Does Dandruff Cause Hair Loss? What You Need to Know

04/10/2025

Can you encounter hair loss due to dandruff?

Dandruff is one of the most common conditions that affects myriads of masses every year, wherein one notices flaky skin on the scalp. This skin usually sloughs/sheds, resulting in white flakes on your shoulders and chest. 

Certain people diagnosed with dandruff may also experience hair loss. Is dandruff the culprit? Dandruff doesn’t directly result in hair loss. The itchiness brought on by it can make you scratch your scalp. As a result, it can damage your hair follicles, resulting in some hair loss. However, you won’t encounter complete baldness due to it. If you are living with androgenic alopecia, dandruff can hasten hair loss.

Tips to avoid hair loss due to dandruff:

Dandruff is one of the rampant yet annoying conditions that can attack anyone regardless of age & sex; however, certain people seem more susceptible to it. Dandruff doesn’t cause hair loss directly. If left unattended, it can worsen over time, leading to excessive itching. This itching causes you to scratch your scalp, which can, as a result, damage your hair follicles, causing some hair loss. Bringing some tips into practice can help you prevent hair loss from dandruff.

If you are someone living with dandruff and wish to prevent hair loss, stick to the following tips. These tips will predominantly focus on eradicating itching, which will subside your urge to scratch and reduce the damage to the hair follicles.

Opt for a consultation with a certified doctor:

There could be many reasons for developing dandruff, which may include hair-washing habits, underlying skin conditions, certain hair products, cold & dry weather, etc. Finding the precise cause on your own can be challenging. Therefore, getting in touch with a certified doctor can be of great help. By looking at your scalp, the doctor may help you find the reason behind it.  Sometimes, it may be due to not washing your hair enough or excessively. In addition to this, your healthcare provider may watch out for signs of an underlying condition such as dry skin, malessezia, contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, etc.

Finding the exact cause can simplify the process of treating it. Don’t take any random advice; it can worsen the condition.

Go for a medicated shampoo:

If you are trying to manage dandruff without a dedicated shampoo, it simply means you are on the battleground without equipment. Let’s put it in simple words: medicated shampoo can be used as a powerful tool in the battle against dandruff. It works as a stepping stone in your journey to a healthy and dandruff-free scalp. Search out for the product having any of the following ingredients:

• Salicylic acid

• Selenium sulphide

• Ketoconazole

• Pyrinthione zinc 

Medicated shampoo alone is more than enough for mild cases of dandruff. However, if the case is severe, you may need a holistic approach, including medication, shampoo, and scalp treatment. 

If you are living with light-colored hair, staying away from selenium sulfide is better as it can contribute to discoloration. 

Include a moisturizer in your routine:

Irrespective of the cause of the dandruff,  it is highly important to keep your scalp hydrated by using a good conditioner.  The necessity increases when you use a medicated shampoo, especially one with salicylic acid. You may encounter dry and dull hair as a result of using such shampoos regularly. 

You can also go for coconut oil to massage your scalp. However, don’t let it soak overnight. Use it 30 to 40 minutes prior to washing your hair. In addition, using coconut oil is not a good choice for people with seborrheic dermatitis, as it can worsen the condition. 

Ditch irritating hair products:

Many hair products, including dyes, gels, wax, shampoo, and conditioners, may have ingredients that may not go hand in hand with sensitive skin. If used despite being allergic to it, it can cause dermatitis. In most cases, preservatives and fragrances are generally the well-known causes of contact dermatitis.

If you think you are experiencing dandruff due to your products, changing them is deemed ideal.

Look after your stress levels:

Stress is not the direct reason for dandruff, but it can still affect your scalp's health. Being under high stress daily can interfere with your immune system's ability.  Having a compromised immune system can make your scalp prone and sensitive to naturally growing Malassezia fungus. 

In order to reduce your stress, include relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga. Taking a stroll around your home or practicing controlled breathing for a minute can also help. 

Go for some sunshine:

While too much sun can be harmful for a wide number of reasons, it is important not to cut back on it completely. UV rays can result in/cause premature aging and double your risk of contracting skin cancer, but getting a little sun can be good for dandruff, as mentioned by the Mayo Clinic. While heading outside, wearing sunscreen on your body and face is important.

What can result in both hair loss and dandruff hand in hand?

You may develop dandruff if you are living with a condition that causes skin flakiness or makes the outer layer of skin slough generally at a high pace. If left untreated or unattended, it can harm the scalp and may result in hair loss. Therefore, it is paramount to seek medical assistance at the earliest. 

You may develop hair loss and dandruff together due to the following conditions:

• Fungal infections

• Scalp psoriasis

• Folliculitis decalyans

• Lichen planopilaris

• Seborrheic dermatitis 

Any condition that causes itching or burning on the scalp may contribute to hair loss, particularly when a person scratches or twists their hair.  For people with both conditions, dandruff and hair loss, there is no guarantee that both conditions are interlinked. You may have dandruff due to dry skin and hair loss due to the following reasons:

• Male pattern baldness

• Alopecia areata

• Scalp infections

• Telogen effluvium

The bottom line: 

Living with dandruff can be challenging and embarrassing at the same time. If left untreated, it can lead to problems like hair loss. However, dandruff doesn’t cause hair loss immediately. The itching brought on by dandruff makes you scratch your scalp, which damages your hair follicles. As a result, you experience some hair loss. This may plague you, but it’s not permanent. Finding the root cause and working on it can resolve the problems. If you are not able to find the cause yourself, get in touch with a certified and experienced dermatologist.

FAQs:

1. How do you know if dandruff is causing hair loss?

Dandruff has never been a direct cause of hair loss in any case. The persistent dandruff may lead to itchiness, which can cause you to scratch your scalp. This, as a result, injures your hair follicles, leading to very minimal hair loss. If you are experiencing severe hair fall, it could also be a sign of some other condition. 

2. Will hair loss due to dandruff grow back?

Since dandruff doesn’t cause hair fall directly. It first leads to itching, which makes you scratch your scalp, causing minimal hair fall. The hair fall or hair loss as a result of dandruff is usually fleeting. The hair will grow back once the underlying issues, be it dandruff or anything, are addressed with proper treatment and care.

3. How to stop hair fall due to dandruff?

If you are experiencing hair fall as a result of dandruff, you need to work on the root cause, which is dandruff itself. There are plenty of measures available in order to tackle this condition effectively, such as using medicated shampoo and avoiding harsh hair products. Even after implementing the following changes, if you don’t witness any fruitful results, it is then worth consulting a dermatologist.

4. How often should I wash my hair if I have dandruff? 

How often you should wash your hair depends on a wide range of factors. However, if you are someone experiencing dandruff, washing your hair 3 to 4 times a week with a medicated shampoo is more than enough. If you have an unduly oily scalp, wash it more frequently to tackle oil and cell buildup.