This! I struggled with dandruff for a few years until I realized there were different kinds that required different treatments. For me, a very gentle rinse of equal parts water and apple cider vinegar worked. Because I really wanted to focus the mixture on my scalp, I bought a cheap plastic bottle with a pointy end. In the shower, I rinsed my hair with only water first. Then I squirted the liquid on my scalp while gently massaging at the same time. I didn’t spend a ton of time but I was thorough (and I did turn off the shower so I didn’t feel rushed plus water shortages).

I left it on my scalp for a few minutes while I finished showering. Then rinsed it out and gently, shampooed and conditioned like normal. I do recall that some shampoos made it worse so you may need to switch products.

The smell is strong while you’re doing it but I didn’t notice it the rest of the day.

I keep emphasizing being gentle because, depending on how hard you’ve been scratching your head, you may have some sore spots and you want to promote healing now. I’ve never had to do this treatment more than once a week for a 2-3 weeks but I may have been lucky. Worked like a charm. (I also don’t wash my hair every day so it might be different for you. More washing meant more dandruff in my case so I backed off a little and managed to still look and smell clean for work.) Do not use this rinse more than once a week. You don’t want to create new dryness problems while trying to resolve the dandruff.

I tried all the shampoos—natural with tea tree oil and chemical like Neutrogena, plus others. They managed some of the flakiness and the itchiness for the first part of the day but by evening, the itchiness was torturing me again. Once I figured out what kind of dandruff I had, apple cider vinegar and water worked perfectly.

Good luck! This can be so bothersome. I feel you!

(Also disclaimer to check with your doctor before doing anything. They can also prescribe stronger shampoos but I was looking for something less strong but effective, if that makes sense.)