What is dandruff?

Credit: Horoporo

Asked by Ayesha Riad

Dandruff is when dead skin cells fall off the scalp. This is normal, as our skin is always being renewed. About half the population of the world suffers from an excessive amount of this shedding, which can be triggered by things like temperature or the increased activity of a microorganism that normally lives in everyone’s skin, known as malassezia globosa. Fortunately dandruff is not contagious and there are many different treatments available, like specialised shampoo.

Carlos Grau, Science Museum