too fast and the skin cells visibly clump together, this can be seen as extreme dandruff. So, what exactly causes dandruff and how to get rid of dandruff and hair fall? Continue reading/

What Causes Dandruff in African Hair?

Harsh Shampoos:

One of the most common reasons for dandruff is the use of chemical-based shampoo. Dandruff and hair loss is bound to occur if you use a shampoo that contains harmful chemicals and that does not suit you.

High Heat:

Using harsh shampoos frequently, with iron, curlers, or any heat-based product often also leads to hair loss.

Fungal Infections:

Extreme dandruff can be caused when bacteria and fungi grow on the scalp, causing an annoying itching and the formation of dry skin flakes on the hair. A yeast-type fungus called Malassezia lives on most scalps of adults and generally does not cause any problems. However, for some people, the fungus can cause irritation of the scalp that stimulates the growth of new cells. The excess skin cells then die before falling off which gives the white scaly appearance of the dandruff on the hair and the clothes.

Such excessive scaling of the scalp can be due to heterogeneous factors, from hereditary to the side effects of unsuitable hair products. These increase the natural skin shedding process. As a result, more and more dead cells dissolve, leading to the characteristic white scales. If greasy hair is not treated properly, it can also promote dandruff.

Diet & nutrition:

You may not be aware, but your diet and nutrition also have a positive or negative effect on the texture of your hair and hair health. People suffering from nutritional deficiency suffer from dandruff and hair loss. Finally, anxiety, stress, hormonal imbalance, worries, etc … are some of the other reasons because of dandruff and hair loss at the same time.

Dry skin:

One of the most common reasons for dandruff is dry skin. If you have dandruff caused by dry skin, characteristic flakes or fringes tend to be smaller and drier than those caused by other types of dandruff. People with dandruff caused by dry skin are also usually affected in other parts of their bodies.

People who are prone to dry skin often have a dry scalp. Dehydrating measures such as daily hair washing, washing with hot rather than lukewarm water, blow drying at the highest heat level, alcoholic hair tints, or other drying cosmetics such as hair foam and spray can lead to dry dandruff. Every single measure does not have to be bad. But if too much comes together, the skin’s own fats (lipids) disappear and the skin dries up quickly

Seborrheic dermatitis:

This is another common cause of dandruff, but unlike dry skin, this type of dandruff is due to excessively oily skin and is characterized by reddened and oily skin covered with scales. Seborrheic dermatitis can affect the skin almost everywhere in your body where you have lots of sebaceous glands such as eyebrows, armpits, and the groin region.

Contact dermatitis:

Some people are sensitive to the ingredients contained in certain hair products, which leads to a reaction. This adverse reaction may include itching, redness and scaling of the scalp. Hair dyes, certain chemicals, and even shampooing too often could irritate the scalp enough to cause dandruff. If you know that a product is causing a reaction, stop using it immediately.

You do not wash your hair often enough:

For some people, just washing their hair more often (at least once a week) may be all they need to get rid of dandruff. Not washing regularly means that skin cells and fats can accumulate on the scalp and mix with product buildup leading to dandruff.

How to Get Rid of Dandruff in Natural African Hair

The problem of dandruff can be controlled by following a series of routines and hair care products, but also with a series of home remedies that, although they take longer to show the results, in the end, they treat the problem more effectively.

The first step to getting rid of dandruff is visiting a trichologist. A trichologist is what I like to call a ‘hair doctor’. I know you will probably be upset that I said to visit a trichologist because you just want a cheap, easy, and quick solution. But the reason why I recommend visiting trichologists is that they tend to have microscopic machines that can help them inspect your scalp and observe what is going on.

How else will you be able to know if you have a fungal infection or some other infection that is affecting your scalp? If your dandruff iis caused by disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, etc … it is necessary to consult the doctor and seek the appropriate treatment.

So how do you get rid of such dandruff without visiting a trichologist? If you are certain your dandruff is not caused by fungal infections, the first step to treatment will depend on whether the dandruff you are experiencing is greasy dandruff or dry dandruff. You will need to take the best preventative method which I have listed below.

