What Is Wet Dandruff?
Located underneath your scalp are sebaceous glands that serve the primary function of producing the natural oil sebum. This sebum keeps your hair and scalp moisturized and prevents them from getting dehydrated. It also serves the purpose of reducing frizz and preventing the signs of aging from appearing. The problem begins when the sebaceous glands start working in overdrive and producing sebum in excess quantities. The excess sebum starts building up on your scalp and makes it sticky. It starts attracting and clinging onto dirt and dead skin cells, thus forming dandruff (1). Since sebum is moist it forms a damp layer on your scalp. This type of dandruff is referred to as wet dandruff or oily dandruff. Sometimes, it may feel like your scalp is leaking out some sticky liquid and showing symptoms of other conditions. Dr. Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD, a double board-certified dermatologist, says, “It can mimic the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis, scalp psoriasis, and eczema.”
What Are The Causes Of Wet Dandruff?
I know what you’re wondering – why do your sebaceous glands suddenly start acting crazy and producing extra sebum? Well, the most common causes are hormonal changes caused by puberty or stress (1). Another major reason could be irregular and infrequent shampooing habits that lead to insufficient cleansing of your scalp and the subsequent buildup of dirt and dead skin cells causing wet scalp.
How Does Wet Dandruff Occur On Eyebrows And Eyelashes?
Sebaceous glands are located all over your body. The only other areas that have a thick concentration of hair besides your scalp and are exposed to the environment are your eyebrows and eyelashes. Henceforth, the sebaceous glands in those areas can also overproduce sebum and cause wet dandruff (1).
Dry Dandruff v/s Wet Dandruff
Dry dandruff typically consists of small, white flakes that fall off your scalp pretty easily with the slightest movement. Wet dandruff, on the contrary, appears as large, yellow, sticky dandruff flakes that clump together and cling onto your hair shafts. They do not fall off easily. Usually, the scalp feels wet after scratching. Dry dandruff does not cause redness or irritation on the scalp and tends to disappear during the summer months. But Wet dandruff is more of a long-lasting condition and causes severe itching and inflammation on the scalp. This type of dandruff causes a wet feeling on the head. Since wet dandruff is a more long-lasting condition and causes extreme itching, you need to treat it with natural remedies that specifically target these problems. Here are a few things that you can try out.
How To Get Dandruff Out Of Wet Hair
1. Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera contains cleansing enzymes like oxidase, amylase, and catalase and vitamins B, C, and E. It also contains glycoproteins that reduce inflammation and soothe itchiness (2). Therefore, it may help in getting rid of the dead skin cells, oil buildup, and fatty deposits clogging your hair follicles and causing wet dandruff.
3-4 tablespoons aloe vera gel Towel Hot water
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar acts as an excellent wet dandruff remedy (3). This could be because the acidic nature of apple cider vinegar alters the pH of your scalp, making it difficult for the dandruff-causing fungus to grow.
½ cup apple cider vinegar
3. Lemon Juice And Amla Juice
Lemon juice and amla juice work in sync to remove the wet dandruff and accumulated oil on your scalp. Additionally, the citric acid content of the lemon juice acts as an antimicrobial agent and helps get rid of the fungus causing the wet dandruff (3).
2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons amla juice Cotton ball
4. Baking Soda
Baking soda may sound like an odd choice for treating wet dandruff, but it could actually work well in this aspect. A study conducted in France found that baking soda can kill the dandruff-causing fungus (4).
3 tablespoons baking soda Water
5. Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek seeds possess antibacterial and antifungal properties that fight off the infections that could be causing and aggravating the wet dandruff condition (3).
2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds
What does it mean if you have yellow dandruff? If you have yellow dandruff, it means that you have excess sebum production on your hair. Is dandruff caused by puberty? The hormonal changes that occur during puberty can cause dandruff. Why do I have scabs on my head? The scabs on your head could be a result of the excessive itching and scratching that accompany wet dandruff. Does wet dandruff cause hair loss? Dandruff typically does not directly contribute to hair loss. But it may make your scalp itch. Scratching may harm your hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. Wet dandruff and hair loss might be connected as well. This is because various infections and conditions can result in dandruff and hair loss. How long can dandruff last? If you follow the right treatment, it should last between 15 and 30 days. But if it lasts beyond that and you still have dandruff, it may be time to visit the dermatologist.
