How Stress Can Aggravate Dandruff
Stress can cause dandruff to flare-up when you least expect it – find out why and how you can stop it from happening.
Leading a stressful life has become a talking point for almost everyone. Work stress, relationship stress, family stress, physical stress, and just overall-tiredness-stress, all of these have found a way to creep into our lives. We have all heard the line - ‘stress is bad for us’, but nobody imagines that stress could add to a dandruff issue. And this can become a cause for stress on its own.
In a moment of tension, your body kicks into gear and releases hormones that can help in that situation. Say a wild animal attacks you. Your body automatically recognises this ‘stress’ and releases hormones like Cortisol to deal with it. It regulates your circulatory and cardiovascular systems, to prepare you for the ‘fight or flight’ response. It is a normal reaction and your life may depend upon the correct functioning of this mechanism.
But if the body is not allowed to reset to normal levels and the stress levels remain high, this cortisol can have severe effects on your body. It can lead to headaches, insomnia, heartburn, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, stomach problems, reproductive issues and finally muscle fatigue. It doesn’t pain a pretty picture and that’s why it is vital to keep it in check.
So you might wonder that does stress cause dandruff? Thankfully stress itself is not a direct cause of dandruff. The ever-present microbe on your scalp, Malassezia Globosa, is the true culprit. However, dandruff and stress are not completely unrelated as the symptoms of stress have been shown to significantly aggravate a dandruff problem.
One of the main associations with stress is a weakened immune system. When you combine this with a disruption in your blood circulation, it can make you susceptible to yeast and bacterial growth. The regular body systems which would control this growth are working at a suppressed level, which opens up your body to more harm.
There are a whole host of symptoms associated with stress and some can have a knock-on effect which can make dandruff appear worse:
-Overheating and stress related sweating can provide an ideal condition for dandruff-causing Malassezia to thrive. The sweat pores are closely linked to your sebum pores, and it leaves behind a combination of minerals and oil that needs to be removed.
-Hormonal changes - Malassezia Globosa breaks down oils or sebum on your scalp, starting the cycle that leads to skin cells flaking off as dandruff. Sebum production is controlled by hormones, so as your stress causes changes to the hormonal balance, it can lead to an increase in sebum production. This gives the fungus on your scalp more oil to feed on, which leads to an increased amount of flaking and itching.
-Our response to a stressful moment is often to scratch our head in confusion and play with our hair. This invariably transfers dirt and oils from your hands onto your hair and scalp, which can aggravate your problem even more. And if you’re suffering from an existing condition like Eczema, your dandruff might be further intensified by stress.
If its dandruff caused by stress, you need to remove the stress. It’s a straightforward answer which can be explored through various methods:
- Meditation and mindfulness can bring calmness to a stressful situation.
- Take a walk and break the pressure of that moment.
- Keep a journal and write about things that you’re grateful for.
- Play relaxing music.
- Exercise has shown to significantly reduce stress levels.
- So has Yoga.
- Getting enough sleep is taken for granted. Sleep more.
- Using essential oils can bring a soothing touch to your day.
- Improve your diet and reduce your caffeine intake.
- Find ways to laugh, maybe just by watching funny movies.
- Reduce your dose of social media. Try a digital detox.
- When things get stressful, stop and take 5 deep breaths. It can help immediately.
Now you aren’t going to magically wake up the next day and be stress free. It’s a process and takes time. The point should be to practice ways to reduce your stress every day. And till then find means to stay flake-free no matter how stressful it gets. Worrying about a stress dandruff flare-up could add to your anxiety and you must ensure to rule it out of the equation – use an anti-dandruff shampoo regularly to get rid of the flakes and stop them from coming back. Because now at least Head and Shoulders can give you clarity on the question – ‘can stress cause dandruff’.
Head & Shoulders shampoos have been proven to not only get rid of dandruff but also to keep you protected from flare-ups in the future, working as one of the best dandruff home remedies. It works by keeping Malassezia Globosa at bay, and when you use it regularly you keep your protection topped up too. Using a lemon for dandruff can be great for your scalp, which can be found in the Head and Shoulders Lemon Fresh anti-dandruff shampoo. Or you might want to consider the cooling effect of the Head and Shoulders 2 in 1 Cool Menthol shampoo and conditioner. There are various solutions available on how to get rid of dandruff, what you need to work on is how to get rid of stress.
And while Head & Shoulders will take care of the dandruff problem, if you think you’re suffering from chronic stress you should seek advice from a professional.
