Dandruff: no thanks!

Dandruff: no thanks!

They're all too familiar, those annoying white flakes that fall from your scalp and are particularly visible on black clothes. Most of the time dandruff's completely harmless, but in certain cases it may indicate a health condition. Here are some tips on how to deal with dandruff.
Your skin is constantly regenerating, but you generally don't notice because the skin cells you shed are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Only when a large number of cells are shed at the same time – as is the case with dandruff – are the flakes of dead skin visible.

Dry and oily dandruffDandruff

Basically a distinction is made between dry and oily dandruff. Dry dandruff is smaller and falls from the scalp. It occurs when the scalp is dried out or stressed.

Oily dandruff is the result of overproduction of sebum (seborrhoeic dermatitis or seborrhoea), which means that the body can no longer shed the dead skin cells. Instead they combine with the sebum, leading to clots of yellow dandruff.

What you can do about dandruff

If you only have dandruff fairly infrequently for short periods, the following tips may help:

  • When you wash your hair, choose plant-based care products or anti-dandruff shampoo, and in general only use a small number of care products.
  • You should also make sure the water isn't too hot.
  • Afterwards dry your hair with a hair dryer only briefly, if at all.
  • Avoid stress, which can trigger dandruff.
  • Don't scratch.

If you start taking proper care of your hair but your dandruff persists and your scalp continues to itch, you should consult a doctor.

santé24 – your Swiss telemedicine service

Medical help around the clock: The doctors and medical specialists at santé24 are there for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to answer questions relating to prevention, illness, accident and maternity. Advice is free of charge to SWICA customers.


14.12.2022
In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 telemedicine service free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach. SWICA customers can also use the BENECURA medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.