Seborrheic Dermatitis

What is Seborrheic Dermatitis?

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin disease that causes a red, scaly, and sometimes itchy rash. Common areas involved are the scalp, eyebrows, nasolabial folds, and ears. It is not a curable condition and can come and go without warning. Treatment is often necessary to manage and prevent flares.

It can affect people of all ages, but most often is seen in infants (called “cradle cap”) and older adults. In adults, it can be triggered by many things including cold, dry weather or stress. It can also be associated with oily skin/hair and some neurologic conditions like Parkinson’s.

This condition is thought to be related to a yeast, which lives on everyone’s skin,  and the excess release of oil from the skin. Individuals with seborrheic dermatitis may be more reactive to the yeast, resulting in the inflammation and flaking associated with it. 

How do you treat it:

Treatments are not intended to cure, but to manage the disease especially during flares. Typical treatments consist of medicated shampoos, topical corticosteroids*, and/or topical antifungal medications. It is usually very helpful to use a medicated shampoo to wash the scalp and even the face on a regular basis to help prevent flare ups.

Because this condition is related to excess oil production, more frequent shampooing (preferably daily) is recommended. Choosing 2 different medicated shampoos and alternating them every time you wash increases their effectiveness.

*Long-term use of topical corticosteroids can cause thinning of the skin. We recommend limiting the use of these to flare up periods only and for a maximum of 2 weeks/month. 

Ingredients to look for in medicated shampoos

  • Zinc Pyrithione (ie. Head and Shoulders)

  • Selenium Sulfide (ie. Selsun Blue)

  • Salicyclic Acid (ie. Neutrogena T-sal)

  • Coal Tar (ie. Neutrogena T-gel)

  • Ketoconazole (ie. Nizoral)

  • Tea Tree Oil

This is a very common skin condition that is frequently part of a hair loss evaluation. It is characterized by redness and scaling occurring in regions where the oil (sebaceous) glands are very active. Any severe inflammation of the scalp can cause hair loss and should be considered in the work up.