Seborrhoeic Dermatitis

Definition: Seborrhoeic Dermatitis is a chronic skin disorder characterized by an inflammation of the skin which causes a red, scaly, itchy and flaking rash. It most often occurs on the scalp, sides and corners of the nose, eyelids, behind the ears and middle of the chest. It can also occur on the belly button, underarms, breasts and genital area. When it occurs on the scalp of infants, it is called "cradle cap." When it occurs on the scalp of adults, it is often referred to as "dandruff." [Note: Dandruff usually limitis itself the scalp and does not have the redness that occurs with seborrhoeic dermatitis.] When seborrhoeic dermatitis occurs on the eyelids, it is called seborrheic blepharitis.

Causes: Although the exact causes of seborrheic dermatitis are unknown, it often runs in families and more often affects those with oily skin or hair. The condition often cycles through periods of inactivity to flare-ups which may be exacerbated by external factors including stress, hormonal changes, cold weather, fatigue, inadequate shampooing or skin cleaning, and obesity.

Seborrheic dermatitis also tends to flare-up in those with neurological disorders and/or immune system disorders such as Parkinson's Disease and HIV/AIDS.

Symptoms: Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis are often similar to other types of dermatitis and an accurate diagnosis should be made by your doctor. Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis may include:

Redness
Itchiness
Greasy, oily areas of skin
Flaking of skin
Scaling
Build up of waxy or greasy dead skin cells that clump together
In severe cases, hair loss may occur.

The exact symptoms depend on where the seborrheic dermatitis occurs. For more information about Cradle Cap, check here, or about Dandruff, go here. See your doctor if you or your infant displays any of these symptoms.

Treatment: Seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp can be treated with over the counter (OTC) anti-dandruff shampoos which may contain:

Selinium Sulfide
Zinc Pyrithione
Salicylic Acid
Coal Tar

Treatment medications for the skin (topical ointments or creams) usually contain corticosteroids (brand name Cortisol), a steroid that reduces inflammation. Other medicated creams may contain an anti-fungal ingredient such as ketoconazole or ciclopirox.

All treatment plans should follow a doctor's guidance.

Caution: One of the problems with seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp, or dandruff, is that it can build up a short-term resistance to an ingredient based shampoo (mentioned above) within a few months. To prevent this from happening, one can try rotating a main ingredient shampoo after the completion of each bottle. For instance, you may start with a selenium based Head & Shoulders, and when finished with the bottle rotate to a Zinc based Selsun Blue, and then onto an anti-fungal based shampoo.

Seborrhoeic Dermatitis is sometimes misspelled as: seborheic dermatitis and seborheic dermatitis.

Conditions & Diseases: Skin Diseases