Which fungus causes dandruff

Make sure to rinse out all the shampoo. Avoid using hair products that contain harsh chemicals, like bleach and alcohol. These ingredients can dry out your scalp. Also avoid oily hair products that can build up on your scalp. Spend a few minutes out in the sun every day. Manage your stress with meditation , yoga , deep breathing , and other relaxation techniques. Is dandruff contagious? What is the cause? We've got answers to your most pressing questions about dandruff.

Dandruff and psoriasis can both cause dry, flaky skin on your scalp. Learn how to identify if you have dandruff or psoriasis. Does dandruff actually cause hair loss? We'll go over the relationship between these two conditions.

You'll also learn about things you can do to…. Coconut oil is considered an all-inclusive alternative skin care product. Moisture is at its core, which makes this oil appealing for dry skin….

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Is It Dandruff or Dry Scalp? Symptoms, Treatment, and More. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Causes and symptoms. Seeing a doctor. Is It Dandruff or Psoriasis? Tips for Identification. Avoiding Hair Loss from Dandruff. Can Coconut Oil Treat Dandruff? Read this next. Is Dandruff Contagious? Medically reviewed by Susan Bard, MD. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Find this effective yet gentle shampoo and body wash for dandruff on Amazon or Walmart.

Use Dr. Pediatrician Recommended About Dr. Eddie Valenzuela Contact Us. Is Dandruff a Fungus? Home » Is Dandruff a Fungus? Is it Dandruff or a Scalp Fungus? For example: Scalp fungus can cause the hair to fall out in patches, as it weakens hair fibers and causes itching which makes those suffering from the infection scratch and cause further hair loss Fungus can form blisters on the scalp Fungal infections on the scalp, if untreated, can lead to large swellings or bumps that can be painful and, if left untreated, can cause permanent scarring and hair loss Severe fungal infections on the scalp can cause swollen glands If you see any of these symptoms beyond itching and flaking, it is vital that you see a doctor and be tested for a scalp fungal infection.

Get Rid of Dandruff In most cases, dandruff is simply irritating and embarrassing. About Latest Posts. Follow Me. Eddie Valenzuela. More about Dr. Latest posts by Dr. Eddie Valenzuela see all. Share with friends! Tajima et al 20 by using culture independent molecular technique showed that M. In the present study, isolation rate of Malassezia spp.

Though association of dandruff is related to the species of Malassezia implicated, presence of this yeast in high number is also related in causation of dandruff. In a culture dependant study, Gupta et al 17 showed higher number of Malassezia colony at non-lesional site than on the lesional site.

But, in DNA based study Malassezia found at lesional site was higher in density than on non-lesional site In a few reports the quantity of yeasts was not found to be correlate positively with the severity of the disease 4 , In the present study, the higher colony count positively associated with the severity of dandruff.

It is also important to note that accurate quantification of Malassezia on the scalp is difficult to perform as the Malassezia resides along with sebum at infandibulum of the hair follicle 22 , Hence possibly culture based technique is better than DNA based non-culture technique, as in the later only the surface of the skin is sampled without including hair infundibulum.

Another disadvantage of DNA based non-culture technique is that the DNA from both viable and nonviable cells are amplified. In our study, M. Severe hair loss was associated more with M. This finding was in agreement with the study of Nematian et al 24 where increased hair loss was shown to be associated with Pityrosporum ovale M.

Malassezia may cause hair loss by utilizing the lipids present in different strata of epidermis and dermis leading to weakening of hair root and hair fall 25 , The major difficulty while conducting epidemiological studies on Malassezia associated disease is its isolation due to slow growing nature of this agent. A few species like M. In the present study, we used the rapid method of template preparation from the Malassezia colonies using microwave irradiation This technique is rapid, reliable, cost-effective, and simple.

This technique could also be applied to amplify the DNA from a single isolated colony during the co-existence of multiple Malassezia species in a given culture. In conclusion, M. Small sample size was a major limitation of the present study.

Such studies need to be done at various geographic locations in India with large carefully drawn sample. Authors also acknowledge Dr P. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Indian J Med Res. Shivaprakash M. Prakash P. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Reprint requests : Dr Shivaprakash M. Received Nov 9. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Methods: Patients with dandruff from northern Chandigarh and southern Manipal, Karnataka parts of India 50 each and healthy individuals 20 were included in the study.

Results: Number of Malassezia spp. Keywords: Dandruff, epidemiology, Malassezia , molecular identification. Open in a separate window. Table I Amplified product size bp and expected length of restriction fragments bp obtained after digesting with different restriction enzymes.

Results Age of the patients varied between 3 and 50 years. Table II Distribution of Malassezia spp. Discussion In the present study, two geographically different locations were studied. References 1. Dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis: causes and management. Clin Exp Dermatol. Dandruff-associated Malassezia genomes reveal convergent and divergent virulence traits shared with plant and human fungal pathogens. Manuel F, Ranganathan S. A new postulate on two stages of dandruff: a clinical perspective.

Int J Trichol. Zisova LG. Malassezia species and seborrheic dermatitis. Folia Med Plovdiv ; 51 — J Am Acad Dermatol. Loden M, Wessman C. The antidandruff efficacy of a shampoo containing piroctone olamine and salicylic acid in comparison to that of a zinc pyrithione shampoo.

Int J Cosmet Sci. Flutterer E. Evaluation of efficacy of antidandruff agents.