Because malassezia requires fat to grow,[3] it is most common in areas with many sebaceous glands—on the scalp,[4] face, and upper part of the body.

Malassezia infections of human skin can cause or aggravate a variety of conditions, including dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and acne.

[5] When Malassezia grows too rapidly, the natural renewal of cells is disturbed, and dandruff can appear with itching (a similar process may also occur with other fungi or bacteria).

In occasional opportunistic infections of the trunk and other locations on humans, some species of Malassezia can cause hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation.

[17] Due to progressive changes in their nomenclature, some confusion exists about the naming and classification of Malassezia yeast species.

Work on these yeasts has been complicated because they require specific growth media and sometimes grow very slowly in laboratory culture.

[18] Malassezia was originally identified by the French scientist Louis-Charles Malassez in the late nineteenth century;[19] he associated it with the condition seborrhoeic dermatitis.

[22] In the mid-twentieth century, it was reclassified into two species: Malassezia is the sole genus in the family Malasseziaceae, which was validated by Cvetomir Denchev and Royall T. Moore in 2009.

To effectively visualise the organism's shape, a staining technique involving safranin is recommended, followed by observation under oil immersion.