Scalp Fungus

How it works

Benefits

Risks & contraindications

Comparisons

Background

Evidence quality

Where it comes from

Highlighted claims

• Although Malassezia accounts for only 5–10% of total genomic material on human skin, its cells are up to 8 times larger than bacterial cells, making its functional biomass disproportionately large. — Malassezia, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Cradle Cap, and Pityriasis Versicolor: Root Cause and Treatment
• Malassezia causes inflammation by secreting lipases that elevate pro-inflammatory free fatty acids, triggering arachidonic acid release via phospholipase, generating reactive oxygen species, and producing toxic secondary metabolites. — Malassezia, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Cradle Cap, and Pityriasis Versicolor: Root Cause and Treatment
• Malassezia are lipophilic yeasts that metabolize sebum produced by sebaceous glands and live on the stratum corneum and at the entrance to hair follicles. — Malassezia, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Cradle Cap, and Pityriasis Versicolor: Root Cause and Treatment
• Malassezia is a universal commensal found on all warm-blooded animals, including humans, dogs, cats, horses, seals, and elephants. — Malassezia, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Cradle Cap, and Pityriasis Versicolor: Root Cause and Treatment
• Malassezia is dimorphic, existing in both yeast and mycelial phases; before this was understood, the two forms were classified as separate organisms named Malassezia and Pityrosporum. — Malassezia, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Cradle Cap, and Pityriasis Versicolor: Root Cause and Treatment
• Malassezia dominates the skin fungal community, comprising 50–80% of all fungal organisms on the skin surface, and concentrates in oily regions such as the face, scalp, and upper trunk. — Malassezia, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Cradle Cap, and Pityriasis Versicolor: Root Cause and Treatment
• The IL-23/IL-17 axis is the canonical antifungal immune response at mucocutaneous surfaces; mice deficient in IL-17A–F or IL-23 developed uncontrolled Malassezia overgrowth. — Malassezia, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Cradle Cap, and Pityriasis Versicolor: Root Cause and Treatment
• Malassezia colonization follows a threshold model: at normal densities the immune system tolerates it, but when its proportion nearly doubles — from ~46% in healthy scalps to ~74% in dandruff — the inflammatory response is triggered. — Malassezia, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Cradle Cap, and Pityriasis Versicolor: Root Cause and Treatment
• The organism responsible for dandruff is a specific fungus that feeds exclusively on lipids in the sebaceous glands of the scalp. — How to Get Rid of Dandruff Once and for All
• The scalp fungus thrives precisely when sebum production is elevated, making excess sebum its direct growth substrate. — How to Get Rid of Dandruff Once and for All