Banish the Shaved Head Dandruff and Get That Bald Bold Look Back

Unfortunately, it isn’t so simple. After all, it wasn’t your hair causing your dandruff. Now you have shaved head dandruff which is even worse since it is so visible.

To get rid of it, we have to get to the root of your bald head and dandruff problems.

In this article I will explore why you’re getting that dandruff you thought wouldn’t be a problem so you can properly treat it to get rid of it once and for all.

Let’s dive into the details and see what we can do to get rid of those embarrassing flakes.

What causes dandruff?

Dandruff is nothing to be ashamed about as it is a totally natural occurrence. It doesn’t always signal bad hygiene. 

It’s hard to say exactly why you are getting dandruff but here are some of the common reasons that it occurs:

• Seborrheic dermatitis – If your skin is often irritated and your dandruff is large, yellowish flakes of skin then you likely are dealing with this skin condition. This is an infection caused by dead skin clogging the pores and attracting bacteria. This can happen even when you are bald.
• Dry skin – Your head is likely to be drier than ever once you shave your head. This dry skin can begin to flake and this is your typical dandruff.
• Dermatitis – This is kind of a catch all name for when your skin gets irritated and can end up causing scaly flakes to form. It isn’t an infection like seborrheic dermatitis, but it can be anything from eczema to psoriasis to just simple dry scalp.

The problem is knowing which of these is the culprit so you can find the right path to treat your dandruff. There is no one size fits all approach to getting rid of dandruff especially if you are bald.

I would say that the two most common reasons for why you have dandruff when you have a shaved head are generally dry skin and seborrheic dermatitis.

The dry skin can happen very easily when you are shaving your head. You’re taking layers of skin off when you shave and your head is exposed which causes it to dry out easily. 

When you have hair it holds onto the sebum or your skin’s natural oils so it can stay hydrated somewhat.

The flip side of that coin is when you produce too much sebum and it accumulates in the pores along with dead skin cells and gets infected. This can easily happen when you have hair, but it can also afflict bald men, too.

Will shaving your head cause dandruff

It definitely can do that. Again, your head can get really dry by shaving and some guys will end up with flakes because of it.

This isn’t to say it’s likely to happen to everybody who shaves their head. It really depends. Some guys have oily scalps that don’t tend to dry out as quickly as others. Where some might end up with tight skin and an uncomfortable scalp, yet show no signs of flakes from it.

It also highly depends on how you shave and what products you are using. Going cheap will result in a rough shave that is probably drying your scalp out. 

If you take the time to do the right shave, with the right products, you won’t dry out your skin.

How to shave your head and not get dandruff

Whether we are talking about your head, your face or any other body part, using the right tools to shave will result in a better shave and reduce the risk of problems later on.

Let’s start with the basics.

Choose the right razor

You may need to go through some trial and error to settle on the right razor for shaving your head. 

Plenty of guys like to use an electric razor to shave their head. If you are prone to dandruff even while bald, then I don’t really recommend it. They can be tough on sensitive skin and may even make your dandruff worse. 

For most guys using an electric razor wouldn’t be an issue but you aren’t reading this because you are like most guys.

Some guys use a double edge safety razor to shave their head. This is a bit extreme and I wouldn’t recommend that you use one if you are new at it. They are extremely sharp and can slice you quickly. If you want to use one for your face, I would highly recommend learning how to use one and doing a wet shave, but leave your head for something easier to handle. 

I recommend using a cartridge razor. They are less likely to nick or cut you and are simple to use. 

The best one to use to shave your head is one with a pivoting head like this one from Gillette that you can get on Amazon.com.

The reason the pivoting head is important is to maintain contact with the skin. Going around the contours of your head makes it difficult to do that without a pivoting ball head. 

Getting good contact with the skin makes it easy to shave without going over the same spot multiple times. This causes razor burn when you have to keep passing over the same spot. Guys with sensitive skin are more likely to develop dry scalp when they get razor burn.

What about those head shavers? I think they are also a very good idea for the same reason. You can get around difficult spots easier and are less likely to develop razor burn or dry scalp.

Use a pre shave oil

Lubricating your skin isn’t just for the razor to glide easily. It is also essential to providing moisture to your skin so your scalp doesn’t dry out.

