Dandruff is doing what on my head?
Posted Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Has your dandruff been resistant to treatment shampoos? Scientists may know why, and it's not a pretty picture: the dandruff is probably mating on your head as you read this. (Yuck.)
Researchers in Procter & Gamble's beauty division say they have successfully sequenced dandruff's genes, or more specifically, the genome of malessezia globosa. This fungus grows on the majority of the population, and it is responsible for a range of skin conditions, from dandruff and eczema in adults to a life-threatening infection in infants.
In addition to getting a greater understanding of this microorganism's genetic make-up, they discovered that the dandruff fungus may be capable of sexual reproduction. This new revelation has the beauty researchers thinking that this "promiscuity" could help those unwanted flakes dodge even the strongest dandruff shampoo.
Luckily, with this information, scientists can now work on new, more effective methods of getting dandruff off your head; but it may be hard to get the thought of fornicating flake fungus out of your head.
Tags: dandruff, eczema, fungus, genetics, Procter and Gamble, research, shampoo