Imagine your head itching so much that you can't stop! It feels so good to keep scratching. And you have white flakes all over your hair and clothes. Not only that , but this flakes come with an oily texture. On top of that, you have red, scaly patches on your face, on both sides of your nose, and maybe even on your chest and back. Is all this bothering you? Then you may have Seborrheic Dermatitis .
“What is that?” 🤔 Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin condition. It is not contagious. 👍 Don't worry! It won't cause any serious harm to your skin. But the itching, peeling, and red patches can be a bit annoying. 😣
😬 Let's look at the features first:
- Do you have itchy, white flakes on your scalp? 🤨 This is called dandruff. It can be found at the base of your hair. Or it can be found on your neck and shoulders.
- Do you have red scales on your skin? 😥 These are often oily.
- Does your baby have crusty yellow scales on his head? 👶 This is called Cradle Cap. It doesn't itch. However, if you scratch it, it can cause bleeding and infection.
- Do you have red, crusty patches around your eyelids (blepharitis)? 👀
- Do you have pinkish plaques on both sides of your face? 😥
- Do you have any bumps on your chest or hairline that look like a flower petal, a ring, or something like that? 🌸⭕
- Do you have red spots around your genitals, armpits, or under your breasts? 😥
- Are the hair follicles on your cheeks and chest swollen? 🤔
How does all this happen? What is seborrheic dermatitis?
Seborrheic dermatitis is a common, non-contagious, and easily treatable skin condition. It causes red patches on the skin, increased oiliness, and white or yellow flakes on the scalp.
The word “seborrheic” comes from the word “sebaceous glands.” These glands produce an oil-like substance. “Derm” means “skin.” So when it occurs on the scalp of older children and adults, we call it “dandruff” or “Pityriasis Capitis.” When it occurs on the scalp of babies, we call it “cradle cap.”
Seborrheic dermatitis can also occur on other parts of your body. That is, in areas where your sebaceous glands, or oil-producing glands, are located. For example, it can occur on your upper back and chest, face/forehead, the creases on either side of your nose, behind your ears, belly button (navel), eyebrows, under your breasts, armpits, and groin.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a lifelong condition. This means it can get better and then come back. It gets better with treatment, but it can come back after a while.
🤷♀️🤷♂️ Who gets this?
Seborrheic dermatitis affects about 11% of the population. It is most common in babies under three months of age and people between the ages of 30 and 60. It is more common in men than in women. It is also more common in Caucasians than in people of African descent.
If your skin is always oily, you are more likely to develop it. If someone in your family has a skin condition, that is also a risk factor. If you live in a dry, cold area, that is not a cause of this condition, but it can make it worse.
People with these conditions are also more likely to develop seborrheic dermatitis:
💪 For those with a weak immune system (Immunosuppressions):
- For those who have had organ transplants (Organ Transplant Recipients)
- Adult Hodgkin's Lymphoma
- Adult Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
🧠 Mental Disorders (Psychiatric Disorders):
🧬 Neurological Diseases:
👶 Congenital Disorders:
- Down Syndrome
People who take these medications are also more likely to develop seborrheic dermatitis:
- Lithium
- Buspirone
- Haloperidol Decanoate
- Chlorpromazine
❓ What are the causes of seborrheic dermatitis?
Doctors still don't know the exact cause of this disease. They think there could be several reasons.
- Malassezia is a type of yeast that is present on everyone's skin, but some people have an overgrowth of it.
- An increase in the hormone androgen.
- Increased amount of lipids in the skin.
- Inflammatory Reaction.
- If family members have had this disease (there is a genetic influence).
Other possible causes:
- Stress .
- Cold and Dry Climate.
- Oily skin.
- Using lotions that contain alcohol.
- If you have other skin conditions like rosacea , psoriasis, or acne.
🌦️ Does the weather affect this?
Yes. The dry air in winter can make this disease worse.
This disease is more common in the summer. The UV-A and UV-B rays in the sun kill the yeast. However, you should go out and expose yourself to the sun, but it is not good to let your skin burn.
🍕 Does food and drink affect this?
Some say that this increases or decreases depending on the food you eat. But scientists who know exactly about it say that food and drink do not affect this.
🤔 What is the difference between seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis?
Psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis are two different conditions. However, the symptoms of both are somewhat similar. Both cause the skin to become red and scaly. Both can occur on areas such as the scalp and back.
Psoriasis is a skin disease that affects about 2%-4% of the population. The scales of psoriasis are often thicker than those of seborrheic dermatitis. The edges of the scales are also clearly visible. On the scalp, the scales of psoriasis tend to have a slightly silvery appearance.
Some people develop both of these diseases together. It's called sebopsoriasis . Then you have symptoms of both. White, silvery scales, itching on the scalp, back, etc.
If you want to know for sure whether you have psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis, see a doctor, as the treatments for the two are sometimes different.
💇♀️ Does seborrheic dermatitis cause hair loss?
No, this disease does not cause hair loss.
🤔 Is this related to acne?
Seborrheic dermatitis and acne can both occur at the same time, in the same areas of the body. Both are affected by the oiliness of the skin. People with acne are more likely to develop dandruff.
🩺 How to find this?
This is easy to detect. Because when it occurs, the skin changes are clearly visible. And the places where it occurs are also different. It does not require things like blood tests, urine tests, allergy tests. Your dermatologist may take a small piece of skin and look at it under a microscope (Skin Biopsy). That is to see if you have another disease.
