It is possible for children to get dandruff, and often many parents simply do not know what to do about it.

Children and Dandruff

Dandruff is more common in adults and in people who are just in the early stages of puberty; however babies and children can also get the irritating condition.

You will know if your child has dandruff as they will constantly scratch their head and the white flakes will be clearly visible. An itchy scalp could also be a symptom of head lice so be sure not to mix the two conditions up.

It is not clear as to what actually causes dandruff. Some parents think that the cause could be down to the fact that they do not wash the shampoo out of their hair well enough when they do it by themselves. Obviously to stop this, supervision is required in order to make sure that they do rinse the shampoo out completely.

Other people believe that the cause of dandruff is a type of fungus which makes skin cells grows faster than usual, causing a lot more dead skin cells to be clearly visible on the scalp. These flakes then mix with hair oil and the flakes generally get bigger.

There are other conditions as well as head lice and dandruff, which could be causing an itchy scalp. These include dermatitis which is often confused with dandruff, and ringworm. So, the best possible way to tell if it is dandruff or not, is to visit the doctor and get a proper diagnosis.

How to Treat Dandruff in Children

Treating dandruff in children is generally the same thing as treating dandruff in adults. It is always better to wash the hair frequently, usually every day, with a mild shampoo. This helps to remove all excess oil, yet it is mild enough to keep the essential oil that the hair needs in order to prevent it from becoming dry.

Products should not be used on hair, such as hair gels. Not many children wear hair products anyway, but just in case you are thinking of putting anything in the hair of your child for special occasions or anything, it is always better to avoid it if they have dandruff. This is because it clogs up the hair and causes even more lumps than the dandruff does.

A healthy diet is the most natural way to treat dandruff in children. This is obviously sometimes extremely hard to do, as children love nothing better than to eat junk food and food which is high in sugar. Exercise is never usually a problem with children, and most do seem to get more than enough so that should help to get rid of dandruff too.

Getting a little bit of sunshine every day also seems to help, though you should always be protected when you go outside into the sun. Failing that, there are some specially designed dandruff shampoos which can really help.

Overall dandruff is treatable both in children and in adults and the products used to treat them are often the same for all ages. It is never a nice condition no matter which age it targets, so always aim to treat it as soon as possible to stop it affecting your life too much and turning into something a little more serious.