How To Get Rid Of Dandruff Naturally - DreadlocKulture

Many factors can cause dandruff on your scalp, such as oily hair, the shampoo you use, changes to your diet, stress, hormonal imbalances, and skin conditions caused by a fungal infection.

Before getting dreadlocks, I experienced a mild case of dandruff from time to time, but it got worse for me once I got dreads.

I spent well over a year of testing home remedies and different dandruff shampoos before finally discovering a natural remedy for dandruff in dreadlocks that has kept my condition at bay for more than two years (and counting).

This article is not just about how to treat dandruff with dreads but also how to avoid dandruff with locs and how to dissolve dandruff flakes.

In this post, you will learn 13 ways to combat dandruff in locs specifically and improve your scalp health in general.

What causes dandruff?

Dandruff is a common scalp condition characterized by flaky skin on the scalp. The exact cause of dandruff isn’t fully understood, but several factors may contribute to its development:

1. Malassezia: This is a yeast-like fungus that naturally lives on the scalp of most adults. However, in some people, it can become overactive and lead to dandruff by irritating the scalp and causing excess skin cell turnover.

2. Seborrheic dermatitis: This is a condition characterized by irritated, oily skin. It can affect areas rich in oil glands, including the scalp, leading to dandruff.

3. Sensitivity to hair care products: Some people may be sensitive to certain ingredients in hair care products such as shampoos, hair dyes, or other store-bought products with chemicals and preservatives. This can lead to an itchy, flaky scalp.

4. Bad hygiene: Infrequent washing or poor cleansing of the scalp can result in the buildup of oils and dead skin cells, which can contribute to the development of dandruff. In the case of dreadlocks, you should be washing your hair once every 5 to 10 days.

5. Diet: Some research suggests that diet may play a role in dandruff. A diet lacking certain nutrients, such as zinc, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, may contribute to the development of dandruff.

6. Stress: Stress can exacerbate many skin conditions, including dandruff. It can weaken the immune system and trigger inflammatory responses that may worsen symptoms.

Dandruff can vary from person to person, and what works for one individual may not work for another. Also, the root problem of your dandruff may require a different treatment than the ones listed below.

If dandruff becomes persistent or severe, it’s a good idea to consult a dermatologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.

It’s also important to note that not all flaking of the scalp is dandruff. Dry skin on the scalp, for instance, can cause flakes that resemble dandruff. This can be exacerbated by cold weather, indoor heating, or infrequent shampooing.

Remember that whatever is happening on the outside of your body could be the reflection of something that is happening inside of your body. You should take care of your internal well-being as a means to cure your external being.

Is dandruff a permanent condition?

Unfortunately, yes. If you suffered from dandruff before you had dreads, then you are more likely to have it while you have dreads.

The problem is that you cannot treat your hair with the same hair care products that you did before.

Medicated shampoos will leave a lot of residue on your hair, so using them will in essence be like substituting one problem for another. Would you rather have dandruff or residue? I say neither!

There’s also the possibility that you start to experience dandruff after getting dreads, even if you’ve never had it before.

This could be the result of a change in washing frequency, the kind of shampoo you’re using, the pH level of your scalp, a dry scalp, product buildup, overproduction of sebum, or not getting enough blood stimulation to the scalp (since you’re not washing and brushing daily).

Dandruff will not go away on its own but the good news is that there are ways to minimize it substantially so that it doesn’t interfere with your life.

If you have dandruff, there are several ways to treat, or at least lessen it, naturally.

13 Suggestions for reducing dandruff in dreads

If you’re experiencing dandruff, this is an opportunity to improve your hair care routine and incorporate new healthy habits.

Here are some tips that can significantly help reduce dandruff and other similar conditions like dry itchy scalp and scalp irritation.

1. Drink more water

The first thing, and most important thing, our bodies need to survive is water.

How much water you need is relative to your weight and height but experts suggest drinking an average of 6 to 8 cups of water daily.

This simple habit will make a huge difference in your overall health and is vital for keeping your skin and scalp hydrated. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it needs to be replenished often.

Dehydration will lead to excessive dryness on the scalp and elsewhere.

You’re more prone to dry skin and dry dreadlocks during the winter season, so every time you feel your scalp itch, let it serve as a reminder to drink an extra cup of water.

