Q: I've just moved into my dorms at college for the first time, and I've been noticing a lot of white flecks in my hair. My head doesn't itch, but I've never had dandruff before. They just look like lots of tiny white flecks mostly in my bangs and close to my scalp. I do have a tendency for a dry scalp, but I've never noticed very many dry skin flakes except after a sunburn on the part in my hair. I wouldn't suspect lice, except I've heard that the eggs or whatever attach to the hair, and I'm a little afraid that's what this might be. They don't seem attached to my hair strands, but I'm still worried. Does anyone have any idea what it may be?
A: Where is your dorm? Is it in a significantly drier climate? Say, you moved from Michigan to Arizona? If that is the case, then the flakes are the result of the dryer climate. The stress of relocation can cause a tightening of the tissues in your skin and also lead to drier skin, therefore flakes. Lice lay their eggs in sticky little lumps, and those eggs need to be combed out with a special comb. The lice themselves need to be vanquished with a specific shampoo, available at most pharmacies. But, they always cause itching. If there is no itching, chase the hydration issue. I shampooed for many years with a good dandruff shampoo, then I discovered organic shampoos. Once the harsh detergents I was torturing my skin with went away, I no longer had dandruff!