I Thought My Hair Was Just Shedding—Turns Out It Was Something More

For the longest time, I brushed off the strands in my shower drain as “normal.” Stress, maybe. Changing seasons. The usual stuff. But when it kept getting worse—and the itchiness started—I knew something was off. That’s when I looked into dandruff, not as a cosmetic problem, but as a real cause behind my hair fall.

What surprised me most was how indirect the connection is. Dandruff doesn’t exactly “cause” baldness, but the constant itching, the inflammation, and the scalp irritation? That messes with your follicles. I found a deep dive into this topic that really opened my eyes (source: https://ask-ayurveda.com/articles/1296-does-dandruff-cause-hairfall-and-what-you-can-do-about-it). It explains how chronic dandruff creates an unhealthy scalp environment where hair can’t grow strong—and sometimes stops growing altogether.

There’s also a surprising emotional weight to dealing with dandruff. No one really talks about it. I saw a post on Facebook where someone shared their experience of worse flakes and hair fall in winter and honestly, I could relate. (Link: https://www.facebook.com/885804900366149/posts/1068907342055903)

It turns out dandruff isn’t just about the visible flakes. A post on LinkedIn by a practitioner explained how long-term scalp inflammation can damage follicles over time. (Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ask-ayurveda_did-you-know-chronic-dandruff-can-lead-to-activity-7355952885618167809-KRNZ?) That hit hard—because I had never considered my scalp health as part of my hair care routine before.

Once I started learning more, I stumbled into Ayurvedic practices. Simple, natural, and centuries-old. One post on Pinterest showed how herbal scalp exfoliation with fenugreek or reetha helps clear out buildup and soothe irritation. (Link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/895934919626020697) I even tried a neem-based scrub. It felt amazing—cool, clean, not stripped like with chemical shampoos.

On Threads, someone shared how they’d switched to Ayurvedic oils with bhringraj and amla, and their dandruff cleared up within a few weeks. (Link: https://www.threads.com/@askayurveda_24/post/DMsYSM2oxzi) It reminded me that results take consistency, not just the right ingredients. Same with the Instagram reel I found—someone showing how regular scalp massage with herbal oil helped them deal with both stress and flakes. (Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMsYSCFN0cc/) I’ve started doing it before bed and it’s quickly become part of my unwind routine.

If you’re not sure what your scalp needs, I found a great tweet that breaks down different scalp types and matching herbs. (Link: https://twitter.com/AskAyurveda_24/status/1950187105499382001) It’s such a helpful place to start if you’re totally new to Ayurvedic hair care.

So yeah—dandruff isn’t harmless, and it definitely isn’t just about looking good in black clothes. It’s a signal. And once I stopped ignoring it, my scalp—and hair—finally started to feel better.

I only mention this once, but Ask Ayurveda (yep, that’s the brand behind the article above) made me think differently about what “hair care” really means. It’s not just strands—it’s the skin beneath them.