2. Gain control of the overproduction of sebum

Sebum is an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands. When too much sebum is produced, you risk clogged pores and a flaky and oily scalp. This can contribute to dandruff. Many things can cause overproduction of sebum, such as hormones, stress, diet, and digestion. A healthy diet will help balance out your body in more ways than one. I recommend doing the following things to kick-start new healh-forming habits.

• As previously mentioned, drink more water!

• Eat more raw and cooked veggies, especially leafy greens.

• Substitute sugary treats with fresh fruits, especially fruits with lots of antioxidants.

• Include more healthy fats in your diet, like salmon, mackerel, avocado, and nuts.

• Eat and drink more probiotics, like sauerkraut, pickles, kefir, yogurt, and kombucha. It’s best to make your own, rather than buying these from the store.

• Take supplements for minerals and vitamins you may be lacking, such as zinc, vitamin B, and omega-3 fatty acids.

• Reduce the number of carbohydrates you eat.

• Say no to processed foods.

• Say goodbye to salt and trans-saturated fat.

As part of a healthy routine, reduce stress by meditating and maintaining an active lifestyle through exercise.

Dandruff can interfere with hair growth as well. In this article, I highlight all the nutrients that you should be incorporating into your diet to grow long locs.

3. Keep a regular washing routine

Transitioning from normal hair to dreadlocks can be a challenge for your scalp.

For one, your scalp is receiving a lot less attention than it did before.

When you wash your hair daily with traditional shampoos, you strip your hair of its natural oils. Your scalp therefore compensates by producing excess oils.

When you transition to dreads and start washing your hair once a week, it can take your scalp a long time to adjust to a natural shampoo (versus the regular shampoo you used before) and the less frequent wash days.

For some time, it may continue to produce an excessive amount of oil.

A buildup of these natural oils can be another possible reason you have dandruff.

The best remedy is to try to keep a consistent washing schedule so your scalp adjusts properly and the oil production balances itself.

The recommended time between washes is once every 5 or 10 days, depending on your level of activity and how dirty your locs are. Do not wash dreadlocks daily.

4. Make an aloe vera scalp soothing gel

In a previous article, I wrote about the benefits of aloe vera for your scalp. And guess what! It just so happens to be one of nature’s best remedies for dandruff.

In that post, I give step-by-step instructions on how to extract the gel straight from the aloe leaf and provide a recipe that’ll immediately soothe an itchy scalp and other symptoms of dandruff.

Being that it softens your hair strands (which is kind of counterproductive to the locking process), I recommend those with starter locs use this aloe blend as needed and only on the affected spots.

Once you no longer experience symptoms, you can wean yourself off of it or just use it once a week.

5. Use baking soda once in a while

Baking soda can be very beneficial in fighting off dandruff but some have experienced adverse effects with constant use.

One option is to make a homemade shampoo by diluting baking soda with water and mixing in a few drops of tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and rosemary essential oil. These essential oils provide antibacterial properties to boost your scalp health.

A second option is to add a little bit of baking soda to your dreadlock shampoo.

If you use baking soda to wash your locs, you need to follow it up with an apple cider vinegar rinse to neutralize your scalp’s pH.

6. Rinse with apple cider vinegar (ACV)

Rinse your scalp with a diluted apple cider vinegar solution once a week.

After every wash, neutralize the pH levels in your scalp with an ACV after-wash, especially if you add baking soda to your shampoo. A healthy scalp should have a pH level of 4.5 to 5.5. It should be slightly acidic. Mix 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar with 3 cups of distilled water. Pour it all over your roots (after rinsing off the shampoo) and let it sit for five to ten minutes. Then, rinse that off with cold water.

You don’t want to use this like a leave-in conditioners because it stinks… even after you rinse it, your scalp will smell like vinegar. But I promise your scalp will love it!

If you feel this is helping to reduce your dandruff, you can increase the dilution to half ACV and half distilled water. Always start with a more diluted treatment since a higher concentration initially may irritate your scalp.

Note that ACV has softening properties, so be mindful of this if your locs aren’t mature yet. Overuse can slow down the matting timeline of your locs.

7. Deep clean your hair

Although a deep clean isn’t recommended more than four times a year, it is necessary once in a while – twice a year is ideal!

A deep cleanse, or dread detox, is important for removing any buildup that has collected on your hair over time.

If the shampoo hasn’t been washed out entirely, or any other products were used, your dreads may have accumulated dirt inside the locs and possibly other things too.

A deep cleanse is a great way to clean your scalp, remove dandruff, and restore your natural hair and scalp to a healthy pH.

