Using Colloidal Silver to Help Clear Up Stubborn Dandruff
By some estimates, half the adult human population suffer from dandruff, but did you know colloidal silver could be helpful in clearing it up?
Unfortunately, because it involves a fungus that lives and thrives on the scalp as part of our normal human biota, there’s no medical “cure” for dandruff.
What’s more, as just about anyone who suffers from a stubborn case of dandruff – and the itching and flaking of the scalp that typifies this frustrating condition – will attest, over-the-counter dandruff shampoos are not always effective…even those containing anti-fungal drugs.
Thankfully, many people suffering from stubborn dandruff are finding that colloidal silver is the perfect natural remedy, due to its powerful antifungal properties. So if you have a stubborn dandruff problem, you can find out if colloidal silver will work for you, right now.
Here’s what you need to know…
Hi, Steve Barwick here, for The Silver Edge…
I’ve been spraying 10 ppm homemade colloidal silver on my head (after showering) each morning to heal and prevent dandruff for over a decade.
It almost immediately cleared up a stubborn and life-long dandruff problem I’d endured since childhood.
And it’s never failed to keep the dandruff completely under control for me.
When Dandruff Shampoo Just Doesn’t Cut It…
I can remember when my bathroom shower had at least four different dandruff shampoo products on the shelf, because no single product ever seemed to be able to completely relieve the dandruff.
One product would work for four or five weeks, and then stop working. And I’d have to switch to another dandruff product for a month or so, before it too would stop working. Then I could go back to the original, or try yet another.
I had used the typical store brands and even the prescription version of the antifungal Nizoral shampoo.
But in every case, the dandruff kept coming back.
I tried dietary changes, such as eliminating sugar and simple carbohydrates from my diet. I tried reducing stress. I tried washing my hair more often. I tried washing it less frequently than usual.
I tried products that were supposed to add oil to the scalp. And I tried products that were supposed to help dry out the scalp.
Nothing worked. The dandruff prevailed.
Dr. James Balch Gave Me a Clue…
It wasn’t until 1997 or so, when I read an issue of Dr. James Balch’s newsletter on natural healing, Prescription for Healthy Living, that I finally understood why nothing I had tried was working.
Dr. Balch explained that many stubborn cases of dandruff are actually caused by topical fungal infections in which the fungus either becomes overactive on the scalp, or over-populates the scalp, triggering larger than usual levels of dead skin cells to be shed from the scalp.
Thankfully, I had been introduced to colloidal silver several years earlier. And I’d been researching it ever since. So I knew that numerous medical studies had demonstrated the simple fact that colloidal silver kills fungus, yeasts and molds with astonishing effectiveness.
Of course, I’d been ingesting colloidal silver orally, at that time, and had found it to be a big help – in conjunction with other supplements – for controlling the bouts of chronic fatigue syndrome I’d been plagued with for years previously.
But armed with my newfound knowledge about fungus growing on the scalp and causing dandruff, I also began spraying it on my head each morning after showing, drying and combing my hair.
And miraculously, the lifelong dandruff problem that could not be controlled by even the toughest of dandruff shampoos cleared up almost overnight!
Dandruff’s Connection to Fungal Infections
According to the National Disease Research Interchange (see here (This is a link to an archived webpage)), the cause of stubborn cases of dandruff has actually been suspected for over 100 years.
But it was not completely verified until 2007 when a team of scientists working for Procter & Gamble began to study the fungus now known as Malassezia globosa.
“A team at Procter & Gamble said they had sequenced the genome of Malassezia globosa, a fungus that grows on the skin of between 50 percent and 90 percent of the population. It causes dandruff and a range of other skin conditions.
Malassezia fungi have been the suspected cause of dandruff for more than a century. Previously referred to as Pityrosporum ovale, Pityrosporum orbiculare, or Malassezia, these fungi are now known to consist of at least seven Malassezia species.
