What Is Oily Yellow Dandruff? How To Treat It?

Many times dandruff is not just tiny and flaky, it forms small clusters which are formed due to an oily scalp. The tiny flakes combine and form little big flakes. At other times, dandruff itself is yellow in color due to an excessively oily scalp. So are these conditions the same?

No. Both conditions are different. The oily yellow dandruff is known as Seborrheic Dermatitis, which is usually associated with redness. When your scalp is irritated, flakes form. In an effort to get rid of the skin irritation, it begins to shed skin more quickly than usual. This causes clumps of skin cells, or what you might refer to as flakes, to come off.

Dandruff is one of many conditions that can irritate the scalp, but in order for the treatment to be effective, the exact cause must be determined. In order to begin, let’s zoom in on those flakes.

What is seborrheic dermatitis?

You could have seborrheic dermatitis if you have severe flaking that is oily and yellow in appearance. Its signs and symptoms resemble a bad case of dandruff. A sensitive scalp, oiliness, and numerous stubborn flakes that don’t go away with standard dandruff shampoos are possible symptoms.

Why is seborrheic dermatitis/oily yellow flakes caused?

Seborrheic dermatitis is brought on by a microbe that lives on our scalp, just like dandruff. The name of it is Malassezia globosa. The excessive oil secreted by the scalp, which can set off your immune system, is what the fungus feeds on. 

Your body’s inconsistent response results in a buildup of skin cells on your scalp, resulting in scaly patches. This results in inflammation as well as the growth of crusty, yellowish sores on your scalp. Your scalp exfoliates these dead skin cells as flakes.

Therefore, seborrheic dermatitis is typically the cause of yellow dandruff flakes. These will be connected to excess oil production and greasy skin. Some individuals refer to it as wet dandruff because the flakes will be greasy as well.

How to treat seborrheic dermatitis?

First, the bad news: yellow dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis cannot be cured. Fortunately, it is relatively simple to control. Although unsightly yellow dandruff in and of itself is not harmful to our health, other dandruff symptoms and irritations can result in secondary infections or even hair loss if scratched constantly or treated with harsh chemicals.

Malassezia yeasts are present on the scalp naturally, but in people with dermatitis seborrheic, the body interprets this as a threat and produces more sebum to try to drive it away. As a result of the increased oils, the fungus may grow and spread to more areas of the scalp, where it manifests as greasy yellow dandruff. To lessen dandruff and manage seborrheic dermatitis, it is necessary to fool the body into not seeing yeast as a threat and hence controlling its growth.

At least one of the antifungal ingredients listed below is frequently present in over-the-counter medicated shampoos:

• Ketoconazole.
• Zinc pyrithione.
• Selenium sulfide.
• Coal tar.
• Ciclopirox olamine.

Furthermore, herbal remedies are also effective in treating seborrheic dermatitis. These treatments contain antifungal agents with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the colonization of Malassezia. Yellow dandruff can be effectively treated with essential oils like tea tree oil, coconut oil, or argan oil. In order to balance out the fatty acid content of oils, which may feed the fungus, adding lemon juice or witch hazel can act as an astringent.

Final Thoughts

Yellow dandruff might not smell good, it might occasionally look bad, and it certainly doesn’t feel good, but it won’t harm you. Many medicated or botanical shampoos that work to kill the fungus that causes yellow flakes can be used to treat seborrheic dermatitis, which causes yellow dandruff. The likelihood that you have seborrheic dermatitis increases if you discover greasy yellow flakes of dandruff. 

Explore more on dandruff here.