Tired of being a flake? Face it, dandruff is disgusting. Also known as seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff is the thick, flaky scales that form on the scalp. It is supposedly caused by inflammation and is a common form of the skin disorder eczema. With dandruff, skin cells fall off before they die. Dandruff is thought to be caused by a fungus known as Pityrosporum ovale. Sometimes its numbers grow out of control and feeds on hair follicles’ oil, which results in irritation and skin shedding. Some conditions that may create or exacerbate dandruff are immune disorders, Parkinson’s disease, infrequent shampooing and hormonal fluctuations. The most popular treatment for dandruff is using a special shampoo, but not all dandruff shampoos are created equally. It may take some experimentation to get the balance right and rid yourself of dandruff.Some over-the-counter brands use coal-tar preparations to treat dandruff – those include Tegrin and Neutrogena T-Gel. More economical brands like Head and Shoulders, Pert and Suave use pyrithione zinc in their dandruff formulas, and Selsun Blue uses selenium sulfide. Doctors recommend leaving on the shampoo for up to 5 minutes and rinsing thoroughly. Residue can exacerbate dandruff problems. Brush your hair from your scalp outward to redistribute oil to the strands that need it to look shiny and healthy. Be on the lookout for worsening symptoms, like developing yellow, greasy flakes. This may indicate a more severe case of sebhorreic dermatitis. If your dandruff doesn’t clear up, then visit your doctor, who may prescribe another treatment.