…Malassezia lives on the scalps of most healthy adults without causing problems. But sometimes it grows out of control, feeding on the oils secreted by your hair follicles and causing irritation that leads to increased cell turnover.
The result is a large number of dead skin cells. As the cells fall off, they tend to clump together with oil from your hair and scalp, making them appear white, flaky and all too visible.”
In short, Malassezia globosa is a normal part of the micro-flora that lives on our skin. But when it grows out of control on the scalp, the end result is more dead skin cells than normal, resulting in both flaking and itching.
Thomas Dawson, a scientist at Proctor & Gamble, led a team of researchers to study the Malassezia fungal organism. They grew enough of the fungus to give dandruff to 10 million people.
Then they sequenced the entire genome of the fungus.
One of the things they discovered is that the fungus is “capable of excreting more than 50 different enzymes that help digest and break down compounds in the hair and scalp.”
These enzymes can trigger the scalp irritation that so frequently accompanies stubborn cases of dandruff.
Researchers say irritation to the scalp caused by excessive levels of the scalp-dwelling fungus and the enzymes they secrete seems to cause faster turnover of skin cells, meaning more dead skin cells than usual are being replaced by new skin cells.
In people without dandruff, it takes about 30 days for a crop of new skin cells to mature, die and shed. In people with dandruff, it may take only 2-7 days, thanks to Malassezia globosa.
The Dandruff-Causing Fungus Genetically Predisposed to Thrive on Your Scalp
Another thing the researchers discovered is that the Malassezia fungus has “mating-type genes,” indicating it is capable of ‘sex’.
According to MicrobeWorld.com, fungi do not usually reproduce by ‘sex’. Indeed, most fungi reproduce asexually, by budding (i.e., “buds” are grown, each of which develops into a new fungus), fragmenting (i.e., in which two or more fungal fragments grow into new individual fungi) or through fission (i.e., a single fungus splits into two).
Researchers speculate that Malassezia’s apparent ability to reproduce sexually may well explain why it is so hard to eradicate once it gets established on the scalp.
That’s because sexual reproduction of fungi helps ensure genetic recombination, increasing the likelihood that offspring will be better adapted to the environment they’re “born” on, and can withstand any adverse conditions which may exist.
In other words, the fungus is literally genetically predisposed to thrive on your scalp!
In with Colloidal Silver, Out with Dandruff Shampoos!
Popular dandruff shampoos that use the minerals zinc (i.e., Head & Shoulders) or selenium (i.e., Selsun Blue) as an active ingredient are generally effective against mild cases of dandruff, because these two metals are known to be at least moderately antifungal and antibacterial.
Similarly, shampoos containing topical antifungal drugs such as ketoconazole (i.e., Nizoral) also work by inhibiting fungal growth.
And shampoos that use Tea Tree oil or Neem as active ingredients can also work for mild cases of dandruff, simply because both Tea Tree oil and Neem are natural antifungal agents.
But in many cases the Malassezia globosa fungus can be too tough to eradicate for standard dandruff shampoos containing zinc, selenium, or essential oils like Tea Tree Oil or Neem, or even for shampoos containing drugs like ketoconazole.
In fact, researchers say new anti-dandruff treatments are sorely needed since the existing compounds used in shampoos have never been very effective at preventing and treating stubborn cases of dandruff.
So it should come as no surprise, I suppose, that colloidal silver, being the world’s most powerful natural antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agent, would work wonders against dandruff – even when shampoos containing selenium, zinc, Tea Tree oil, Neem oil or an antifungal drug like ketoconazole don’t.
After all, numerous clinical studies going back to the 1970’s have demonstrated the profound effectiveness of colloidal silver against a wide variety of fungal pathogens. For example:
- In vitro Antifungal Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Against Ocular Pathogenic Filamentous Fungi (2013)
- Size- and Shape-dependent Clinical and Mycological Efficacy of Silver Nanoparticles on Dandruff (2015)
As you can see from just these few examples, colloidal silver has long been known to have profound antifungal properties.
