No matter what your hair type is or how long your natural locks are, dandruff can appear. Dandruff leaves the scalp white flake, making you feel itchy and uncomfortable when going out. Hence, treating dandruff is necessary to have a healthy scalp and a nice hair look. However, treating dandruff is more difficult in those with afro hair. The hair strands tend to be curly and coiled, and that is a challenge when you remove dandruff. In this blog post, Layla gives you some tips on how to treat dandruff in afro hair, helping you enjoy beautiful curls and a clean scalp every day.

What causes dandruff in African American hair?

Afro hair is a common hair type among African-rooted people, namely black people. This is among the curliest hair and also called kinky or spiral curls. You can consider this hair type as a natural hair kind of African American people. Plus, afro hair is easy to dry because the natural oil cannot moisturize all hair strands due to its pattern.

Now, look what causes dandruff in African hair? In fact, dandruff is a common problem that everyone can experience. Easy to say, dry hair and scalp is the main reason causing this phenomenon. Many say that it is a cosmetic disease because it leaves white flakiness on your scalp. Yes, dandruff does not threaten your health and life. But it makes you feel itchy, it is uncomfortable. 

Plus, dandruff is caused by some exact factors, such as seborrheic dermatitis, medical conditions, lack of nutrition, prolonged stress, and so on. For instance, some hair care products containing ceratin will irritate your scalp, triggering an itchy scalp and leading to flaky yellow or white scales.

Treating dandruff is difficult, but getting rid of dandruff in black people’s hair is more challenging. So how to treat dandruff on African hair? Keep scrolling down.

How to treat dandruff in afro hair?

Here’s what you should do to stop or prevent dandruff in African American hair and ensure you give your curls and scalp the best care: 

Wash your hair and scalp properly

Simple but not least important, this tip is the key to give you clean, fresh hair and scalp. Cleanse your afro hair once or twice weekly to eliminate dead skin, dirt, sweat, and product buildup. Plus, the right anti-dandruff shampoo also helps get rid of bacteria and fungus amazingly. When you wash your curls, don’t strongly scratch them as it may cause hair shedding. Combine to massage the scalp when shampooing because it stimulates blood circulation to the scalp, boosting hair growth effectively. 

There are various brands of dandruff shampoo afro hair available in the market now. Search for shampoos that are formulated with anti-dandruff ingredients and friendly ones for black hair, such as zinc pyrithione, coal tar, et. Additionally, you can use products, such as SheaMoisture Dandruff Control shampoo or Nizoral A-D Anti-Dandruff shampoo to treat dandruff in relaxed hair. 

Dry massage or moisturize the scalp

Yes, you should spend time relaxing and massage the scalp for about 4-5 minutes to stimulate blood flow to your head. This helps your natural locks grow healthy and take off dead skin cells and flakiness, reducing the risk of dandruff. How to do it? Just use your fingers and knuckles and gently massage the front area of your head, then work towards two sides and the back. 

What’s more, you should apply moisturizer to your curls and skin while massaging to treat dandruff in black natural hair. Because afro hair is easy to dry and thirsty, you have to provide enough moisture so that your curls and scalp stay strong and healthy. This helps you avoid the dry scalp issue as well as dandruff. Opt for a hair moisturizer rich in natural plant oils since it works great for fighting and preventing dryness. 

Other tips:

• How To Use Green Tea For Hair? The Exclusive Guide
• How To Air Dry Your Hair Fast?
• Top 7 Best Anti-Frizz Spray For Strong, Smooth Hair
• Hair Dye Too Light – Will Washing Make It Darker?
• A Detailed Guide On How To Stop Hair Breakage

Homemade recipes to treat dandruff in African American afro hair

You can make use of ingredients available in your kitchen to get rid of dandruff in afro hair. For example, you consider applying a mixture of leave-in conditioner and tea tree oil, then let it work to get rid of white flakiness. Bear in mind that you only apply it to your clean hair. Not only giving you a dandruff-free scalp, it potentially works to reduce hair breakage and split ends. 

To create the mixture for kinky hair, you mix 1/2 cup of leave-in conditioner with 5 drops of tea tree oil. Have no tea-tree oil, you can replace it with sunflower oil or other essential oils, and it offers the same results. You apply the mix evenly on your mane and scalp, leave it overnight, and rinse it thoroughly the next morning with a mild shampoo. 

Besides, there are many homemade formulations helping remove excessive dandruff in African American hair and keep curls in healthy condition. You can use hair-friendly and natural ingredients like aloe vera, olive oil, peppermint oil, white vinegar, etc. to create your own dandruff treatment. For example, vinegar contains acetic acid that works to fight bacteria and fungus, reducing dandruff and other hair-related problems. 

How to get rid of dandruff in African American hair? What’s more, you should try to minimize your stress and anxiety as they are also the reason causing dandruff. We know it is difficult, but please spend time to relax and take care of yourself. Please keep your stress levels by joining yoga classes, taking medication, etc. If dandruff is caused by your unhealthy diet, you should change it now. You consume food sources that are high in vitamins, minerals, and low in sugar level and carbohydrates.

In a nutshell

Although dandruff does not threaten your life, you should treat it as soon as possible. As mentioned, treating dandruff in afro hair is more difficult than doing in other hair types. But there are numerous recipes and ways available to deal with this problem. 

Layla hopes that our words about how to treat dandruff in afro hair can help all readers somehow. Start noticing yellow or white flakes on your curls, please give the above-listed tips a try. We believe they truly work to maximize the effectiveness. 

Thank you for your follow-up! And don’t forget to share this post if you find it informative.