How do you treat dandruff?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
An anti-dandruff shampoo with a proven active ingredient - zinc pyrithione, ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, coal tar, or salicylic acid - used as directed for at least a month, massaged into the scalp and left on a few minutes before rinsing. Rotate two shampoos with different actives if one stops working, then maintain once or twice weekly. Mild dandruff sometimes settles just by shampooing more often, since oil feeds the yeast. See a doctor if a proper month has not helped, the scalp is very red, weeping, or crusty, or flaking spreads to face or ears - that pattern can be seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis needing prescription treatment. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you tell them apart.
What to do
- Pick a proven active: zinc pyrithione, ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, coal tar, salicylic acid.
- Lather and wait: minutes of contact time is where the medicine works.
- Rotate actives: a second shampoo with a different ingredient beats tolerance.
- Escalate red, weeping, or face-involved flaking: that is beyond dandruff.
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