💊 What is the treatment for this?
This disease, both in young people and adults, does not get better on its own. It requires treatment. Treatment depends on factors such as where in the body the disease is located and how severe it is.
Treatments aim to reduce the skin changes caused by this disease, such as itching and redness. There are things like shampoos and creams that can be bought at the drugstore. There are medications that are prescribed by a doctor. Medications such as antifungals, calcineurin inhibitors, and corticosteroids are given for this. Sometimes these medications may need to be used together. Treatment should continue even after the disease has cleared.
💆♀️ Head Treatment:
👶 Cradle Cap:
When this happens on a baby's head, it usually clears up without medication. It usually clears up by the time the baby is about a year old. You can wash the head with a mild baby shampoo about once a day.
Brush the skin with a soft brush several times a day. Do not let it get damaged. This can cause germs to enter the wounds.
If this doesn't help, or if your baby seems uncomfortable or cries when you comb it, take him to a pediatrician or dermatologist. They can prescribe a shampoo or lotion to use.
If this occurs in other places, a mild steroid lotion can be applied.
👨🦰 Dandruff in adults:
For a minor infection, you can use an over-the-counter dandruff shampoo. Use a shampoo that contains selenium sulfide, zinc pyrithione, or coal tar. Use it about twice a week, or as directed on the shampoo. To stop the dandruff from recurring, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal shampoo. These shampoos contain ingredients like Ciclopirox (Loprox®) or Ketoconazole (Nizoral®). You should wash your hair with this shampoo daily, or two or three times a week, for a few weeks. After that, you should wash your hair with this shampoo once or twice a week to prevent it from recurring. Your doctor will tell you exactly how to use this shampoo.
For more severe cases, your doctor may prescribe a shampoo containing betamethasone valerate, clobetasol, or fluocinolone. You should wash your hair with these shampoos as directed by your doctor. Some shampoos should be applied daily. Some shampoos should be applied twice a day for two weeks, then twice a week.
Ask your doctor if there are any side effects when using this shampoo.
💆♀️ Face and Body
Seborrheic dermatitis on the face and body is treated with topical antifungals, corticosteroids, and calcineurin inhibitors.
- Topical antifungals: Medications such as Ciclopirox, Ketoconazole, and Sertaconazole are given for this. These medications can be taken in various forms such as cream, foam, and gel. These are usually applied twice a day for about eight weeks. They can be applied again if necessary.
- Topical Corticosteroids: Medications such as Betamethasone Valerate, Desonide, Fluocinolone, and Hydrocortisone are given for this. These can also be taken in various forms such as cream, lotion, foam, gel, ointment, oil, and solution. These should be applied once or twice a day. These medications are given if antifungal medications do not help, or if the disease recurs. Since corticosteroids can thin the skin, they should not be used continuously for weeks or months.
- Calcineurin Inhibitors: These are also medications that are given instead of corticosteroids. They include pimecrolimus cream and tacrolimus ointment. These are applied twice a day. If your condition is very severe, your doctor may give you oral antifungal agents. Or you may be given phototherapy, which involves exposing your skin to a certain wavelength of ultraviolet light to reduce inflammation.
Ask your doctor about the possible side effects of these medications. Also, ask him how you should take these medications and take them exactly as you are told. You and your doctor should work together to decide which medications and treatment plan are right for you.
How to prevent seborrheic dermatitis?
It's hard to completely prevent this. Cradle Cap is a common condition in babies. It can be easily treated at home. When adults get it, it may be because they have high levels of androgen hormones, or their skin may be oily, or they may have an overgrowth of the yeast (Malassezia) that everyone has on their skin.
However, there are some things you can do to reduce the effects of this. Things like getting enough rest, reducing stress, and getting a few minutes of sunlight a day. Avoid going out during the hottest part of the day.
When using medicated shampoos and creams, do so as directed by your doctor. If you don't use the medication properly, it can recur.
What happens after this?
Cradle Cap is a common, harmless condition that develops in babies. It doesn't itch or cause any pain. It usually develops over a period of a few weeks or months. It usually goes away on its own by the time a baby is about a year old. It can be easily treated at home.
It's a lifelong disease that adults can develop. But if you take good medicine, you can control it. You'll get better quickly if you take medicine.
However, if you take medication and it doesn't get better, or if you get a wound that is oozing pus, you should definitely see a doctor.
🤔 More things to know
If you have this on your head, you can try using a shampoo that is meant for dandruff that you can buy at the drugstore. If that doesn't work, check the type of medication it contains and try a different type. (Details about the medication are above.) You should apply the shampoo to your head and leave it on for at least 5 minutes.
If you think you have this on your face or body, definitely see a doctor.
Seborrheic dermatitis is an itchy, uncomfortable condition, but it doesn't have to be a big deal in your life. With the right medication, you can control it and stay healthy. 😊👍
✨ Finally
In this article, you have learned a lot about seborrheic dermatitis. Remember, this is a common condition. It does not cause any major harm to your body. If you think you have this condition, do not panic. See a doctor and get treatment. They will help you control it. You can be happy and healthy even with this condition.
It takes a lot of effort to write an article like this, but sharing this, you don't have to work hard, to educate others, to improve the health of our own people in Sri Lanka, to educate others, don't forget to share this post.
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