What the Experts Say About Colloidal Silver and Fungal Infections
What’s more, experts agree that colloidal silver and other silver-based antimicrobials are often astonishingly effective against fungal pathogens.
Here are just a few quotes from medical studies and various medical and clinical experts attesting to the powerful healing qualities of colloidal silver against fungal pathogens:
“Silver is taken up rapidly by fungus spores, so that germination can be completely inhibited after a contact time of 1 minute or less.
Only mercury( I) and (II), and to a lesser extent copper, offer serious competition.”
— Miller, Lawrence P., and McCallan, S.E.A. 1957. Toxic action of metal ions to fungus spores. Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 5(2), 116-122.
“Silver was similarly toxic to a range of [fungal] pathogens including Pythium aphanidermatum, Thielaviopsis basicola and Fusarium oxysporum f.spp.
Most zoospores of phytophthora spp were killed by Ag+ in the range 5-50 ppb, bursting at the higher concentrations…
Zoospore cysts and germlings showed the same sensitivity to silver. Oospores were mostly killed over the range 25-100 ppb…
…It is surprising that no silver-based fungicide has been developed.”
— Slade, S.J., and Pegg, G.F. 1993. The effect of silver and other metal ions on the in vitro growth of root-rotting Phytophthora and other fungal species. Annals of Applied Biology, 122, 233-251.
“Spherical silver nanoparticles (nano-Ag) were synthesized and their antifungal effects on fungal pathogens of the skin were investigated.
Nano-Ag showed potent activity against clinical isolates and ATCC strains of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Candida species (IC80, 1-7 microg/ml).
The activity of nano-Ag was comparable to that of amphotericin B, but superior to that of fluconazole (amphotericin B IC80, 1-5 microg/ml; fluconazole IC80, 10- 30 microg/ml).
Additionally, we investigated their effects on the dimorphism of Candida albicans. The results showed nano-Ag exerted activity on the mycelia.
Thus, the present study indicates nano-Ag may have considerable antifungal activity, deserving further investigation for clinical applications.”
— J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2008 Aug;18(8):1482-4., Kim KJ, Sung WS, Moon SK, Choi JS, Kim JG, Lee DG. Department of Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.
“…the antifungal activity and its mechanism of silver, Nano-Ag specifically, was investigated.
Nano-Ag, in an IC80 range of 1-25 µg/ml, showed significant antifungal activity against T. mentagrophytes and Candida species.
Toward all fungal strains, Nano-Ag exhibited similar activity with amphotericin B, showing IC80 values of 1-5 µg/ml, but more potent activity than fluconazole, showing IC80 values of 10-30 µg/ml.
…Many studies have shown the antimicrobial effects of Nano-Ag (Klasen, 2000; Russell & Hugo, 1994; Silver, 2003), but the effects of Nano-Ag against fungal pathogens of the skin, including clinical isolates of T. mentagrophytes and Candida species are mostly unknown.
The primary significance of this study is the observation that Nano-Ag can inhibit the growth of dermatophytes, which cause superficial fungal infections (Kim et al., 2008).
Nano-Ag also exhibited potent antifungal effects, probably through destruction of membrane integrity (Kim et al., 2009).
To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to apply Nano-Ag successfully to dermatophytes and pathogenic fungal strains.
Secondly, the fact that preparation method of Nano-Ag described here is cost-effective is also of importance. Therefore, it can be expected that Nano-Ag may have potential as an anti-infective agent for human fungal diseases.”
— The Silver Nanoparticle (Nano-Ag): a New Model for Antifungal Agents, Dong Gun Lee School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Republic of Korea
“The results of the current study demonstrate the excellent in vitro performance of silver, particularly the nanocrystalline form, against a variety of common fungal pathogens.
The most remarkable aspect of the fungicidal experiments is that nanocrystalline silver appears to be effective against the resistant spores produced by some of these organisms.”
