Good news: this is one of the few things that genuinely clears in a few weeks.
Dandruff is flaking of the scalp, usually with itching. It is common, it is not dirt, and washing more often is not automatically the answer.
It is also one of the few pre-wedding problems with a genuinely short timeline. Most scalps improve in three to four weeks with the right shampoo, used correctly.
An anti-dandruff shampoo, twice a week, left on the scalp for a few minutes before rinsing. Most people rinse immediately, which is why it does not work for them. Work it into the scalp, not the hair. The problem is on the skin. Keep going for a few weeks after it clears. Stopping the day it looks fine is why it returns.
Heavy oiling and leaving oil overnight. On a flaky scalp, this often feeds the problem. Stress. Real, and hard to avoid in wedding month. Hair sprays and heavy styling products on the scalp during the functions. Skipping washes because you want the hair to hold a style.
6 weeks before: Start the anti-dandruff shampoo, twice a week, left on for a few minutes. 3 weeks before: It should be visibly better. If it is not, see a doctor — some scalp conditions look like dandruff and are not. 10 days before: Stop heavy overnight oiling. Function days: Keep spray off the scalp and ask the stylist to work the product through the hair, not the roots.
Leave the shampoo on for a few minutes. This is the whole trick. Treat the scalp, not the hair. Stop overnight oiling in the last ten days.
Most scalps improve within three to four weeks with an anti-dandruff shampoo used twice a week and left on the scalp for a few minutes before rinsing.
For a flaky, itchy scalp, heavy overnight oiling often makes it worse. Light oiling and a proper medicated shampoo is the better combination.