Chinese medicine for dandruff

There is a lot of dandruff, and even the best shampoo cannot completely remove it. Having dandruff on the scalp for a long time is like having a head of snowflakes, which makes people look very uncomfortable, and even makes people around them stay away from them, thinking that they don’t wash their hair and are unhygienic. In fact, this is not the case. Traditional Chinese medicine can treat dandruff, but it also requires methods. The main method is to regulate and treat according to the constitution.

In clinical practice, TCM treats dandruff based on the patient's constitution and symptoms, and gives different medications. It can usually be roughly divided into three types:

1. Liver depression and qi stagnation type (people who are usually under great pressure and depressed)

Because the liver qi cannot be regulated and unobstructed, it causes liver qi stagnation and heat, qi stagnation and blood stasis, and the skin surface loses moisture. Therefore, there will be phenomena such as redness and dryness of the scalp, desquamation and sensitivity. In addition, it may also be accompanied by symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, irregular menstruation, poor sleep, and even insomnia.

Treatment: For this type of dandruff patients, the dandruff is often small and fine and occurs in layers. The treatment is mainly based on nourishing blood, soothing the liver and relieving depression. Traditional Chinese medicines such as Bupleurum, Angelica, White Peony, Rehmannia, Paeonia Sinensis, Gardenia, etc. are often used to improve the condition. Compound prescriptions such as Jiawei Xiaoyao Powder and Ganmai Dazao Decoction can be used for treatment.

2. Gastrointestinal damp-heat type (people who like to eat spicy and hot foods and drink alcohol)

This type of people, due to their diet, have problems with the spleen and stomach functioning normally, and they suffer from gastrointestinal damp-heat type.

Due to poor absorption and metabolism, water or damp heat accumulates in the stomach and intestines, and the damp heat fumigates the skin, causing erythema, mucus, greasy yellow scabs, etc.; and may be accompanied by symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal distension, and foul odor.

Treatment: For this type of dandruff patients, the dandruff is often larger, slightly yellowish and oily. Eating fried foods may make the dandruff worse. The treatment is mainly based on clearing heat, strengthening the spleen and removing dampness. Medicinal materials such as Scutellaria baicalensis, Coix seed, dried tangerine peel, Poria cocos, Patchouli, or Ganluyin, Longdan Xiegan Decoction, etc. are often used for treatment.

3. Yin deficiency, fire, dryness and heat type (chronic course of disease, repeated failure to heal, and no obvious inflammation)

This type of patients often have insomnia, dry stools, red tongue with little fluid and cracks. They have a constitution of yin deficiency, fire and dryness, and are prone to fatigue, dry eyes, and acne.

Treatment: The treatment for this type of dandruff patients is mainly based on nourishing yin, nourishing blood and dispersing wind. They can use medicinal materials such as angelica, raw rehmannia, schizonepeta, saposhnikovia, red peony root, and tribulus terrestris, or use Shugan powder, nourishing yin and nourishing blood soup, etc.

In addition, the symptoms of some patients will change with the seasons. For example, in summer they may have gastrointestinal damp-heat type, but in winter they may become blood deficiency and wind-dryness type. The treatment must be adjusted according to the symptoms at that time.