Beauty Doc Blog

Seborrheic dermatitis is a disease many people are affected with which causes flaking of the skin and usually affects the scalp. In both adolescents and adults, it is commonly known as  “dandruff.” In babies, it is called “cradle cap.”

Seborrheic dermatitis can also affect skin on other parts of the body including the face and chest, and  creases in the arms, the legs and the groin area. Seborrheic dermatitis usually causes the skin to look greasy, scaly and  flaky. Seborrheic dermatitis is fairly common and most often occurs in babies younger than three months of age and in adults from ages thirty to sixty. It is also more common in men than in women in adults. The exact cause of this ailment is not known and it may be different in adults and babies. It may in fact be related to hormones since the disorder often appearances in infancy only to disappear before puberty. The cause might also be a fungus called malassezia, an organism that is normally present on the skin in small numbers but which can increase and cause skin problems.

Seborrheic dermatitis has also been tied to neurologic disorders including Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. The reason for the relationship between them, over, is not known. Treatment depends on where it is located on the body and on the age of the person affected. When affecting the scalp of adults and adolescents as dandruff  it is generally treatment with a shampoo that contains salicylic acid. Band names including X-Seb, and Scalpicin. Also the prescription medication selenium sulfide with band names Selsun Blue and Exsel, or with zinc pyrithione including the brand names DHS Zinc, and Head & Souldes.  These shampoos can be used twice  a week and provide relief for most users. Shampoos with coal tar including the brand names DHS Tar, Neutrogena T/Gel and Polytar may be used three times weekly. It is best when using a dandruff shampoo to rub it into the hair thoroughly, letting it stay on the hair and scale for at least five minutes before rinsing it off. This gives the active ingredients time to take effect. If the shampoo does not solve the problem, then seeing a physician is the best course of action to follow. Some adults and adolescents benefit also from use of steroid lotions in creases of the skin.

In babies cradle cap is treated with products that are not as strong as those adults use. A nonmedicated baby shampoo is the place to start. If that doesn’t help a doctor may recommend a prescription shampoo containing two percent ketoconazole, such as Nizoral.