Healthy Scalps grow healthy hair

Not many people realise it, but poor epidermal health is a major contributor to hairloss. When the scalp accumulates build-up, its ability to produce skin and hair cells is hampered, resulting in less than healthy hair growth.

Sebum

Sebum is a naturally occurring waxy oil that is produced by the sebaceous glands. In normal hair, this is the substance that adds manageability and shine to the hair. In thinning hair, it becomes a sticky substance that clings to the hair shafts and blocks the hair follicle opening.

This sebum begins to harden, stopping weakened hair from penetrating it and growing out of the pore. Sebum contains highly active amounts of the androgen DHT, which results in miniaturisation and retardation of the hair.

Dandruff

It is normal to shed some skin on the scalp, as anywhere else on the body. These small skin cells are shed continuously and we do not notice them.

Dandruff occurs when the process of skin renewal speeds up, so a greater number of dead skin cells are being shed. These cells are also shed in larger clumps which, because they can be seen with the naked eye, can become embarrassing. The scalp may also become itchy in cases of dandruff.

This is all a symptom of seborrhoeic dermatitis, commonly caused by a yeast build up, as well as genetic, environmental, hormonal and immune-system factors.

Fungus

Malassezia furfur is a lipophilic fungus which lives in the skin. Its growth is dependant on the sebum secretions in the skin. Malassezia furfur has also been proven as one of the causes of dandruff.

High levels of sebum can cause Malassezia furfur to proliferate in the scalp, causing irritation. In turn the body reacts to this irritation by speeding up the cell renewal process, which in turn generates more dandruff.

The Barrier Function

Irritation of the scalp causes hyperproliferation of keratinocytes (skin cells).

This decreases the time taken for the keratinocytes to travel between the basal layer (where they are formed) and the stratum corneum (the outermost layers of skin), where they become corneocytes.

The resulting corneocytes are not fully formed and are shed in clumps (dandruff), pushed out by further keratinocytes making their way to the surface.

This whole process compromises the barrier function of the skin cells, allowing moisture to escape the skin and bacteria to be introduced.

The perturbations in the epidermal barrier not only cause further irritation and dandruff, but can also activate certain skin diseases, like psoriasis.

The corneocytes shown here are not fully formed, allowing moisture to be released through the scalp causing mass skin cell shedding (dandruff) and leaving the skin susceptible to bacteria.