There are many reasons why we have those pesky white flakes in our hair, and they can range anywhere from lack of hygiene to excess product buildup. Some of the main dandruff causes include using the wrong shampoo, washing too much or not enough, and bacterial or yeast infections. If you do not wash your hair very often, your scalp will have the tendency to accumulate a buildup of hair product and dead skin, which can be fixed by washing your hair every few days. However, you might notice that you wash your hair daily and still have flakes. Shampooing too often is one of the main dandruff causes because it dries out your scalp, prompting it to produce excess oil, which then results in more dandruff. Read 8 Best Dandruff Shampoos for a list of flake fighting products that readers swear by.

Other dandruff causes include weather and fungus. Certain types of weather can affect the amount of oil that your body produces and can also dry out your scalp, while a yeast like fungus known as Malassezia that lives on the scalp can grow out of control as it feeds on oil secretions, causing excess irritation and buildup of skin cells. If you are using a lot of hair products, some of them may be causing more skin problems and dead cell buildup on your scalp. Check out 11 Best Oily Hair Remedies for more ways to alleviate dandruff causes and symptoms.