Wet Dandruff – What Is It And How To Treat It?

Wet Dandruff – What Is It And How To Treat It?

When it comes to dandruff, there’s one thing we can all agree on – it’s frustrating to no end. You scour every corner of the internet looking for natural remedies to get rid of this hair condition. But a lot of times you are probably left stumped when the remedies don’t seem to work. Well, there’s a very big reason for that. You have probably been trying out treatments that are meant to treat dry dandruff when you actually have wet dandruff. Confused? Then keep reading to get a clear idea of what I’m talking about…

What Is Wet Dandruff?

Located underneath your scalp are sebaceous glands that serve the primary function of producing the natural oil sebum. This sebum keeps your hair and scalp moisturized and prevents them from getting dehydrated. It also serves the purpose of reducing frizz and prevents the signs of aging from appearing.

The problem begins when the sebaceous glands start working in overdrive and producing sebum in excess quantities. The excess sebum starts building up on your scalp and makes it sticky. It starts attracting and clinging onto dirt and dead skin cells, thus forming dandruff. Since sebum is moist and forms a damp layer on your scalp, this type of dandruff is referred to as wet dandruff or oily dandruff.

What Are The Causes Of Wet Dandruff?

I know what you’re wondering – why do your sebaceous glands suddenly start acting crazy and producing extra sebum? Well, the most common causes are hormonal changes caused by puberty, pregnancy or stress. Another major reason could be irregular and infrequent shampooing habits that leads to insufficient cleansing of your scalp and the subsequent buildup of dirt and dead skin cells on it.

How Does Wet Dandruff Occur On Eyebrows And Eyelashes?

Sebaceous glands are located all over your body. But the only other areas that have a thick concentration of hair besides your scalp and are exposed to the environment are your eyebrows and eyelashes. Henceforth, the sebaceous glands in those areas can also overproduce sebum and cause wet dandruff.

Dry Dandruff v/s Wet Dandruff

Dry dandruff typically consists of small, white flakes that fall off your scalp pretty easily with the slightest movement. Wet dandruff, on the contrary, appears as large, yellow flakes that clump together and cling onto your hair shafts. They do not fall off easily.

Dry dandruff does not cause redness or irritation on the scalp and tends to disappear during the summer months. But wet dandruff is more of a long-lasting condition and causes severe itching and inflammation on the scalp.

Since wet dandruff is a more long-lasting condition and causes extreme itching, you need to treat it with natural remedies that specifically target these problems. So, here are a few things that you can try out…

1. Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera gel is an excellent remedy for eliminating wet dandruff as it contains cleansing enzymes that get rid of dead skin cells, oil buildup, and fatty deposits that clog your hair follicles. It also contains glycoproteins that reduce inflammation and soothe itchiness.

What You Need

• 3-4 tablespoons aloe vera gel


• Towel


• Hot water

What To Do

1. Apply the aloe vera gel all over your scalp.


2. Soak the towel in hot water and wring out the excess water.


3. Wrap this hot, damp towel around your head and leave it on for half an hour.


4. Wash off the aloe vera gel with a mild shampoo.


5. Follow this routine thrice a week.

 2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar acts as an excellent wet dandruff remedy mainly because it helps regulate the sebum production on your scalp. It also cleanses the oil buildup clogging your hair follicles and soothes irritation.

What You Need

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar

What To Do

1. Pour the apple cider vinegar all over your scalp and gently massage it in.


2. Leave it on for 10 minutes.


3. Wash it off with a mild shampoo and condition your hair as normal.


4. Follow this routine once a week.

 3. Lemon Juice And Amla Juice

Lemon juice and amla juice work in sync to cleanse the wet dandruff and accumulated oil from your scalp. Additionally, the citric acid content of the lemon juice acts as an antimicrobial agent that gets rid of any infection that could be feeding off of the wet dandruff on your scalp.

What You Need

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice


• 2 tablespoons amla juice


• Cotton ball

What To Do

1. Combine the juices in a bowl.


2. Use a cotton ball to apply this mixture all over your scalp.


3. Leave it on for 30 minutes before washing it off with a mild shampoo.


4. Follow this routine twice a week.

4. Baking Soda

Baking soda may sound like an odd choice for treating wet dandruff, but it actually works wonders in this aspect. This is because it completely removes all the excess sebum that has accumulated on your scalp and deeply cleanses it. It also balances the pH of your scalp to regulate the production of sebum.

What You Need

• 3 tablespoons baking soda


• Water

What To Do

1. Mix some water with the baking soda.


2. Apply this paste all over your scalp and leave it on for 10 minutes.


3. Wash it off with water and a mild shampoo.


4. Follow this routine once a week.

5. Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek seeds possess antibacterial and antifungal properties that fight off the infections that could be aggravating the wet dandruff condition. They also contain vitamin C, nicotinic acid, and lecithin that combat the thick wet dandruff flakes quite effectively.

What You Need

• 2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds

What To Do

1. Soak the fenugreek seeds in water overnight.


2. Grind them into a smooth paste the next morning.


3. Apply this paste all over your scalp and leave it on for 30 minutes.


4. Wash it off with a mild shampoo.


5. Follow this routine twice a week.