Flaky Scalp
Most commonly referred to as dandruff, can be caused by a number of factors. These can include various medical conditions which should be treated by a doctor such as Dermatitis and Psoriasis/Eczema (skin disorders).
The most common cause of regular dandruff is a fast turnover of skin renewal. This means that your skin begins to shed a greater number of dead skin cells and because they are shed in clumps, they become visible to the naked eye. It is this which causes the white ‘snowflake’ appearance on the hair near the root and on the tops of your shoulders if you wear dark clothing and the dandruff is particularly bad. You may also be aware that your scalp is itchier and any itching causes more flakes to fall away. There are various reasons why there may be a speed up in your scalp cell turnover - internal factors such as poor diet, illness, stress and hormone imbalance as well as external factors such as overuse of hair products, inadequate washing and cold weather or central heating.
There are many good products on the market designed to help eliminate dandruff (Phyto - anti-dandruff shampoo) but if you feel your dandruff is particularly bad then you may need something more medicated (Phyto - dandruff treatment).
You may also find it beneficial to take extra supplements such as Garlic capsules and B vitamins such as B6 which play an essential for maintaining a healthy scalp (vitamin article).
It is important to remember that while treatments for dandruff which can be applied to the head are very effective at clearing the problem, they may not be suitable for long term use and it may be a good idea to try and establish the cause for the dandruff and begin to treat that. If you are in any concern it is always best to seek advice from a medical professional.
Greasy Hair/scalp
Greasy hair and scalp is caused by over active sebum glands in the skin (skin article). This means that they are producing more sebum (oil) then you would normally want. We all need a certain amount of oil in the skin to keep it moist and healthy and on the scalp this oil helps to coat the roots of the hair to keep it supple and promote healthy growth. If the glands produce too much oil then hair can look lank, greasy and too shiny and feel a bit unpleasant. The main cause for this over-production is a change in body hormone levels which can be caused by various factors such as stress and illness so these will need to be addressed as well as using specially formulated products to help control the sebum production. It is also advise able to avoid further stimulating the sebaceous glands by not brushing the hair too much, not rubbing the scalp too much during shampooing and avoiding very hot water during hair washing. A common mistake made by greasy hair sufferers is that they tend to wash the hair every day to eliminate the greasy look but in fact in doing this, you are encouraging the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. This is because washing the hair strips away the natural oils that are needed for healthy hair and so the body then has to produce more oil to replace it. For greasy hair sufferers try to wash the hair every other day to begin with while you are using a product treatment unless the particular product states otherwise. (Molten Brown cleanshine hairwash)
It is important to treat this condition as it can lead to stunted hair growth and it just looks and feel generally unpleasant and remember that it is your scalp which is producing the grease and not the hair itself.