1. Dandruff (Seborrhea) Slideshow Pictures
2. What Your Scalp and Hair Say About Your Health
3. Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Dr. Alai is an actively practicing medical and surgical dermatologist in south Orange County, California. She has been a professor of dermatology and family medicine at the University of California, Irvine since 2000. She is U.S. board-certified in dermatology, a 10-year-certified fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Fellow of the American Society of Mohs Surgery.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical professionals and skin specialists called dermatologists commonly refer to dandruff as seborrhea or seborrheic dermatitis. The signs and symptoms include:

• White flakes on shoulders of dark clothing



• Itchy scalp



• Dry facial skin



• Recurrent ear "eczema"



• Facial rash by eyebrows, nose, and ears



• Oily scalp and facial skin with dry flakes



• Eyebrow dandruff



• Beard dandruff



• Chest rash with dry flakes and red spots

One of the most common and often the first symptom of dandruff can be white flakes on dark clothes. Scalp itching may be another common first symptom. In some, the initial noticeable symptom is simply dry facial skin without any other rashes. Patients may see their physician complaining of dry skin that fails to respond to daily lotions and creams. Often they have used every lotion and potion possible from the drugstore or more expensive department stores. Frequently this is caused by undiagnosed scalp dandruff that is causing problems "downstream" on the face.

Dandruff can be located anywhere on the body that has any type of hair follicles. It is most typically found on the scalp, ears, face, and middle of the chest. Seborrhea is not seen on the palms and soles where there are no hair follicles.