This article is from the book, The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Children , by Denise Foley, Eileen Nechas, Susan Perry, Dena K. Salmon and the Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books. To send a link and summary of this article to a friend, click here . And if your child is dandruffprone, you might have to remind him that the doctor says not to worry. When telltale specks of dusty white appear on the shirt collar and shoulders of school-age children, they may come in for quite a ribbing from the other kids. So it's good if parents can offer an explanation and reassurance along with some helpful treatments.
Dandruff is simply an overenthusiastic turnover of skin cells on the scalp.
Everybody's scalp sheds, but if a child has dandruff, the skin sheds too quickly and too much. The child may complain that his scalp feels itchy, and you're likely to find some white flakes. When to See the Doctor Consult a doctor if your child's dandruff doesn't respond to two weeks of home treatment. And you shouldn't delay seeing the doctor if the child complains that his scalp is painful or extremely itchy, says Guy S. Webster, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He also recommends taking your child to the doctor if you detect hair loss, notice that the scalp seems inflamed or see some scaliness and inflammation on other parts of the body.