‘Lessen the prejudice’: Dermatologist asks local Twitter who has dandruff, scalp problems

November 22, 2022 - 3:29 PM
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Stock photo by billow926 via Unsplash

A dermatologist asked local Twitter users to stop being prejudiced against people with skin conditions on the hair.

The dermatologist called The Nerdy Derma made this call in a quote-retweet to an account that shared a rumor about a supposedly famous person who has dandruff.

“Di ko talaga makalimutan ‘yun chichi ng isang hair stylist na diumano etong aktres na model ng isang sikat na shampoo ay may balakubak. Gabi gabi nyo daw syang napapanuod,” the tweet reads.

The doctor saw this tweet. In a quote-retweet on November 16, she pointed out that dandruff is a common skin condition.

The Nerdy Derma also cited other scalp-related conditions that are also as common as dandruff.

“I come with peace! There are LOTS of patients who have dandruff, sebopsoriasis, and scalp psoriasis. These are chronic skin conditions w/c can hugely and negatively affect the quality of life,” she said.

“Would like to ask everyone’s help to lessen the prejudice against skin diseases,” she added.

In the replies, she further explained that some of these conditions are recurring and chronic.

“Shampoos may help reduce flaking, but oftentimes, these conditions are recurrent (paulit ulit) and chronic (pangmatagalan). Patients are aware of their skin issues and hindi kabawasan magkaroon ng ganung condition,” her tweet reads.

The Nerdy Derma then tagged the account she quote-retweeted and said: “This is not to throw shade at @KafosoMo, just an honest convo.”

Twitter account AltGMA with the handle (@KafosoMo), a parody page for topics related to GMA Network, has no response on the matter.

The Nerdy Derma’s tweet, however, made some Filipinos gain the courage to share that they also have dandruff problems.

Others also shared that they are struggling with other scalp-related conditions. These include seborrheic dermatitis and scalp psoriasis.

According to WebMD, an online hub for medical and healthcare topics, the scalp may itch and get irritated due to several common conditions.

These are as follows:

  • Dandruff
  • Seborrheic dermatitis
  • Cradle cap
  • Head lice
  • Ringworm
  • Folliculitis
  • Psoriasis
  • Lichen planus

Dandruff, the most prevalent of them, is a buildup of dead skin cells on the scalp.

While dandruff is not contagious, the website stated that having it is bothersome.

“You may need to try two or three products to clear up your dandruff. If it doesn’t go away after a few weeks of using a special shampoo, see a doctor. You may need a prescription-strength shampoo,” the page on WebMD said. 

Very Well Health, also an online health website, stated that there are certain conditions that the scalp is vulnerable to.

These include the following:

  • Mycotic (fungal) conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and ringworm
  • Parasitic infections such as head lice
  • Inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and eczema