How to Get Rid of Dry Dandruff In Natural African Hair

Women tend to be more prone to dry skin than men, especially during menopause. If you know you have dry flaky dandruff, the best method is to AVOID shampoos and hair products that dry out your scalp.

get rid of dandruff in african hair

You need to avoid as many dehydrating measures as possible which include:

  • Do not wash your hair daily
  • Avoid shampoos with Sodium Laureth Sulphate
  • You should also look for anti-fungal shampoos and make use of mild conditioners for the treatment of dandruff and hair loss.
  • Secondly, using home remedies such as hot coconut oil, peppermint oil, etc … It can also be useful to get rid of dandruff.
  • Let your hair dry in the air, instead of blow-drying. But if you want to blow dry your hair AVOID putting the dryer near your scalp. I know one of the reasons I had dandruff for many years was because I used to apply the blow dryer heat directly on my roots. Just focus on blow drying your hair.

Homemade Remedies for Dry Dandruff on Black African Hair

Before you begin using any ingredients on your hair, you must first know how to wash natural hair. This way, you'll prevent breakage and remove excess product buildup. Hair must be washed before and after application.

Start with applying a leave in conditioner with tea tree oil to your scalp and allow it to work overnight. If you don’t have a leave in conditioner with tea tree oil, buy a tea tree essential oil and add 5 drops to half a cup of leave-in.

Alternatively, add a few drops of sunflower oil, which are dropped in the evening by pipette on the scalp. In the morning just wash out with a mild shampoo. Especially in winter, when you spend a lot of time in heated rooms, this is a treat for the skin.

For more homemade remedies, have a read through the article called homemade leave in conditioner for natural hair, as well the article olive oil deep conditioner for natural hair. The formulations listed should help prevent breakage and keep your hair in healthy conditioner. Also try our homemade coconut milk deep conditioner for natural hair.

How to Get Rid of Greasy Dandruff On Black African Hair

Oily dandruff has other causes from dry dandruff. This type of dandruff mostly affects people with a tendency to increased lipid production by the sebaceous glands of the scalp. Causes for increased lipid production are hormonal changes and hereditary tendency to increased sebum production. More so, polycystic ovarian syndrome can also increase sebum production.

Dandruff and greasy hair can occur together or separately. Oily hair can be the cause of dandruff. However, both hair problems lead to brittle, powerless hair without volume, which looks unclean, even if it has just been washed. Dandruff and greasy hair can affect both the condition and the aesthetics of the hair because the excess fat sticks to the hair which can make your hair look limp and ruin any hairstyle.

What causes greasy dandruff? To explain this properly, we have to study the sebaceous gland in more detail. It is located at the root of each hair follicle and is responsible for the production of sebum (components such as fats, cells, acids). Sebum is important for the health and beauty of the hair. Sebum protects the skin from drying out and other environmental influences.

If the sebum production increases uncontrollably for various reasons (genetic, hormonal, environmental, nutrition-related), the hair root is surrounded by too much fat. The excess sebum can also spread to the rest of the hair.

To combat this kind of dandruff you must avoid:

  • Shampoos that say they help fight greasy hair because they can strip your scalp from oils which can lead to a vicious circle. They dry out the scalp severely and thereby force the sebaceous glands to increased fat production. One should consult with the selection of the care product from the dermatologist.
  • Avoid shampoos with Sodium Laureth Sulphate
  • If you must shampoo, opt for a clarifying shampoo or a special anti-dandruff shampoo
  • Use Shampoos that contain Salicylic acid. In the treatment of dandruff, the application of salicylic acid to the hair has proven to be one of the most effective novelties. This substance with recognized keratolytic activity (ie it helps to remove dead skin cells) is increasingly being included in hair cosmetic products and used in specific dandruff treatments that can reduce dandruff by up to 90 percent.
  • Use shampoos that contain anti-bacterial and anti-fungal ingredients

Homemade Recipe to Get Rid of Dry Dandruff on Black African Hair

  • Boil one full cup of water, add a pinch of cassia herbs or green tea herbs. Leave the solution to cool.
  • Once cooled, add 7 drops of tea tree oil, one tablespoon of white vinegar, one tablespoon of neem oil into the tea solution.
  • Add solution in a spray bottle and spray directly on your scalp
  • Use this every 3 days for the first month. Then once a week on wash day

Anti Dandruff Homemade Deep Conditioners for Natural Hair & Homemade Remedies for Dandruff On Black African Hair

If you are not sure whether you have dry or greasy dandruff, here are some other classic home remedies that you can use to say goodbye to dandruff. You can use this alongside your natural hair products for black hair growth.

Home remedies for dandruff On African Hair: white vinegar

One of the most effective home remedies for dandruff is white vinegar. This ingredient has 5% acetic acid, which can create in the scalp an ‘environment’ not suitable for the growth of the yeasts and fungi that cause dandruff.

