OTC options: controlling dandruff. (over-the-counter remedies)

If you're troubled by dandruff, that snowy, dust-like stuff that falls from scalp to shoulders, you're not alone: Nearly everyone has dandruff to some degree.

Dandruff is treatable with over-the-counter (OCT) products and causes no general health problems or permanent damage. But care must be taken not to confuse simple dandruff with other conditions that also cause flaking of the scalp, such as seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis.

Dandruff occurs when the scalp sheds dead epidermal (skin) cells in large clumps. Dandruff scales appear dry, white or grayish,…