Suffering from the flakes?

Everyone hates the dreaded flakes. Especially for us ladies who loves our black clothes and those flakes just loves standing out on black! Grr....

Do you know what I'm referring to? Yes, it's the dreaded dandruff!

Is this your expression when all you wanted to do was to touch your hair and you look in horror as this happens (pic above)? I've been through it and totally understand. I started getting the flakes when I moved to Sydney a few years ago and it definitely has to be the change in weather and with Australia being a lot drier. I felt like I've tried everything but nothing seems to be working and days turned to months and months turned to years!

Finally, enough is enough and some drastic action is required.

No. 1 - Time to do a bit more research (i.e. internet).


According to Wiki, dandruff is caused by excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp. It has nothing to do with not having clean hair etc...

For people with dandruff, skin cells may mature and be shed in 2 - 7 days, as opposed to around a month in people without dandruff. The result is that dead skin cells are shed in large, oily clumps, which appear as white or grayish patches on the scalp, skin, and clothes.

No. 2 - Doctor, where are you?

Went to the GP to check once and for all what is the problem as I was getting yellow, scaly scab flakes and bleeding. Realised that I have Eczema of the scalp. This is getting worse than just plain old dandruff, my scalp was getting so dry from the anti-dandruff shampoo (Head & Shoulders) that I've been using that I've now developed Eczema.

No. 3 - Shopping time.


After a few tips and advice from the internet, I discovered several faux pas that I've been doing and went to buy what was advised. Sorry ladies, but Head & Shoulders just did not work for me.

Now, I put my plan into action and in 2 short months, I now no longer have dandruff and have been free of that for months and I have stopped using an anti-dandruff shampoo for many months now and it hasn't returned.

My tips from what I've learned:


1. Leave the anti-dandruff shampoo on your scalp for at least 1-5 minutes before rinsing for it to be effective. I've always just lather up, massage my scalp and rinse off immediately (this process was possibly 2 mins tops!). No wonder it didn't work as I didn't leave the shampoo long enough on my scalp for it to work.

Change your shampooing routine, lather up the shampoo and massage it into your scalp. Then, leave it and clean the rest of your body ( this should take at least 5 minutes which should give the shampoo plenty of time for it to work!). Come back to rinsing off the shampoo after that and then comes the conditioner. It increases your shower time and what do you do while waiting for the conditioner to do its magic too? Find something I guess, I know I had to.


The 2 shampoos that I found to be super effective were:

Nizoral® A-D Shampoo

Kiehl's herbal shampoo and scalp treatment for dandruff

Start using the shampoo regularly and every 2 weeks, slowly reduce and replace with your normal shampoo. There will come a time when you find that you no longer need it as you no longer have it anymore.

2. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.

Your hair and scalp will be uber dry when using anti-dandruff shampoos so remember to use hair conditioner and hair treatments for both the hair and the scalp. Even after there is no more dandruff, keep your scalp in check by using a scalp treatment weekly.



Doesn't have to be $$$, I use

Missha Provice Scalp Care Treatment

Dandruff can be an embarrassing issue for many and I hope that this helps.