Everybody hates dandruff. No body likes the falling white flakes and the itching scalp. we all try many shampoos and treatments, both natural and chemical to get rid of dandruff. I want to ask many of you who suffer dandruff- how are you sure that you are having dandruff? Unless a doctor diagnosed it as dandruff, how can any one be sure that he/she is suffering dandruff if it is not clearing after many washes? May be you are suffering from something else? Let us look at the other problems that may confuse you. Dandruff and other scalp problems- There are many scalp problems that itch and produce scales and white flakes. Psoriasis is one of the tough ones. Unless you get it diagnosed and get treated it will not go away. Many cosmetic applications may cause allergic dermatitis or irritant contact dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis or commonly called eczema can also appear on the scalp. Seborrheic dermatitis is one of the common scalp problems that mimic dandruff. What is dandruff? In dandruff what we see as white flakes are skin cells. Our skin regenerates itself every month. The new cells travel from the bottom of the skin layer to the top in a month and the dead cells are shed. These are so microscopic and small in quantity that we don't notice this shedding of cells. In dandruff this shedding increases. That is how these dead cells with skin oils form white flakes and we can see them. Dandruff and diagnosis- If you are not able to get rid of dandruff after trying many formulas, it is time that you visit a doctor and get the proper diagnosis done. Once you are sure that it is dandruff, you can take proper measures and get a shiny scalp. This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.