Chinese scientists have discovered a lead that could lead to a more effective treatment for removing dandruff from the scalp.
Lice are the ordeal of children (and their parents). But once an adult, there is another scourge for the scalp: dandruff. Since the 20th century, scientists have agreed that this embarrassing problem stems from a fungal bacteria (or fungus) called Malassezia. But a recent study by researchers at Jiao Tong University (Shanghai, China) and published in the journal Scientifist Reports suggests that the invasion of dandruff in the scalp corresponds more to an increased presence of the Staphylococcus bacteria than that of Malassezia.
An increased presence of Staphylococcus
To achieve these results, the researchers combed the scalp of 363 volunteers over the age of 18. Only a part of them had dandruff. The scientists also took a sample of DNA from the participants to study their bacteriological profile. Surprisingly, the ground for Malassezia has proven to be as favorable for scalps infested with dandruff as it is for others. In fact, the rate of Malassezia strains was 90% for all the scalps examined. On the other hand, the professors noticed a clear difference in the level of Staphylococcus content. Scalps colonized by dandruff had a much higher intake of Staphylococci than those without dandruff. The authors of the study therefore deduce that the absence of bacteriological balance in the scalp in favor of Staphylococci is responsible for the appearance of dandruff.
These recent discoveries could lead to a better anti-dandruff treatment. To date, the most effective treatment is anti-dandruff shampoo, which contains substances capable of neutralizing fungal bacteria, but also staphylococcal bacteria. According to Professor Zhijue Xu, lead author of the study, the next step will therefore be to find a treatment capable of restoring the balance between staphylococcal bacteria and propionic bacteria, which promote hydration of the skin and which cause the appearance of acne when their presence is excessive.
The authors of the study also found that the surface of the scalps infested with dandruff was less hydrated and that the contributions of sebum (an oily substance naturally secreted by the scalp) were less important. But researchers are not yet able to determine whether this phenomenon represents the cause or the consequence of the appearance of dandruff.
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