Is Dandruff Contagious?

Coughs and sneezes might spread diseases, but dandruff? Definitely not. Dandruff is not contagious – here’s why.

Whether you suffer from dandruff or not, you already have the two main factors present on your scalp – the microbe *Malassezia globosa *and natural scalp oils.

They’re present on everyone’s scalp, and for about 50% of the world’s population, their interaction causes dandruff.

More about the causes of dandruff

Why you can’t catch dandruff

You only get dandruff if you’re sensitive to the main causes, and you’re either sensitive or you’re not ­– it’s not something that can be caught like a cold or flu virus.

If you are sensitive to the combination of *Malassezia *and scalp oils, your body responds by speeding up the production of skin cells, causing excess skin to build up and appear as flakes.

Other symptoms include irritation, redness, itching and a dry scalp.

How to get rid of dandruff

To treat your dandruff is by using a tried and tested anti-dandruff shampoo that contains an active ingredient clinically proven to be effective on all the symptoms.

Like Head & Shoulders. We use pyrithione zinc in all our shampoos – it’s been approved by regulatory organizations around the world as an effective dandruff treatment.

See all our anti-dandruff shampoos

More tips and advice from the experts:

• The causes of dandruff