The symptoms of dandruff are all signs of irritation, brought on by the root cause of dandruff – the microbe Malassezia globosa.

More about the causes of dandruff

As your scalp becomes irritated, it responds the same way as skin elsewhere on your body so you may experience:

• Itching
• Redness
• Dryness
• Flakes

How the symptoms appear
Flaking is the most visible sign of dandruff and you may see them on your hair and on your shoulders.

This happens as the body increases the rate at which skin cells renew, causing excess cells to appear on the scalp and flake off.

While it might be the most visible sign, it’s not always the first. Itching is often the first symptom to appear and can act as a warning sign before flakes start to appear.

Dryness and redness can also appear early too, making your scalp feel tight.

While not always sure signs of dandruff, they’re key symptoms to look out for and should act as a prompt to start using anti-dandruff shampoo to help treat the irritation.