— Wright, J.B., et al. 1999. Efficacy of topical silver against fungal burn wound pathogens. American Journal of Infection Control, 27(4), 344-349.
“The present study demonstrated that anodic silver (Ag+) at low direct currents had inhibitory and fungicidal properties.
Broth dilution susceptibility tests were made on several species of Candida and one species of Torulopsis.
Growth in all isolates was inhibited by concentrations of electrically generated silver ions between 0.5 and 4.7 mg/ml, and silver exhibited fungicidal properties at concentrations as low as 1.9 ,ug/ml.
The inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations of electrically generated silver ions are lower than those reported for other silver compounds.”
— Antifungal Properties of Electrically Generated Metallic Ions, by Becker, Spadaro, Berger, Bierman, Chapin, published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Nov. 1976, p. 856-860
“Beginning in the 1970s, several independent researchers found that silver ions easily destroy Candida and other fungi.
But it wasn’t until a pilot study during the mid- 1990s that included human patients suffering from terminal AIDS that medical researchers established solid evidence showing just how quick and effective silver ions can be in the treatment of Candida as well as HIV.
In this study, nine individuals who were near death were divided into two subgroups. One group suffered from HIV and a terrible Candida infection.
The other group suffered from both HIV and an extreme form of malnutrition (known as Wasting Syndrome).
The researchers found that in both groups the colloidal silver was capable of killing pathogens and purging the bloodstream of germ defenses in order to restore the immune system.”
— Dr. Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.
“I sincerely recommend that everyone have electrically generated colloidal silver in their home as an antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal agent.”
— Dr. Joseph Weissman, M.D. board certified immunologist and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California Medical School
“Ag-NP’s have strong antifungal activity on Candida albicans, Candida globrato, Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes.”
— Biometals, 24 September 2010, Antibiotic effect of silver nanoparticles on Staphylococcus aureus
“Electrically generated silver has also proved adept at killing various yeast/fungus species at very low Silver concentrations, including Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. pseudotropicalis, Torulopsis glabrata and Aspergillus niger.”
— James South, MA, Biochemist
Unfortunately, there have been no clinical studies conducted specifically on the effectiveness of colloidal silver against the dandruff-causing Malassezia globosa fungus.
However, the anecdotal evidence for colloidal silver’s effectiveness against dandruff is pretty darned convincing, as you’re about to see.
What Colloidal Silver Users Say…
Here are just a few of the anecdotal accounts I’ve run across from people who have used colloidal silver to control their stubborn dandruff problems:
“I found out about the silver about a year ago, I am never without it.
I used it on my son’s dandruff also, which the Dermatologist gave him an Rx for 65.00 shampoo that did not work. Grrrrrrrrrr…nothing worked except the silver. That and Essential Fatty Acids!
Love this stuff and wish more people would be aware of it.”
— Joanna S.
“You name it, and we’ve probably used colloidal silver for it!
My husband even sprays it on his hair in the mornings, for dandruff. And come to think of it, he hasn’t had any dandruff to speak of in four or five years now!
Owning a colloidal silver generator from The Silver Edge has given us the luxury of being able to use high-quality micro-particle colloidal silver any time we need it, and we never have to worry about the costs.
The machine is very easy to use, and easy to store. And it is without a doubt the single-best money-saving appliance in my entire house!”
— K. Sullivan, NM
“I have got rid of my dandruff with Colloidal Silver. And using it on burns is nothing short of astonishing. The relief is practically instant.
I cannot promote it enough. Thx Steve for all your dedication and hard work. It is very much appreciated.”
— Peter A.
Here are some additional testimonials regarding colloidal silver and dandruff, from various websites:
“I had dandruff as long as I can remember and have used “Head and Shoulders” for at least 25 years.
One morning a few weeks ago, I ran out of shampoo and started using my wife’s un-medicated kind.
I keep a bottle of colloidal silver on my bathroom counter to take a swig from each morning. It has a spray cap on it so I can use it as deodorant (works great!).