To say goodbye to dandruff with this home remedy, you will need to wash your hair for about 4 minutes with a mixture that has a part of white vinegar and three parts of water. If dandruff persists you can try applying the mixture directly on the hair, wrap it in a towel and let it work all night. In the morning you will only have to wash your head with your natural shampoo to check how dandruff will have disappeared with this home remedy.

Home remedies for dandruff On Natural African Hair: aloe vera

The many benefits of aloe vera for the skin are well known, but what many do not know is that it is also one of the most effective home remedies for dandruff. This plant also has antifungal and antibacterial properties that can help control dandruff and treat seborrhea.

Apply the juice of a cut leaf of aloe vera directly on the scalp. Massage it and let it act for a few minutes so that it penetrates. Then rinse the hair and wash it with a mild shampoo

Home remedies for dandruff On Natural African Hair: olive oil

Dandruff often appears because of the dryness of the scalp. The regular use of olive oil will help keep your head oiled and thus avoid the dreaded dryness and desquamation.

To make this homemade remedy effective for dandruff, just warm a little olive oil until it is slightly warm. Then use it to massage the scalp and leave it for 30 minutes in the hair wrapped with a towel. To finish you will only have to brush your hair to remove the scales and wash it twice with the shampoo you normally use.

Home remedies for dandruff On Natural Hair: Baking soda

Like aloe vera, baking soda not only has a multitude of health benefits but also for dandruff. Sodium bicarbonate changes the pH level of the scalp and eliminates the fungi that cause the dreaded dandruff.

Mix a little baking soda with the shampoo you normally use until you get a paste. Then, for this home remedy for dandruff to take effect, you will only need to massage the scalp with the mixture and rinse it. To learn more about baking soda, read my article on Baking soda for natural hair growth.

How Dandruff Affects Natural Hair Growth On Black Hair

Many many complain that their natural hair won't grow past shoulders. In my opinion, this is mostly due to the fact that they are not sealing and protecting their hair.

However, research has shown that an irritated scalp can damage hair. When hair grows on a scalp affected by dandruff, its cuticle and protein structure have significantly more damage than hair that grows on a healthy scalp

In addition, if you suffer from itching on the scalp as a result of dandruff, scratching could further damage the hair, causing it to break more easily.

Therefore, if you have dandruff, even if your hair grows at the same speed, it will do it in worse conditions and it will be more prone to damage and break. If your hair is prone to breakage, I'll suggest to read my article on How to reduce shedding on natural hair.

Anti Dandruff – Afro Hair Loss Treatment

Dandruff and hair loss are often found to go hand in hand. Therefore, we are forced to ask ourselves, does the shedding of skin cells cause hair loss? Well, the answer to the question is: No, dandruff does not lead directly to hair loss. However, the causes of dandruff are also related to the causes of hair loss, and therefore, the two conditions often occur together.

Hair loss is sometimes the result of what can happen if dandruff is not treated or mistreated. Disorders that affect the proper functioning of the scalp that is not adequately treated can even affect the condition of the newly growing hair and cause it to prematurely fall.

As mentioned earlier in the article, dandruff is also caused due to fungal infections or diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. These diseases can also cause the dry, brittle scalp to make hair follicles and cause hair loss.

In addition to the above, the itching caused by dandruff can cause hair loss in some cases. Dandruff in hair causes severe itching. When a person scratches a particular area on the head, the hair roots in that particular area weaken. Doing this can often lead to hair loss. Therefore, it can be said that the presence of dandruff is a cause of concern and also one of the causes of hair loss in men and women.

To read more on hair loss on African hair, read the article called, African American hair Loss treatment. Also, check out my article on Natural hair regimen to promote growth. This article will help you form a proper natural hair growth regimen to curb suspicious hair loss that might be related to bad hair care practices.

In addition, I have written about issues pertaining to hair transplants for those who are experiencing significant hair loss that won't grow back. You can read about it in my articles Best hair transplant surgeons for African American hair and Afro hair transplant Turkey.

Dandruff Treatment on African Hair – Black Hair Growth Products That Work

If you have got this far on the article, then congratulations. I am hoping that one of the remedies I listed above will help you. Do spare some time to check out my natural hair growth products for black hair. I have created a special anti-dandruff elixir for black hair. You can use this along with cassia tea, or green tea in your fight against dandruff.

Best Oils to Get Rid of Dandruff On African Hair

Many essential oils contain very similar therapeutic properties that are excellent for dandruff. These oils include tea tree oil, garlic oil, peppermint oil, lemon oil, eucalyptus oil, and much more.

