Homeopathy saves your scalp

24-year-old Sunil disliked bathing so much that he developed white scaly dandruff resulting in hairfall. He approached us in despair. Given his aversion to bathing, we prescribed a few doses of Sulphur that not only cured his hair fall and dandruff, but also improved his self confidence and attitude.

Studies indicate that 50% adults are affected by dandruff at some point in their lives. However scaling on the scalp may be more than just dandruff. Most of the time, it is a scalp infection called seborrheic dermatitis.

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin disorder that mainly affects the scalp, causing scaly, itchy, red skin and stubborn dandruff. In addition to the scalp, seborrheic dermatitis can also affect the face, upper chest, back and other oily areas of the body. Though neither harmful nor contagious, seborrheic dermatitis can be uncomfortable and unsightly.

Seborrheic dermatitis appears to run in families. Stress, fatigue, weather extremes, oily skin, infrequent shampooing, lotions that contain alcohol, skin disorders (such as acne), and obesity may increase one's propensity to it.

Take some simple precautions. Do not comb vigorously as this can cause injury to the scalp and increase scaling. Avoid hair sprays, gels, strong shampoos and soaps, and hair dyes which may increase irritation and aggravate dandruff. Shampoo daily with a mild anti-dandruff shampoo.

Resist scratching as far as possible. Trim nails. Eat a healthy diet, avoid fried food and include yoghurt in your diet. One tablespoon of flaxseeds with its anti-inflammatory properties is highly recommended for a scaly scalp. So is homeopathy.

Homeopathic remedies:

Calc Sulp 6X, four tablets twice a day for dry white dandruff.
Kali sulp 6X, four tablets twice a day for yellow sticky dandruff.

Article by Dr Mukesh Batra
L.C.E.H., F.H.M.A. (U.K.), F.R.S.H. (Med) P.(Lon), M.D.H. (U.S.A.), F.B.I.H.(U.K.)
Published in Hindustan Times on 21 February 2009