I sprayed it on my hair and let it dry. I noticed the next day, my hair was nice and soft. I did it the next day and used the un-medicated shampoo again.
Now, I use it every day and have soft hair and no itchy scalp or dandruff. What a blessing! Try it. It may work for you.”
— UtopiaSilver.com
“I have not used the colloidal silver a lot yet but I did use it on my daughter’s hair. She has hair like I did when I was younger it got greasy within one day and the dandruff was awful.
But I used the colloidal silver in her hair and there was no dandruff and it actually stayed soft and not greasy for at least 3 days after.
It’s the only thing that has kept her hair free of dandruff.”
— UtopiaSilver.com
“I’ve always had dandruff, and without washing every single day with dandruff shampoo, my scalp would get itchy and flaky, and my hair would get oily. And I’d be extra susceptible to bed head, hat head, and other such embarrassments.
Depending on who you ask, dandruff seems to be fungal or yeast-oriented condition. Colloidal silver is supposed to have anti-fungal properties, right?
Turns out, for me at least, it works better than the store-bought shampoo. Less itchy, less flaky, less oily. I’m calling this one Confirmed.”
— GreenBlueBrown.blogspot.com
In short, colloidal silver is a powerful anti-dandruff agent that, for many people, appears to be even more effective than traditional antifungal shampoos.
Getting Rid of Your Dandruff
Simply spraying some 10-ppm colloidal silver onto your head and working it into your scalp after showering and drying your hair each morning seems to do the trick for most people.
Then simply comb your hair and go about your day, leaving the silver to air dry on the scalp.
However, in really stubborn cases, some people may need to do this three or four times a day, at first.
But usually within a week most people report being able to use the colloidal silver only once per day directly after showering for complete relief of their dandruff.
Many people also pour a couple of ounces of 10 ppm (or stronger) colloidal silver into their favorite bottled liquid shampoo, and shake it up to evenly disperse the silver throughout the soap.
In this manner, they create their own powerful homemade anti-dandruff shampoo, for added protection against dandruff.
But simply spraying a 10 ppm solution of colloidal silver directly onto the head (and working it into the scalp, if you have thick hair) seems to work well for most people dealing with mild to moderate dandruff problems.
The Bottom Line
Silver’s powerful antifungal properties have not only been known for decades but have repeatedly been verified by medical science.
So frankly, it’s quite astonishing that colloidal silver has never been investigated as a remedy for dandruff.
In part, that’s because, as I mentioned earlier, the specific fungal pathogen responsible for most stubborn cases of dandruff, while suspected for nearly 100 years, was never completely verified as the actual cause of the condition until 2007.
And in part, it’s also because Big Pharma has had a love-hate relationship with silver ever since the advent of prescription antibiotic drugs back in the 1940’s, which displaced silver as the reigning antimicrobial treatment of the day.
The medical establishment is therefore loathe to admit that nature’s miracle antibiotic – colloidal silver – actually works better (and safer) in many cases, than their failing prescription antibiotic drugs.
But today we have medical researchers doing clinical research on the ability of silver to control fungal infections of the eyes and fungal infections of the mouth which prescription drugs are incapable of fully controlling.
So it probably won’t be long until you’ll hear of clinical studies being conducted to see whether or not silver can help control stubborn dandruff problems, as well.
But you don’t have to wait for the studies.
If you have a stubborn dandruff problem, you can find out if colloidal silver will work for you, right now.
Do You Use Colloidal Silver for Dandruff? Tell Us About It!
Have you used colloidal silver to clear up dandruff? We’d love to hear about your experiences. If you haven’t already, please join the Colloidal Silver Secrets Community on Facebook and let us know!
Make Your Own High-Quality Colloidal Silver for Pennies!
Typical health food store prices for colloidal silver can range from $20 to $30 for a tiny, four-ounce bottle.
But with a brand new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge, you can make your own safe, pure, high-quality micro-particle colloidal silver for about 36 cents a quart! In other words, you can make it at actual cost, just like the big colloidal silver bottlers do.