The best way to do this is to use a pre shave oil or lotion that will keep your skin elastic and hydrated.

Many of these oils or balms have a mix of carrier and essential oils that will provide a huge amount of hydration.

Here are some oils to look out for that help tremendously:

• Argan oil – This is one of the best oils out there to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. It repairs your skin down to the cells and will add tons of moisture which keeps your skin elastic and plump.
• Jojoba oil – This oil is almost an exact replica of your skin’s natural oil as it mimics sebum very closely. It will also regulate your sebum so it isn’t produced in abundance. 
• Coconut oil – A very good hydrator that also acts as an antimicrobial that disinfects as it hydrates the skin. If you have seborrheic dermatitis then this is a great oil to have.
• Rosemary oil – This is one of the best oils to look for if you have dandruff. It will soothe irritated skin and improves circulation which can help keep your scalp hydrated. 
• Tea Tree oil – This oil might be too harsh for some as it has some menthol qualities to it. That said, however, it is one of the best ways to naturally disinfect your skin and clean out your pores. 

This is a great way to make sure that your scalp is going to be hydrated and disinfected to prevent any dandruff. The carrier oils will do the hydrating and the essential oils like rosemary will prevent the conditions from arising that will lead to dandruff.

Try to avoid castor oil as it can be harsh if you have a dry scalp.

Don’t use cheap shaving cream

If you have dandruff after shaving your head then definitely avoid using an aerosol shaving cream.

The problem with these shaving creams is not that they aren’t slick and don’t lubricate, as they do that very well. The problem is that they don’t moisturize and have almost no water in them. They also usually contain lots of ingredients that can irritate your skin and lead to dryness.

Instead try a shaving soap and use a shaving brush to apply the cream.

This will give you a lot of benefits from the oils they contain. Not only that, but using a brush will help lift the hair away from the skin and make it much easier to shave. As I mentioned earlier, when you can reduce the number of passes you have to make to cut the hair, then the less likely you are to have dry and irritated skin.

A brush will also exfoliate your skin so the pores will be cleaner and less likely to collect dead skin cells which can eventually turn into dandruff or worse. 

Post shave care

After you’ve shaved it’s time to treat your scalp to some lotion or balm to help soothe and disinfect the skin.

Taking the time to add these will help prevent dandruff from coming back.

To save yourself some money, try getting an aftershave balm that you can use on your face as well as your head. 

I highly recommend this one by Crown Shaving Co. from Amazon.com as it contains just about everything you would need and then some. It hydrates very well, soothes your scalp and disinfects so you can prevent dandruff from occurring. 

It contains soothing ingredients like aloe vera juice and moisturizers like jojoba and coconut oil. Add some rosemary oil and it is the perfect combination for your head.

Another thing to consider is to make sure you are using an SPF on your head if you are out in the sun.

You are definitely drying your skin out when it is exposed to the sun. And when you burn, even lightly, your skin will peel and look awful. 

Bee Bald from Amazon.com is a good daily moisturizer that contains SPF 30 to keep your head from getting harmful UV rays. 

Give yourself a scalp massage

Getting an increase in circulation to your scalp is one of the best ways to get rid of and prevent dandruff.

The extra blood flow brings more oxygen to the skin and loads more nutrients that the skin needs to stay hydrated and healthy.

And an easy and effective way to do this is to give yourself a scalp massage every day.

This is another one of the perks about being bald. Not that a scalp massage doesn’t feel good or isn’t effective when you have hair, but it is so much better when you are bald.

While you can certainly give yourself a scalp massage with your finger, I highly suggest getting a scalp massager like this one from Amazon.com.

This kind of head massager serves two purposes. You use it to shampoo your hair, or in your case your bald head. I’m not saying that you should use it to shampoo as you really don’t need it when you are bald. But the other purpose is to massage your head while applying the shampoo. 

For you, just take it in the shower with you and use it to massage your scalp there while your head is wet.

The soft silicone bristles will energize your scalp and feel great in the process.

Otherwise you can go for an electric scalp massager that will work dry. You can use it while you watch TV or while you’re sitting in traffic on your way to work.

This one from Amazon.com has 84 soft silicone nodes that rotate and pulse on your scalp for an invigorating massage.