This list is not exhaustive and you may have had success with other essential oils, but the above essential oils have been proven successful in keeping dandruff under control. Unlike the products for medicinal dandruff, they are much softer with the skin and when used correctly they are completely safe.

You can combine any of these oils in equal measures or use only one of them, but be sure to dilute them first with a good base oil; Coconut, neem, jojoba, and apricot kernel oils are excellent choices for hair and scalp. You can also make a soothing hair milk such as my Coconut milk deep conditioner for natural hair.

1. Lavender essential oil

Lavender essential oil is one of the most diverse and popular of all oils; His list of therapeutic benefits is seemingly endless and can do wonders with his dandruff.

Although lavender oil is considered the softest essential oil, it is still important to dilute it with a carrier oil before applying it to the scalp.

2. Rosemary essential oil

Rosemary essential oil is considered one of the best essential oils to eliminate dandruff. It contains antibacterial and antifungal compounds that can treat dandruff and restore the balance of the scalp.

You can add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your regular shampoo or massage them into your hair and scalp separately. One method of treatment is to dilute a few drops of rosemary oil with virgin coconut oil and massage the mixture on your scalp. Allow it to work on your scalp during the night and then rinse it the next morning. You can read more about rosemary oil in my article Rosemary oil for natural hair growth.

3. Tea tree essential oil

Tea tree essential oil is added as an ingredient in many commercial hair care products and preparations for dandruff. Tea tree oil is a very potent natural antibacterial and also has excellent anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal compounds that make it an excellent choice for dandruff, whatever the cause of your condition.

It can help combat the peeling of the skin, keep the scalp and hair well hydrated and relieve any irritation of the scalp that may be suffering. You can use it in exactly the same way as the other essential oils mentioned, but be sure to dilute it well because it is one of the most potent essential oils.

4. Peppermint essential oil

Peppermint essential oil is not only a great oil to fight dandruff, but its refreshing properties are also known to help stimulate hair growth, which is something that people my age can appreciate.

It may be better to combine your peppermint oil with another oil or more than one and be sure to dilute it with a carrier oil or shampoo before using it. It is an excellent antibacterial oil that fights dandruff and relieves irritation on the scalp. Peppermint oil can also be added to your Protein treatment for natural hair.

5. Lemon essential oil

Lemon essential oil is also considered an excellent remedy for dandruff. However, you should be careful since citrus essential oils are known to cause photosensitivity and you should make sure not to expose yourself to direct sunlight after applying it to your skin or scalp. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly after allowing it to work on your scalp for 30 minutes or less. You can read more about lemon juice in my article Lemon juice for natural hair.

6. Eucalyptus essential oil

Eucalyptus oil contains antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties that make it another excellent choice for skin, hair, and scalp problems and is the ideal choice alone or in combination with other oils for dandruff. Eucalyptus oil is an ingredient in many hair care products and can be massaged into the scalp or added to your regular shampoo.

7. Roman chamomile essential oil

Roman chamomile oil is an excellent option to combat dandruff and relieve the itching of the scalp. It contains ideal antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to treat your condition. Combine this oil with another essential oil or simply dilute it with a carrier oil and massage it into the scalp daily.

The essential oils of sandalwood, sage, bergamot, and cedarwood also contain all the appropriate therapeutic properties to effectively treat dandruff and keep your scalp healthy.

Other Best Herbs & Oils for Natural Hair Growth

For help on which essential oils can grow your hair faster and healthier, whilst preventing breakage, I have written some articles on:

More Information on the Best Herbal Remedies for Natural Hair Growth

It's also worth noting that before applying any product on your hair, ensure that your hair is washed, and detangle. For more information on detangling, read the article on how to detangle afro hair.

Other Tips to Grow Natural Hair Fast

The secret of healthy and beautiful hair is to know how to “listen” to it and to give it what it asks in each moment. To read more tips on growing natural hair fast, visit my article on How to grow natural hair.

Natural Hair Products for Black Hair Growth

When choosing hair products to help get rid of dandruff and for general hair care and maintenance, there are many factors that determine what products you should opt for. These factors include:

  • Your hairs texture
  • Your diet (If you feel your diet is the cause, read my article on Best hair vitamins for black hair).
  • Chemical treatments
  • The thickness of the hair
  • Your hair's pH balance. Readee more on pH balance natural hair.
  • How curly your hair is
  • Is your hair dry, greasy, or damaged?
  • Your hair's level of hydration.
  • External and environmental factors.

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