Compared to typical health food store prices, your first two one-quart batches literally pay for the entire cost of your new generator! Do you know of any other health product that literally pays for itself the very first few times you use it? The savings are absolutely astonishing!
In fact, by making your own high-quality colloidal silver with a brand new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge, you’ll be as close to having FREE colloidal silver as you can get, and for the rest of your life!
You’ll never have to pay those exorbitant health food store prices again!
The new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator is now the world’s #1 best-selling colloidal silver generator. Here are just a few reasons why you should own one…
- It pays for itself after your very first batch or two – your total cost to make your first one-quart batch is about 36 cents, compared to the $240 you’d pay at a health food store if you bought an equivalent amount (i.e., eight of those little 4-ounce bottles they normally sell for $30 apiece)!
- Safe, simple to operate…No special skills needed…You just set the handy timer, plug it in, walk away, and three hours later you have a perfect batch of therapeutic quality micro-particle colloidal silver…every time! Here’s a short pictorial demonstrating how astonishingly easy it is to use a new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge:
- Produces uncommonly small silver micro-particles as low as .8 nm. That’s a fraction of a single nanometer. Compare that to health food store colloidal silver which can contain silver particles as large as 200 nm to 1,000 nm (or even larger), and you’ll see why micro-particle colloidal silver is the very best there is! Smaller particles mean your body can absorb and utilize up to 99% of the colloidal silver you take, compared to maybe 30% or 40% with many health food store brands!
- Runs on standard household electricity, but uses less power than a tiny Christmas tree bulb – you won’t even see a blip on your electric bill!
- Produces uniform, crystal clear batches every single time that store for months, or even years, without losing potency!
- Cannot produce silver chloride or unsafe substances – you get pure, therapeutic-quality micro-particle colloidal silver every time!
The Bottom Line…
With a high-quality Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge, you’ll never again have to pay exorbitant health food store or internet vendor prices for high-quality colloidal silver!
Indeed, your first batch or two will indeed completely pay for the entire cost of your generator, compared to health food store prices!
What’s more, you’ll be able to give colloidal silver away FREE to family members, friends and neighbors, because you’ll be making it – literally – for only a few pennies per batch!
Simply click on this link to learn more about this phenomenal new breakthrough in colloidal silver-making technology, including our current, time-limited, money-saving offers that can save you up to $100 if you act quickly and decisively!
Meanwhile, I’ll be back next week with another insightful article on colloidal silver….
Yours for the safe, sane and responsible use of colloidal silver,
Steve Barwick, author
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual
Helpful Links:
FREE Colloidal Silver Safe Dosage Report
Colloidal Silver Secrets Group on Facebook
Make Your Own Colloidal Silver for Pennies
.9999 Pure Silver Wire for Making Colloidal Silver
Important Note and Disclaimer: The contents of this Ezine have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Information conveyed herein is from sources deemed to be accurate and reliable, but no guarantee can be made in regards to the accuracy and reliability thereof. The author, Steve Barwick, is a natural health journalist with over 30 years of experience writing professionally about natural health topics. He is not a doctor. Therefore, nothing stated in this Ezine should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of this Ezine meant to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Nothing reported herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The author is simply reporting in journalistic fashion what he has learned during the past 17 years of journalistic research into colloidal silver and its usage. Therefore, the information and data presented should be considered for informational purposes only and approached with caution. Readers should verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, from other knowledgeable sources such as their doctor, the accuracy and reliability of all reports, ideas, conclusions, comments, and opinions stated herein. All important health care decisions should be made under the guidance and direction of a legitimate, knowledgeable and experienced health care professional. Readers are solely responsible for their choices. The author and publisher disclaim responsibility and/or liability for any loss or hardship that may be incurred as a result of the use or application of any information included in this Ezine.
Copyright 2021 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ 85380-1239 | All rights reserved.