Whichever one you end up using, do it several minutes per day. It won’t feel like a chore since it feels heavenly!

Buzzed head and dandruff

Even if you aren’t shaving down to the skin, and are instead giving yourself a buzzcut, dandruff can be a problem.

You’ll definitely need to be taking some precautions to keep dandruff from happening or some more drastic measures if you already have dandruff.

All the same principles apply here whether you are buzzing your head or shaving it. Make sure you are keeping your skin hydrated and your pores clean. You can use some essential oils like argan or coconut oil on your scalp directly instead of buying a special cream or lotion to keep your skin moisturized.

Do you need to use a dandruff shampoo is your head is buzzed? I don’t think so. You don’t really need a shampoo at all. In fact, I would go with a good all natural bar soap that has all the moisturizers you need.

J.R. Liggett’s Old Fashioned Shampoo Bar from Amazon.com is a great way to wash your stubble or buzzed hair and get a deep clean on your scalp. They are all natural and have all the essential oils you need to keep from getting dandruff.

Oils like coconut, argan, rosemary and tea tree are all present to cleanse and hydrate your scalp.

Other ways to prevent dandruff

Without realizing it, our daily routine may be somewhat responsible for our dandruff issues. Lifestyle plays a part in our skin health so we do need to be mindful of what we do to our bodies.

Drink more water

Since we are primarily made out of water it makes sense that we need to drink lots of it. The problem is that most people don’t drink enough. 

That means we are losing more water than we are taking in on a daily basis. The first to feel the effects is our skin.

When your head is exposed it loses quite a bit of moisture from the scalp. This leads to flaking and dandruff.

An easy way to keep our skin hydrated is to drink more water. It isn’t a miracle cure if you have dandruff, but it is a good way to take small steps to keep your skin healthy to where it is less likely you will develop dandruff.

Eat right

Try curing or preventing your dandruff from the inside out. Eating the right foods, combined with the other tips in this article, will bring nutrients to your skin that will keep it healthy enough to rebuff those flakes.

Eating things that are rich in fatty acids like Omega 3 is ideal. Salmon, sardines and herring are delicious and will get that Omega 3 to your skin where it can be used to keep your skin thick and elastic.

Avocados are a super food rich in healthy fat that goes right to your skin and joints. It is a great way to keep your skin supple and plump. Not to mention delicious!

Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin A and should be on your table. Vitamin A is one of the most important nutrients for our skin health as it prevents damage done to our skin by the sun and pollutants.

Work out more often

When you work out, you increase your blood flow in a big way. Of course there are tons of benefits to your body for that, but we are focused on what it does for your skin. 

Think about all those nutrients you are taking in by adding the right foods to your diet. Now imagine how that increase in blood flow from exercise is flooding every inch of your skin with those nutrients. 

It is a great way to keep your skin supple, plump and elastic which will prevent those flakes from forming.

Beauty sleep

Have you ever thought of why we call it beauty sleep?

Getting enough rest will provide a break for your body and let it focus on healing what needs to be healed. 

While we sleep, your skin benefits the most. Collagen is allowed to make its way to the skin and rebuild those cells. 

When you are not sleeping enough, cortisol levels increase and this makes your skin look aged and brittle. Aside from the way it looks, this is also a great time for dandruff to form since your skin is not at its peak.

Stop drinking

If you still love going out for a few drinks a few nights a week, it may be time to one it down. This does a number on your skin. Remember gin blossoms? They are those blood vessels on your great uncle’s nose from drinking too much.

Your skin gets thin and unhealthy and if you are already prone to dandruff then you are almost willing those flakes to come back if you drink too much.

Not to mention you’re probably not eating right or getting enough rest if you are still partying a lot.

Final Thoughts

If you have read down this far then I hope you realize that there is nothing wrong with you if you have shaved head dandruff. It is very common and normal that you would either still have it after going bald or that it has started since you began shaving your head.

If you follow my advice laid out in this article then you will definitely be getting rid of that embarrassing and uncomfortable dandruff. It may take some time, but it will be worth it. Of course, you may see it go away right away just by using the pre shave oil and aftershave balm. The oils in those work really fast. And they won’t leave your dome shiny either.

If you have any questions or need some clarification of something I’ve written then let me know by leaving a comment in the box below.