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.

View Full Profile

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.

View Full Profile

Dandruff is generally fairly easy to diagnose. A medical professional can usually identify dandruff by looking at the rash and asking questions about how it appeared.

In rare instances, highly atypical cases may require more exams and tests including skin scrapings, microscopic evaluation, blood tests, and skin biopsies. A health care practitioner may scrape some scales off the rash and look at them under the microscope to make sure the rash is not caused by a fungus. A very small piece of skin may be taken (a biopsy) for microscopic examination to exclude other causes like psoriasis, lupus, and skin diseases. Other types of rashes and skin infection also may be ruled out.

Other possible conditions that may have similar symptoms are:

• Psoriasis



• Rosacea



• Tinea Capitis (fungal scalp and hair infection)



• Contact dermatitis



• Eczema



• "Ringworm"



• Xerosis
(dry skin)


• Allergic dermatitis



• Sebopsoriasis



• Seborosacea
(a combination of psoriasis and seborrhea)


• Perioral dermatitis
(acne like rash around the mouth and chin)


• Acne



• Pruritus
(itching)


• Lupus



• Other autoimmune disorders



• Photodermatitis
(sunlight induced rash)

The four key features of dandruff are:

• Dry, white skin flakes on any hair bearing parts of the body



• Dry skin by the eyebrows, ears, and nose



• White flakes on clothes



• Itchy or dry scalp