Seborrheic DermatitisSeborrheic Dermatitis, also referred to as Seborrheic Eczema or Seborrhea, is a chronic, non-contagious skin disorder that causes unsightly redness, scaling and flaking usually around the face and scalp. I have suffered with seborrheic dermatitis most of my teenage and adult life, and so can provide some real knowledge about the usual symptoms, possible causes – and most importantly – how to control flare-ups and reduce the associated skin redness and scaling. It’s estimated that 3 – 5% of the population is affected by seborrhea. It’s also quite common in infants, and is referred to as ”cradle cap”.
Symptoms
Seborrheic dermatitis usually appears initially as areas of redness on the face, particularly between the eyebrows; on the eyelids; around the naso-labial folds; behind the ears; on the scalp; under the nose (mustache line); and under the lower lip and chin. Shortly after the redness, scales will form, and later start to shed. This is one reason why when present on the scalp, seborrheic dermatitis is often confused with or thought to be dandruff. For me, the disease started out on my scalp during the teenage years, and then in my later 20’s started to appear on my face. The skin redness, scaling and sometimes itching associated with this disease will exhibit periods of improvement, followed by periods of worsening symptoms. For some, the symptoms may almost disappear for weeks or months, only to return again. It’s common for seborrhea to worsen during the winter months, and improve during the summer. On infants, the seborrhea can appear as patches of thick, yellowish and crusty inflammation and scaling. It is harmless and temporary. Usually found on the scalp, it can also appear on the eyelids, ears, and around the nose and groin area. It is not normally seen in children beyond the age of three (3).
Causes
As with many other skin conditions, the exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis is not known. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that two co-factors are involved. The first factor appears to be associated with higher than normal production of sebum (skin oil). This -- coupled with the presence of malassezia yeast on the skin seems to provide the “kindling” for the disease. Additional suspected contributing factors include genetics, environment, hormone levels and an abnormal immune system response mechanism. Treatment If there’s an accepted topical treatment for seborrhea out there – I’ve tried it. Depending upon the severity of your particular condition, some over-the-counter (OTC) products may be all you’ll need. But if you’re like me, although helpful - OTC products won’t quite do it. I’ll talk more about these in a minute. Generally, several modes of attack are available and include:
Prescriptive topical products can sometimes be helpful, but most come with long-term usage side-effects. The most common prescription for seborrhea these days seems to be Ketoconazole (e.g. Nizoral) creams and shampoos. This drug falls into the class of antifungals. Corticosteroids can also be prescribed to help reduce the inflammation, but long-term use can “thin” (atrophy) the skin and create additional problems. Tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory topicals that can be tried as an alternate to typical cortisone creams. Now back to OTC treatments. Generally, your options for scalp related symptoms are limited to various medicated shampoos. The primary four types of medicated shampoos include those that contain either:
I have tried all sorts of prescription and OTC products (i.e. hydrocortisone, Ketoconazole, etc.) on my face with limited success. It doesn’t mean they won’t work for you, but during a really bad flare-up, nothing seems to do a really good job of clearing up the redness and scaling. There’s good news though . . . After suffering from seborrheic dermatitis for many years, I started experimenting with various types of “safe” and readily available materials that I could apply to my face. After several trials of different variations of “homeopathic” options, I came across a particular combination that cleared up one of the worst flare-ups I had ever experienced. And it did it inside one week! Since then - I’ve been using this “proprietary” formula (a.k.a. Seboderm) and have been able to control outbreaks on my face so well that it appears almost as if the disease has gone into remission. I’m no chemist, but I sincerely believe that our solution does a good job of keeping the malassezia yeast under control (effective antifungal agent). With very little "live" yeast present on the skin, you deprive seborrhea of one of its primary contributory factors (remember – increased sebum production, or skin oils plus yeast are thought to provide the mechanism behind the inflammation and subsequent scaling). Seboderm is now available for purchase. If you’d like to be added to our product “interest” list, click here and we’ll be happy to provide you with additional information on this amazing product.
Return from Seborrheic Dermatitis to Skin Rash
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Sometimes alternating between these different types of shampoos can be more effective than trying to stick with just one type of treatment. Personally, I have found pyrithione zinc (e.g. Head and Shoulders) to be the most effective in helping to control seborrhea on the scalp. However, controlling the condition on the face is another problem.