This will further help create an environment where dandruff is less likely to continue occurring.

8. Add essential oils to your moisturizing spray and shampoo

Several essential oils have wonderful dandruff-fighting properties.

Essential oils are way too strong to be applied to your skin directly. Instead, I recommend you add them to your daily moisturizing spray, shampoo, or blend them with a lightweight carrier oil like jojoba oil, coconut oil, or olive oil.

• Tea Tree Essential Oil: Tea tree oil contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It helps to heal skin infections, relieves an itchy scalp, and soothes inflammation on the skin.

• Rosemary Essential Oil: Rosemary oil has antimicrobial properties that help to treat dandruff and keep it away.

• Peppermint Essential Oil: Peppermint contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that help to keep dandruff away. Peppermint will also leave your scalp feeling fresh and tingly. Combine it with other essential oils.

• Neem Essential Oil: Neem oil contains anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to remove buildup in the scalp, nourishes your hair follicles, and stimulates blood flow. Neem oil has a strong smell so you may want to add a few drops in a hair mask or oil treatment a couple of hours before washing your hair.

• Patchouli Essential Oil: Patchouli oil contains antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antiseptic properties. It helps to heal wounds and infections quickly while preventing them from coming back. Keep dandruff away by massaging a few drops of patchouli oil and a carrier oil onto your scalp.

• Frankincense Oil: Frankincense helps to soothe dry skin on the scalp and reduces inflammation.

• Lemongrass Essential Oil: Lemongrass is often used in hair treatments because of its antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. Combine lemongrass essential oil with lavender and rosemary essential oils (plus a carrier oil) for best results.

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9. Make a witch hazel tonic

Witch hazel has many scalp-related benefits. It helps to stabilize the amount of oil being produced in your head while maintaining the scalp’s moisture.

It also helps with other conditions, such as inflammation, redness, and eczema.

Tip: Always dilute witch hazel.

Make sure to read the ingredients on the back label before purchasing. Some brands use synthetic or isopropyl alcohol and/or fragrances which dries out the skin more.

My top choice is T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel. You should be able to find it at your local pharmacy or on Amazon.

For a simple scalp tonic, combine 4 tablespoons of witch hazel + 2 oz. distilled water + 5-10 drops of tea tree essential oil + 10-20 drops of rosemary essential oil + any other essential oil mentioned above. Spray this directly onto your scalp and let it air dry.

This drastically relieved the itchiness for me and after using it every other day for about a week, my dandruff was almost gone. I hope it works just as well for you!

[P.S. This tonic works nicely as a facial spray toner, too!]

10. Massage your scalp

Since you no longer brush your hair daily, stimulate blood flow to your scalp by gently massaging your head with the tips of your fingers or a massage brush.

Doing this once a day for best results. By the way, there is a difference between gently massaging and scrubbing. You don’t want to be too rough… Coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil are also great for retaining moisture, maintaining a healthy scalp, and reducing dry hair so you can use them in your scalp massage.

Be careful how much you use though because too much can lead to buildup- I suggest using no more than a pea-size for your entire head. Add a few drops of tea tree and rosemary essential oil for extra benefits. Another option for stimulating your scalp is to tease your hair with a fine-tooth comb. This will help maintain your roots (so long as you palm roll them afterward) as well as boost your scalp health.

11. Install a water softener in your shower head

Hard water contains minerals that disrupt the pH balance on your scalp. The harder the water is, the more minerals it contains, and consequently the higher the pH will be.

Hard water is an important factor to consider if you suffer from dandruff.

This is perhaps the most expensive option on the list but it’s worth it. You can find some good water softener options for about $35 and up.

12. Protect your hair and head

• Use residue-free shampoo. If you’ve had dreads for a while, this is probably the single most popular thing you’ll hear people say. Don’t wash your hair with any kind of shampoo. Make sure you use a residue-free or clarifying shampoo without sulfates because they will cause buildup. My recommendation for the best shampoo (under normal circumstances) can be found here. You may find a good anti-dandruff shampoo on the market, but most of them are not dreadlock friendly. You need to do your research to make sure they don’t have harmful ingredients that’ll leave residue. One of the most popular options is Neutrogena T Gel Therapeutic Shampoo, which by the way I do not recommend. That stuff contains coal tar and has the most nauseating smell that’ll linger for hours. You’ll smell like a tire shop and is honestly not that effective.

