How to Get Rid of Dandruff: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention Tips

Dandruff’s annoying, and yeah… it can be a bit embarrassing too. But you’re definitely not the only one dealing with it.

In this guide, we’ll take you through what’s actually going on when dandruff shows up, which ingredients genuinely help clear it, and how to stop it from making a comeback.

Causes: Why do I get dandruff?

Even though dandruff is very common, estimated to affect about half of all adults, the cause isn’t yet fully understood. What scientists do know is that it seems to link back to an overgrowth of a fungus called Malassezia. This yeast feeds on the natural oils (sebum) on the scalp, breaking them down into fatty acids, including one called oleic acid. This fatty acid can irritate the skin, disrupt the normal skin barrier and cause inflammation, leading to the characteristic symptoms of dandruff like itchiness, dry scalp and flaking.

Normally, dead skin cells are shed one at a time, so you never notice them. With dandruff, the dead skin cells clump together, creating the noticeable flakes we associate with dandruff.

Other possible causes of dandruff include:

Oily scalp: some people’s scalps produce too much sebum, which can lead to an oily scalp. Scientists have noticed that dandruff tends to be linked to an oilier scalp (though not always), and particularly the properties of the oil itself seem to make a difference. Some types of oil are more favourable to Malassezia, which can encourage the yeast to grow and trigger dandruff symptoms.

Dry scalp: factors like cold weather, using heat styling tools or hot water can dry out the scalp, which could also lead to dandruff.

An interplay of other factors like nutrition, stress and genetics may contribute towards determining an individual’s susceptibility to the condition.

Treatments: How to get rid of dandruff

Most dandruff treatments aim to tackle the root of the problem by reducing levels of Malassezia. Others focus more on managing symptoms so flakes and irritation are less noticeable. Here’s how the main ingredients work:

• Salicylic acid: stops cells binding together and exfoliates the scalp by breaking down build-up of sebum and dead skin, which helps  prevent and get rid of flakes.
• Tar: shampoos containing tar helps slow down the rapid skin cell growth, as well as loosen and remove flakes. The downside is it can be messy, has a strong smell, and may stain fair hair.
• Zinc pyrithione: this anti-fungal ingredient helps inhibit the growth of Malassezia and keep them at a healthy level.
• Selenium sulfide:  helps control Malassezia population on the scalp, as well as slowing cell turnover.
• Ketoconazole: available both in over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription dosages, ketoconazole also helps treat dandruff through its antifungal properties. It fights a broad spectrum of fungi, so it has become the leading treatment due to its capacity to treat the more severe seborrheic dermatitis too.

Prevention: How to stop dandruff coming back

A lot of people treat dandruff only when it’s at its worst: when flakes are obvious, the itch is hard to ignore, and the scalp feels dry and irritated. They’ll use an anti‑dandruff shampoo for a couple of weeks until things look normal again, then switch straight back to their usual shampoo. Before long, the flakes return, and the whole cycle starts all over again.

A clinical trial published in 2025 looked at what happens to the scalp after you stop using an anti-dandruff (AD) shampoo. In the study, two groups used an anti-dandruff shampoo for 2 weeks, long enough to settle their symptoms. One group then switched to a cosmetic (non-anti-dandruff) shampoo while the other group kept using the anti-dandruff shampoo for a further 4 weeks.

For the group that stopped treatment, early signs of their scalp worsening appeared in as little as three days. Inflammation markers, oxidative stress, Malassezia levels, and flake measurements all began drifting in the wrong direction. By around three weeks, the visible symptoms like flaking, itching, and irritation started creeping back too. The findings make one thing very clear: to keep dandruff away, you need steady, ongoing use of antid-andruff actives.‑dandruff actives.

That’s why Sons recommends using a targeted treatment like ketoconazole 2% shampoo for two to four weeks until symptoms have fully settled, then keeping it in your routine once every one to two weeks. This helps maintain healthy Malassezia levels and stops dandruff from making an unwelcome comeback.

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All of our blog articles are reviewed by our Medical Director before publication.