Dandruff And Emotional Distress – How Are They Linked?

It is a natural process where the skin cells die and shed off the body. The same goes for the scalp. The dead skin cells continually shed off the skin. But this process of decay is sped up during the scalp condition like dandruff. The causes are ample, like oily skin, dry skin, impairment of general health, impurities of blood, intake of wrong foods, sensitivity to hair products, etc.

When the hair is brushed or scratched, the scalp scales fall like snowflakes and rest on the hair, brows, shoulders, and garments. These scales might manifest as lumps or crusts on the scalp. Itching is common, and scratching causes the scalp to turn red. A yeast-like fungal overgrowth can also cause dandruff, hormones, too much oil on the scalp, or immune system problems, but the most significant cause is stress, a deadly psychological condition.

Impact of dandruff on psychology

A study conducted by news medical concluded-

• It made 73% of respondents feel less attractive.
• 20% reported being bullied and verbally abused as a result of their condition.
• 72% had attempted to conceal their condition from others, such as friends or lovers.
• More than a third acknowledged avoiding social situations due to dandruff on one or more occasions.

This means that people with dandruff often have lower self-esteem and feel embarrassed. Unfortunately, stress can aggravate skin issues and dandruff, resulting in a vicious cycle of irritated skin and dissatisfaction. Understanding both the physical and psychological aspects of dandruff, on the other hand, can help you control it.

Can stress cause dandruff?

It is clear from studies that dandruff is caused due to the dandruff fungus Malassezia, which lives on the head and multiplies. Stress has far-reaching impacts on the body, and many skin disorders, including dandruff, can worsen during stressful periods. Stress can change hormone levels, which in turn might affect sebum production on the scalp in some people. Increased sebum production creates a more favorable environment for Malassezia to grow and thrive.

A decreased immune system is one of the most common correlations with stress. When this is combined with a disruption in your blood circulation, you become vulnerable to yeast and bacterial development. The normal physiological mechanisms that would control this growth are repressed, exposing your body to more harm.

There are numerous symptoms associated with stress, and some of them might have a knock-on effect that makes dandruff appear worse:

• Overheating and stress-related sweating can foster the growth of dandruff-causing Malassezia. Sweat pores are intimately linked to sebum pores, and it leaves a mixture of minerals and oil behind that must be eliminated.

• Hormonal changes – Malassezia Globosa degrades the oils or sebum on your scalp, kicking off the cycle that results in skin cells flaking off as dandruff. Because sebum production is controlled by hormones, stress can create changes in the hormonal balance, resulting in an increase in sebum production. This provides more oil for the fungus on your scalp to feed on, resulting in more flaking and itching.

• When we are stressed, we typically scratch our heads in perplexity and fiddle with our hair. This invariably transmits dirt and oils from your hands to your hair and scalp, exacerbating the problem. And if you have an underlying illness, such as Eczema, your dandruff may be worse and intensified by stress.

How can we calm stress and cure dandruff?

The first thing to understand is that dandruff can affect anyone. We can break the stigma if we can learn to realize that this is common and will have little effect on our daily life. Here are a few tips to heal both- dandruff and mental health.

• Stay cheerful from the inside out – several of the dandruff prevention strategies might alter your life. They are extremely easy lifestyle hacks, such as mindfulness practice.

• Get moving – mild exercise or stretching techniques such as yoga might help us achieve inner peace and increase happy hormones. Yoga may alleviate anxiety by reducing the heart rate, resulting in lower blood pressure. You can also go for a walk outside with nature, which has healing properties that provide us with a natural lift.

• Pick up the phone; they say that a problem shared is a problem halved. Being with people lessens our stress levels because we are social creatures. You might even want to share your “embarrassing dilemma” with a friend, who has almost certainly been through the same thing. Stay social and open about your emotions. It’s equally as relaxing as a hot shower and won’t harm your hair.

Final Thoughts

Living a hectic life has become a topic of discussion for practically everyone. Work stress, relationship stress, family stress, physical stress, and general weariness stress have all made their way into our lives. This same stress leads to hormonal changes in the body, which leads to increase in sebum secretion on the scalp, and indeed a colonization of Malassezia fungus. Hence, it becomes evident that stress leads to an increase in dandruff, indirectly.