WHAT IS FLAKING AND DRY SCALP?

The skin is in a continual renewal process. This renewal takes place every twenty-one to twenty-four days. During this process, new scalp cells are being formed, as old skin cells are being shed. If your scalp has the proper moisture balance, the oils secreted from the sebaceous glands assist in regulating this exfoliation process. Flaking and itching occurs when the body's moisture balance is out of sync and the exfoliation process does not happen at the normal rate. This type of imbalance can appear in two forms: Pityriasis Capitus Simplex and Pityriasis Steatoides. Pityriasis Simplex is flaking with symptoms of an itchy scalp with small white flakes/scales, usually as a result of an under active oil gland. While Pityriasis Steatoides is diagnosed by oily scalp residue and flaking, it is usually attributed to an over-active oil gland. ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA Pattern baldness is often a misunderstood condition; it simply means that you have a genetic pre-disposition to hair loss, creating a conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT the affects circulation to the follicle, slowing cell metabolism, while denying oxygen-rich blood needed for growth. If left untreated, the follicle will be choked by the DHT and eventually disappear. Androgenic Alopecia accounts for 95% of all hair loss in men and women; however, men experience a much greater degree of loss. This form of hair loss begins slowly and affects men in their early 20's. It usually starts with a receding hairline, which then advances to the top of the head. Although women have significantly lower DHT levels, their hair loss is gradual, normally occurring over most of the scalp as a result of hormonal imbalances. This process frequently begins during the late 30's / early 40's or the onset of menopause.