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While this species does occur naturally on the skin surface of people both with and without dandruff, in 2007, it was discovered that the responsible agent is a scalp specific fungus, Malassezia globosa, [19] that metabolizes triglycerides present in sebum by the expression of lipase, resulting in a lipid byproduct: oleic acid.
Mild seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp may be described in lay terms as dandruff due to the dry, flaky character of the skin. [6] However, as dandruff may refer to any dryness or scaling of the scalp, not all dandruff is seborrhoeic dermatitis. [6] Seborrhoeic dermatitis is sometimes inaccurately referred to as seborrhoea. [4]
Malassezia furfur is a fungus that lives on the superficial layers of the dermis.It generally exists as a commensal organism forming a natural part of the human skin microbiota, but it can gain pathogenic capabilities when morphing from a yeast to a hyphal form during its life cycle, through unknown molecular changes. [2]
The same fungus can also cause athlete’s foot and jock itch. Ringworm is contagious, so avoid touching people and pets or sharing objects like towels with others during flareups.
Specifically, scalp fungal infections are often caused by fungi in the microsporum and trichophyton genera. Scalp fungus can cause a variety of symptoms, including: Dry, scaly skin. Redness ...
A project in 2007 sequenced the genome of dandruff-causing Malassezia globosa and found it to have 4,285 genes. [7] [8] M. globosa uses eight different types of lipase, along with three phospholipases, to break down the oils on the scalp. Any of these 11 proteins would be a suitable target for dandruff medications.
Nizoral shampoo can help with dandruff and fungal infections, and it’s even been linked to hair growth. However, one uncommon Nizoral shampoo side effect includes alopecia (hair loss).
The skin rash of tinea versicolor (pityriasis versicolor) is also due to infection by this fungus. As the fungus requires fat to grow, [3] it is most common in areas with many sebaceous glands: on the scalp, [4] face, and upper part of the body. When the fungus grows too rapidly, the natural renewal of cells is disturbed, and dandruff appears ...