Dandruff - Diagnosing dandruff

Dandruff does not usually need to be formally diagnosed because its symptoms are obvious. The characteristic dry, white flakes on your scalp or in your hair are typical of the condition.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis

See your GP if you think you have seborrhoeic dermatitis. They can diagnose the condition by looking at the red rash on your skin. Tests are not usually required.

Ruling out other skin conditions

To confirm a diagnosis of seborrhoeic dermatitis, your GP will examine the redness and colour of the scaling on your scalp.

This will enable your GP to rule out a different skin condition called psoriasis, which causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin and silvery scales and has similar symptoms to seborrhoeic dermatitis.

If your GP thinks a fungal infection may be present in your scalp (for example, scalp ringworm), a skin sample may be taken and sent to a laboratory for testing.