While nothing to be ashamed of, scalp problems leave you feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious. There are a variety of maladies that can affect the scalp ranging from dandruff to seborrheic dermatitis (seb derm) and alopecia (hair loss).
Chances are, if you’ve never suffered from one, you’ve rarely given your scalp a second thought. If you are one of the unlucky ones prone to some of these conditions, you spend time considering your dry, itchy scalp all too often as you exert effort to research and shop and try products that will help to alleviate your discomfort and rid you of some of your symptoms.
What if there were a product to control the root cause- inflammation? Something safe, easy to use, and effective. A product gentle enough to be used undiluted, and powerful and versatile enough to be added to your favorite products to help make them even more effective. Sounds like it might be too good to be true, right? It’s taken decades of research, but Delta-5TM is now available.
In order to understand what makes this product a great choice to use in conjunction with your current scalp malady arsenal, you first need to have a basic understanding of what goes on behind your pesky scalp troubles.
Dandruff
Often accompanied by itching, dandruff is a condition of the scalp that causes flakes of skin to appear. It is not related to hygiene, although it may be more visible if you don’t wash or brush your hair often.
Your skin is constantly renewing itself. As new cells are generated, the top layer of cells dies and falls off. This dander is a normal part of the healthy skin life cycle. When something triggers this process of skin renewal to speed up, patches of dead skin on the scalp can form, coming off into the hair. When they land on the shoulder of your black blazer, it’s embarrassing.
Dandruff, itself, isn’t necessarily a condition on its own. It may be the result of some inflammatory conditions like seborrheic dermatitis (cradle cap), eczema, allergic contact dermatitis, psoriasis, or tinea capitis (ringworm). It could also be the result of yeast, dry skin (more prominent in the winter time), or your hair care products.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is thought to be an autoimmune condition in which the top layer of the skin is in overdrive, making too many new cells. This results in a rash of thick, crusted scales. These patches can itch, hurt, crust up, or bleed and may be quite painful. While it affects any part of the body, Dr. Seemal Desai, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, states it is one of the most difficult types to treat.
According to Desai, most of the treatments for psoriasis involve relieving symptoms. Often times, a steroid cream is used to alleviate inflammation. Pointers include not shampooing your hair every day (to lessen rashes) or applying a therapeutic oil cream.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seb derm is a more advanced form of eczema than dandruff and can cause scaly, itchy patches on your scalp that can ooze and scab over. It may worsen over the winter, and the production of excess oil leads to a greasy look and feel to the hair. Many people are affected, and according to the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s common in people with oily skin or hair, acne, or psoriasis.
No definitive cause has been identified, though malassezia (a yeast found in the skin’s oily secretion) seems to be the likely culprit. There is no cure, but sometimes medicated shampoos and creams may help with symptoms. If those don’t do the trick, your dermatologist may elect to add a topical steroid.
Folliculitis
Folliculitis is an inflammation or infection of the hair follicle caused by a microbe (usually the bacteria, staphylococcus) that find their way inside. Sometimes irritation from shaving, makeup, or clothing can cause the follicles to become inflamed.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD) happens when your skin reacts badly to something it touches. A well-known example would be poison ivy, but your shampoo or hair products could also be causes. The result is red, itchy, scaly skin. If bad enough, it could lead to crusty, oozing sores.
Inflammation of the Skin Is the Common Denominator
What all of these maladies have in common is inflammation. Regardless of the trigger or cause, inflammation plays a huge role in how they affect your skin.
Historically, steroids have been widely used to treat these cases. But more recently, an understanding of the cellular and biochemical events that are involved in skin inflammation has made it possible to develop newer and more potent topical and injectable drugs to treat inflammatory skin problems. Biological response modifiers, or biologics, have been working to settle problems like psoriasis. Antioxidants are playing a role in controlling the inflammatory process, too.
Botanical compounds are being used as anti-inflammatory candidates based on their ability to block key inflammatory mediators produced by the skin and immune cells.
SciaEssentials® DELTA-5® Battles Inflammation
DELTA-5 is a natural, unique, conifer-derived oil that can produce rapid and radical anti-inflammatory benefits for the skin in one use. Its two ingredients are sciadonic acid and tocopherols.
Sciadonic acid has the ability to decrease chronic inflammation in the skin by working very early in the inflammation cascade. It competes for a spot with arachidonic acid, which plays a big role in producing inflammatory molecules. Overall, it decreases the levels of the inflammatory molecules.
DELTA-5 can be used topically, either by itself, or in conjunction with other products. It can be applied undiluted to affected areas and is readily-absorbed. That, and it’s simplistic formula make it easy to add into your current products, such as your shampoo.
very interesting info !