What Causes Dandruff in Kids?

Dandruff can start at any age, and it's a lot more common than you think. Called seborrheic dermatitis in medical terminology, dandruff can even form on the scalps of babies, according to the Kids, Skin, Health section of the American Academy of Dermatology Web site. This is what is known as cradle cap. Some types of eczema are also associated with dandruff.

What is Dandruff?

Dandruff is caused by a rapid production of the skin cells on the scalp. The excess cells are seen as flakes on the scalp or on the shoulders when the flakes fall from the head. Contrary to what many people think, dandruff is not caused by dry skin. And dandruff will not cause the hair to fall out.

There are a number of factors which determine the development of dandruff. These include enhanced sebum (excess oil) production, microbial lipid-dependent metabolism (the growth of bacteria that feed off of the fats-lipids--on the skin) and susceptibility of the individual. In addition, research has led to a number of breakthroughs in discovering that a certain kind of yeast and several other types of fungi may cause dandruff.

In other words, some children will get dandruff; others won't. It depends on the amount of oil their skin produces, if their skin plays host to certain bacteria, and if they just happen to be prone to developing skin conditions like dandruff.

The Symptoms of Dandruff

When a child scratches her head, the first nightmarish thought a parent has is head lice. However, head lice cause persistent scratching, while dandruff may be somewhat itchy or, more often, not at all.

If you see your child scratching or you notice thick, flaky, localized patches of scale on your child's scalp or behind the ears, chances are the problem is dandruff. With lice, you can see the silver nits on the hair close to the scalp.

The good news is that dandruff is relatively easy to treat and control, unlike head lice. There are several good over-the-counter products that your pharmacist or health care practitioner can recommend.

Sources:

Kids, Skin, Health.com of the American Academy of Dermatology

Medicine Net.com