Q: I'm suffering from hair loss and severe dandruff. I don't know whether there is a different cause for dandruff, but I think that it is more likely that my scalp is scaling. I have tried several shampoos (some of which are branded as anti-dandruff shampoos) from Biotique, Head and Shoulders, Nizral, Ayurvedic Concepts but none have been effective so far. I have also tried Henna and squeezing lemon directly onto the scalp, but that also did not help. In fact, it seems that Henna and the Ayurvedic Concepts shampoo aggravated my problem. For the hair-loss, which I think is directly related to my unhealthy scalp/dandruff problem, I have been trying Foltene lately. That has reduced the hair-loss but my dandruff has increased. I do not lead a stressful life. I am a software engineer, do not drink too much of beverages and do not smoke but I drink occasionally. How can I go about identifying and eliminating the cause of my dandruff and hair-loss?

A:Treatment of dandruff is prolonged and the choice of medication depends upon its severity. In some cases ointments and lotions are required in addition to shampoos. Once controlled, the maintenance therapy has to continue. Before one concludes that there is abnormal hair loss, one must keep in mind the amount of daily normal loss. This can be upto 100 to 150 hair per day. In most cases, type of hair loss can be determined by clinical examination alone. Once the diagnosis is made, then one can give the prognosis and select the appropriate treatment.