Dandruff / Darunaka & Its Ayurvedic Management

Dandruff is a common problem in day-to-day life. It is a condition that causes the skin on the scalp to flake. If not treated it can lead to Hair loss, Seborrheic dermatitis, Blepharitis, etc.

Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic inflammation of the scalp which produces a red scaling, occasionally weepy, oozy eruption.

Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids. They may be red, swollen, irritated, itchy, burning, or sore and have flakes or crusts at the base of your eyelashes.

Dandruff in Ayurveda

Dandruff is one among the nine kapalgata rogas in Ayurveda but acharya Sushruta has describes this disease as kshudra roga due to vitiation of Vata and Kapha doshas

In an aggravated state, both doshas as per their predominance cause the production of specific impurities in the scalp. These impurities accumulate deep into the tissues and contaminate them. Contamination of these tissues and aggravated doshas causes dandruff

• Kandu (itching on the scalp)
• Keshachyuti (falling of hair)
• Rookshata (roughness or dryness of hair)
• Twaksphutana (cracking of scalp)
• Swapa (numbness)

• Dryness of skin is contributed by Vata dosha
• Excessive oily scalp also causes dandruff, which is caused by Kapha dosha.
• Poor hygiene
• Skin condition
• Irregular sleeping habits
• Excessive sweating
• Diet
• Stress

Home remedies for dandruff

1. Soak 1 tbsp methi (fenugreek) in 1 bowl of curd overnight. Next morning, grind it, apply it as a mask for an hour, and wash it with anti-dandruff shampoo. Do it once or twice a week.

2. Take a bowl of coconut oil and heat it. Then add 1 tbsp lemon juice in it and mix it thoroughly. Apply it 2 hours before washing the hair. Do it twice a week.

3. Combine aloe vera gel with castor oil according to the volume of your hair. Massage it on the scalp for 10 minutes and leave it overnight. Apply this on your scalp, and wash with anti-dandruff shampoo the next morning. Do it thrice a week

4. Mix amla, reetha, shikakai, and neem powder in an equal amount of curd and water. Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to it. Apply this hair mask for 2 hours.

Follow these remedies for one month at least to get rid of dandruff completely, as the rate of recurrence of dandruff is very high. After following any remedy, do wash your hair with anti-dandruf shampoo.

Treatment

The first line of treatment most people opt for dandruff is anti-dandruff shampoo, but sometimes it doesn’t work, especially if you have sensitive skin. The chemicals in hair care products can be pretty harsh on the scalp leading to increased dryness and worsening the condition instead of improving it.

The Ayurvedic line of treatment of dandruff is to generally pacify Vata and Kapha doshas through herbal medicines, as well as diet and lifestyle plans. Ayurveda suggests both topical and internal medicines for the treatment of dandruff.

• The topical medicines are intended to manage dandruff and also provide relief from itching and infections if any.
• The internal medicines are intended to detox the blood and also improve immunity, nourish the skin and thereby help in improving the quality of hair.
• Our body is composed of tridoshas i.e Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. If tridoshas are in a balanced state, the body is healthy but the imbalance of these doshas causes diseases. Our ahara vihara (diet and lifestyle) plays a vital role in balancing these doshas therefore to treat any disease according to Ayurveda one must follow a strict diet and lifestyle–
  • control sugar consumption
  • Easy to digest food
  • protein-rich diet
  • include fiber-rich food, salads, and lentils in your diet
  • avoid spicy, sour, fatty food, aerated drinks

• Taking Panchakarma detoxification procedures like –
  • Nasyam (nasal administration of therapeutic oil)
  • Raktamokshana (leech therapy)
  • Shirobasti (warm medicated oil poured onto the head, and then allowed to remain there for a certain period of time)
  • Shiro abhyanga (head massage)

The panchkarma procedures listed above are performed under the supervision of an Ayurveda expert only.

1. Triphaladi thailum
2. Durduraptradi thailum
3. Bhringraj thailum

1. Aragwadadikshayam- 15ml+ 60ml water (morning and evening on empty stomach)
2. Panchanimba churna- 6gm with lukewarm water (twice a day)
3. Gandhak Rasayana- 500mg (thrice a day)
4. Arogyavardhini Vati- 2 tablets (twice a day)

Dandruff is a non infectious skin disease of scalp. Although it is a minor problem, if not treated it can lead to further complications. Dandruff is curable as it limits itself in Twak (skin). Even though it is curable, the rate of recurrence is high, owing to the negligence of proper hygiene and other factors.