Everything You Need to Know About Seborrheic Dermatitis

Like other organs in our body, our skin is susceptible to different types of illnesses. For instance, when we have an unhealthy skin microbiome (often caused by excessive skin yeast) and chronic inflammation, we can experience seborrheic dermatitis.

Along with atopic dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, stasis dermatitis, and more, seborrheic dermatitis is a type of eczema. Usually, it is characterized by dry, itchy, flaky, and red skin. When it appears on the scalp, we often call it dandruff, but it can also spread throughout different parts of the body.

Though this condition is chronic, it does not cause serious harm to the body. Yet, as it brings discomfort to the body, it is still crucial to treat it whenever it flares up. In this article, we will share several important pieces of information about this disease, including management and remedies:

Who Is at Risk of Experiencing Seborrheic Dermatitis?

This chronic illness doesn’t pick a victim; it can affect young infants up to senior adults. For infants, seborrheic dermatitis shows up, but it usually goes away on its own. However, for adults, this is more common in males between the ages of 30 and 60. This condition usually shows up in flares, then clears—a cycle that can last for years.

What Makes Seborrheic Dermatitis Flare Up?

There are numerous things that can trigger an outbreak, but the most common ones are:

• Hormonal changes
• Endocrine illnesses
• Stress
• Soaps
• Chemicals
• Harsh detergents
• Cold and dry weather
• Different medications

What Are the Symptoms of Seborrheic Dermatitis?

The symptoms of this disease usually show up differently, depending on the age when a person gets infected.

For infants, parents usually notice greasy and scaly patches in their heads, which is often referred to as cradle cap. Aside from this, seborrheic dermatitis can present on babies’ bottoms. Whenever something unusual is observed, a doctor’s opinion is recommended as inflamed skin is often assumed to be diaper rash—a form of contact dermatitis.

For teenagers and adults, seborrheic dermatitis often appears in the areas of the skin where oil is concentrated. More often than not, these scales, flakes, and red patches show up in the scalp, which is known as dandruff. However, seborrheic dermatitis can also flare up around the nose, armpits, groin, chest, upper back, and eyebrows.

What Are the Options for Seborrheic Dermatitis Treatment?

As a chronic condition, there is no cure for this illness. However, you can ease the symptoms and treat seborrheic dermatitis by treating the underlying cause (unhealthy microbiome and inflammation) and preventing flare ups (by minimizing triggers). Here are some actionable tips:

• Build a skincare routine that’s appropriate for your skin condition. You can get advice from a skin specialist to help you.
• Wash the areas where dermatitis flare-ups are with a gentle cleanser with 2% zinc pyrithione.
• Moisturize your skin regularly with SmartLotion, a dermatologist-developed solution specially formulated for dermatitis and eczema.
• Build healthy lifestyle habits, especially getting proper sleep.
• Apply petroleum jelly and mineral oil as treatments for infants.
• See a dermatologist for prescription treatment.

Conclusion

Seborrheic dermatitis can be stressful to handle at first, especially if you don’t know where to start. With the brief guide we’ve shared above on seborrheic dermatitis, we hope you got vital information you can use toward managing your condition better.

If you are looking for a solution for dermatitis, here’s some good news! With Dr. Steven Harlan’s incredible SmartLotion in the US, you can use this prebiotic lotion as a seborrheic dermatitis treatment to not only to resolve flare ups, but prevent them in the first place!