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Dandruff Dandruff which is also named as scurf or Pityriasis capitis, is due to the excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp. As it is normal for skin cells to die and flake off, a small amount of flaking is normal and is, in fact, quite common. Some people, however, either chronically or as a result of certain triggers, experience an unusually large amount of flaking, which can also be accompanied by redness and irritation. Symptoms: The 3 most common symptoms White Flakes on scalp Dry Scalp Itchy Scalp Ayurvedic perspective According to Ayurveda, this problem is categorized in “shodra roga”. It is named as “darunak”. It appears due to an imbalance of all three doshas. The primary doshas involved are pitta and vata. Pitta is an Ayurvedic humor which symbolizes heat or fire and vata is dry and rough in nature. In an aggravated state, both doshas cause production of specific impurities. These impurities are dry and heating in nature. These impurities accumulate in the deep tissues of scalp and cause contamination of these tissues. Contamination of the deep tissues and aggravated vata-pitta dosha cause itching and patches on scalp. Due to these factors, the scalp sheds larger than normal amounts of dead epidermal cells, which leads to the dandruff problem. Treatment: The line of treatment is to generally pacify both pitta and vata. Diet One should eat an anti-pitta and anti-vata diet. Foods which have pungent, sour, acidic, spicy and salty tastes such as chilies, most spices, fried and greasy foods, citrus fruits (lemon, lime, orange), chutneys, sauces, pickled food, mustard and vinegar should be avoided. You should stay away from foods made up of white flour such as bread, cakes, pastries, pizza, etc. You should reduce or eliminate artificial foods, fast foods and cola drinks from your diet. Tomatoes and excessive salt should also be avoided. Tea, coffee, alcohol and smoking are also pitta/vata aggravating and should be minimized. Rather than the above foods, focus on foods which are sweet, bland and alkaline in nature. Foods that should be included are grains, rice, pasta, beans, breads, dairy products, sweet drinks and juices. Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits should also be taken. Herbs Karanj (Pongamia pinnata), Backuchi (Psoralia coryfolia), Tulsi (Ocimum snctum), Giloya (Tinospora cordifolia), Neem (Azadirachta indica) are recommended. Play the video below to know more about the Ayurvedic prespective.