When we stress it can feel as if our body is in meltdown – our heart is permanently racing, it’s difficult to sleep, and to make matters worse, when stress has hit its peak, sometimes our head gets itchy and dandruff flakes dance from your scalp to your shoulder. So why is it that when we are stressed we get dandruff? Is it just because we don’t bathe, or wash our hair when we are busy? Or is there something more?

What is dandruff?

Dandruff flakes are dead skin cells on the scalp. Naturally, skin cells die and fall off to make way for new cells, but we usually don’t notice because there aren’t too many of them and they wash out when we wash our hair. It’s only when scalp skin cells die off excessively that we notice. It’s estimated that more than 50 percent of the adult population have had dandruff. So why do the skin cells on our head shed excessively?

The major cause of dandruff is a fungus, called Malassezia fungi that can live on the scalp. Scientists are getting close to understanding precisely why this fungus gives us dandruff, but we are sure we have the right culprit because anti-fungal treatments work best to remove the symptoms of dandruff. Plus, when animals are inoculated with the fungus, they often get dandruff-like symptoms (skin flaking etc.).

Aren’t you gland scientists are working on this issue?

In 2005 scientists from the USA and Korea found an important clue to explain why this fungus causes dandruff. They showed that when a gland in our body, called the Sebaceous Gland, was active, people were more likely to have scalp flaking disorders. The Sebaceous Gland becomes active during puberty, and stays active in our 20s and 30s. It produces stuff called sebum which is found on our scalp, face and back. Sebum maintains the structure of skin, and protects it from bacteria, fungus, and ultraviolet irradiation. Ironically, while sebum is supposed to be protecting our scalp from fungus, it is actually one of Malassezia fungi’s favourite meals.

The fungus is a very fussy eater, and while it loves sebum, which is made up of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, it only eats the saturated fatty acids. This means our scalp is left with too much unsaturated fatty acids. It’s thought that excess unsaturated fatty acid leaves our skin vulnerable to flaking, and dandruff. However, the dandruff debate isn’t all cleared up (and neither is my dandruff). The Malassezia fungus is found on healthy scalps as well as dandruff sufferers. This tells us other factors must be involved. Could one of these factors be stress?

Does stress increase our risk of dandruff?

Possibly. While studies of general stress are hard to come by (because stress is so subjective), in 2007 a study of 82 patients suffering from depression and anxiety found that 82% had an excessively flaking scalp. When we are stressed, our body makes substances called glucocorticoids which calm us down. Glucocorticoids can change the make-up of the cells on our scalp, possibly leaving us susceptible to Malassezia and the dandruff it causes.

The good news is: while scientists don’t know exactly how stress increases our chances of dandruff, we do know that most dandruff can be cured using anti-fungal shampoos and conditioners. Now if only we had time to wash our hair during stress then all our problems would disappear!