What is dandruff and why does it only appear on my head?
In: Biology
This is a false premise. What most people call dandruff is actually a condition called seborrheic dermatitis and it can occur all over the body, especially portions of the face.
Seborrheic dermatitis can have two root causes. One is an overproduction of sebum (skin oil) which leads to an overabundance of the absolutely normal yeast that lives on every single human being’s skin multiplying out of control because it’s a buffet. The excretions of these fungus after they eat is an irritant to human skin and will cause the skin to shed as your body attempts to expel the irritant. The second cause is being more sensitive or allergic to the yeast’s secretions than the average person. Both of these alone can cause seborrheic dermatitis, but some people unfortunately have both. The typical person without either of these afflictions receives such small quantities of the yeasts secretions that it doesn’t affect them in any way.
Source: I have this. It’s easily treatable with an antifungal cream applied daily, or an antifungal shampoo in the case of the scalp. Assuming you have hair. Which I shave. So cream on the head it is.
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