Dandruff - An Unsightly Mess - Dandruff is a skin condition that affects the scalp. It causes a lot of itchiness and the skin flakes off causing an unsightly mess. The skin on our scalps is layered many times with cells which grow from the dermis, or the bottommost layer, to the top layer which is actually dead cells.You cannot even see most of the dead cells if your scalp is healthy. Simply brushing your hair gets rid of them. When the scalp becomes too dry or is being attacked by fungus they become visible. The skin cells grow more quickly and the dead cells end up mixing with oils in our hair. This is when dandruff becomes visible.You can self diagnose dandruff by taking a close look at your hair and noticing if there is an itch. Look in a mirror while scratching your head and look for white flakes popping up into the air. There are other more serious conditions that can be confused with dandruff. Seborrheic dermatitis causes your skin to become red and you will notice yellowish sc...