• Use a head wrap: Since you wash your hair less frequently than usual, cover your hair when you’re working in dusty environments. With dreads, your scalp may be more exposed to the sun than before (especially right after a re-twist). Cover your head to prevent sunburning your scalp.

• Stop using salt. Salt is very drying to the skin and hair. If you’re using a sea salt locking spray and are experiencing dandruff or itchiness, stop using it altogether or until your symptoms improve.

• Take note of any product allergies. Read the product labels and research any unknown ingredients. Some active ingredients are known for causing contact dermatitis, such as Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde and Dimethicone. I have found both of these ingredients in popular dreadlock products. Zinc pyrithione and salicylic acid are other popular ingredients commonly found in anti-dandruff shampoos which can cause dryness, peeling, and skin irritation.

13. Try a pre-shampoo garlic syrup

I know what you’re thinking: “Garlic in my dreads? Never!!”

The idea alone sounds crazy and to be honest, I almost didn’t want to add it to this list, hence why I put it at the very end. This is an effective treatment if your dandruff gets really out of control. Applying it before you shampoo your hair will make it possible to remove the smell. Garlic is an effective natural remedy for dandruff because when crushed it produces allicin, a liquid with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. To make this syrup, mix 2 tablespoons of garlic juice (strained), 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (also strained). Most recipes out there will recommend you to crush the garlic and apply it directly to the scalp, but with dreads, you can’t do that…you’ll never be able to get all the garlic pieces out of your hair.

Instead, crush 5 cloves of garlic and let it sit for about 15 minutes so it has time to make the allicin. Once it has produced some juice, strain it well. Mix this juice with 1 tablespoon of honey and lemon juice.

• Honey has antioxidants as well as antibacterial and antiseptic properties that help fight off fungal activity in your skin. It also promotes scalp health by providing the much-needed moisture your skin needs, thereby reducing dandruff. Under normal circumstances, I don’t recommend honey on locs, but if you’ve tried all other methods and nothing worked, then we can make this one exception. Just be sure to wash it off really (and I mean really) well afterward.

• Lemon has vitamins and minerals that help to restore your scalp to health. It has been used as a natural dandruff treatment for ages.

Anyway, back to the garlic mask – you’ll want to leave this on your scalp for about 20 minutes. Wash it off really well with your loc-friendly shampoo and follow up with an apple cider vinegar rinse. [Always dilute the ACV!]

These treatments will work for any hair type but if for any reason any of them irritate your scalp further, discontinue using them immediately.

Even though these are all-natural remedies, it doesn’t guarantee that these natural ingredients will work the same for everybody.

We all have different scalp sensitivity and someone may have an allergic reaction to an ingredient without knowing it.

If you’re using any of the above treatments for the first time, it’s best to do a skin “patch test”. To do this, apply the product as instructed to the inner part of your arm. Leave it on for a little bit or let it air dry.

If you don’t experience any adverse effects, you should be good to go!

Can you remove dandruff flakes from dreads?

Getting dandruff flakes out of your locs can be quite the challenge.

In any case, here are a couple of things you can try that’ll help dissolve them.

1. A diluted apple cider vinegar solution could help to dissolve the flakes. Just apply and massage diluted ACV to your scalp and rinse it off after 20 minutes. 2. A second option that has worked for some is by applying rosemary tea to the targeted areas. Get a handful of rosemary (fresh if possible but dried will work too- just don’t use the powder).

Put it in a pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat so it simmers for about 15 minutes. Once the color of the tea has reached a dark tint, let it cool completely, then strain it. To use, take a piece of cotton cloth and dip it in the tea. Then, dab it on your scalp, especially around the irritated portions and in part of the loc to remove the already-existing dandruff flakes.

Alternatively, you can put the liquid in a spray bottle and apply it by spraying it onto your scalp.

This solution should help alleviate the itchiness and remove flakes. If you use it every other day, you should start to notice changes within the first week. Save the leftover tea in the fridge so it doesn’t grow mold.

I hope one or a combination of these remedies will help cure your dandruff problem for good!

Dandruff could have other underlying issues, so if none of this works, consult a doctor for professional medical advice.

Have you won the battle over dandruff? What natural remedies have you used to combat this common dreadlock problem?

Have you been able to remove dandruff flakes from your hair? If so, what method proved the most successful?

Let me know in the comments!

Did you know that your locs require constant hydration to remain healthy long-term? To keep them hydrated, you should moisturize them.

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This article was originally published on February 7, 2019. It has since been updated and improved.