According to Ayurveda, dandruff is a condition of the skin where shiny, silvery scales separate from the scalp and collect amidst the hair. It is then categorized in "shodra roga". It is named as "darunak" which appears due to an imbalance of all three doshas. The primary doshas involved are pitta and vata.



The primary doshas involved are pitta and vata. Pitta is an Ayurvedic humor which symbolize heat or fire and vata is dry and rough in nature. The increase of Vata and Pitta in the body leads to destruction of Raktadhatu thus giving rise to impurities in the blood. This in turn leads to poor nourishment of the scalp.

In an aggravated state, both doshas cause production of specific impurities. These impurities are dry and heating in nature. These impurities accumulate in the deep tissues of the scalp and cause contamination of these tissues. Contamination of the deep tissues and aggravated vata-pitta dosha cause itching and patches on scalp. Due to these factors, the scalp sheds larger than normal amounts of dead epidermal cells, which leads to the dandruff problem.

Vata associated dandruff has pain as a symptom, while the Pitta associated dandruff has a burning sensation in the scalp hence the line of treatment is to generally pacify both pitta and vata.

The main causes of dandruff are impairment of general health, development of a toxic condition mainly due to taking of wrong foods, constipation, and a low vitality due to infectious diseases. Other factors contributing to this disorder are emotional tension, harsh shampoos, and exposure to cold and general exhaustion. One should take care to avoid all these mentioned above.

Ayurvedic herbal preparations like Karanj (Pongamia pinnata), Backuchi (Psoralia coryfolia), Tulsi (Ocimum snctum), Giloya (Tinospora cordifolia), Neem (Azadirachta indica) are recommended.

Cobra (Bhujanga Asana) and Vajrasana are the recommended yogic practices which go a long way in treating emotional imbalance thereby preventing dandruff.

Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical system has a promising remedy for dandruff, in which the dry skin flakes off the scalp resulting in itchiness. It believes that aggravation of Vata is its main causes and suggests the following modified diet and lifestyle to pacify doshic imbalance.

Include plenty of green vegetables and fruits in the diet.Drink mineral water, herbal teas and unsweetened fruit juice.Spicy, greasy fermented foods and baked products must be avoided.

Strong tea, coffee and processed foods should be avoided. Intake of alcohol,milk, dairy products, sea foods, animal proteins and fatty foods are also to be avoided.

Foods that are high in vitamin C such as tomatoes, oranges, lemons, tamarind, etc. which contain acidic content, must be avoided. Exposure of the head to the rays of the sun is also a useful measure in the treatment of dandruff. Develop a regular exercise regimen as it stimulates the circulatory system.

Take care while using some contraceptive pills - some products deplete the vitamin B-complex and zinc which could bring dandruff. Use any herbal shampoo for cleaning the hair. Create a herbal pack by mixing henna powder, curd and ritha powder together. This pack is very effective.

Keep the hair and scalp clean so as to minimize the accumulation of dead cells. The hair should be brushed daily to improve the circulation and remove any flakiness. Keep hair well oiled. Have a regular mild shampoo then, dry your hair and brush it in order to remove the flaky dandruff from it.

Stress affects your overall health and triggers dandruff or exacerbates existing symptoms. Take care to do meditation or yoga to bring down your stress level.