A Probiotic Approach To Dandruff

Dandruff, a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis, is a common condition that causes the skin on the scalp to flake. In babies, seborrheic dermatitis is called cradle cap. While dandruff isn't contagious or serious no one wants to deal with it and treating it can sometimes be difficult.

Symptoms of Dandruff may include:

• Skin flakes on the scalp, hair, eyebrows, beard or mustache and shoulders
• Itchy scalp
• Scaly, crusty scalp in infants with cradle cap

Symptoms may be more severe when there is an increase in your stress level and individuals usually see symptoms flare up in cold, dry seasons.

There may be several causes of Dandruff including:

• Irritated, oily skin
• Not shampooing enough
• a yeastlike fungus (malassezia) that feeds on oils on the scalp of most adults
• Dry skin
• Sensitivity to hair care products (contact dermatitis)
• Other skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema

You may be asking why we took the time to write an article about dandruff. Dandruff is a condition so many people deal with, not just athletes. We have seen a shift in recent years of a preference, when possible, to use products which don't contain chemicals. Consumers have been left with the following options:

• Head & Shoulders use pyrithione zinc to kill off the yeast.
• Neutrogena T/Gel has a tar-based formula which slows how quickly skin cells on your scalp die and flake off.
• Neutrogena T/Sal helps to eliminate scale with salicylic acid.
• Head & Shoulders Intensive uses Selenium sulfide, an antifungal agent.
• Nizoral A-D uses Ketoconazole to kill dandruff-causing fungi living on the scale.

All of these approaches are fine if the dandruff sufferer is genetically predisposed or the yeast/fungi that cause dandruff is naturally found on the skin and will always be there regardless. However, if the cause of overgrowth or irritation is environmental - say from showering or sweating to frequently - and the result of microbial imbalance then it will only treat the symptom and not the underlying cause.

Proprietary Probiotics in Contact Sports Soap products helps calm skin and control the overgrowth of yeast and other fungi to balance the skin biome between washes. This allows the skin to strengthen its natural defenses for long lasting protection, so you can spend less time worrying and more time doing what you love.