How to completely cure seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp?

Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
Updated on September 29, 2024
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Seborrheic dermatitis, also known as seborrheic eczema, is a chronic, superficial inflammatory skin disease characterized by papular scaly rashes, predominantly occurring in areas rich in sebaceous glands such as the head, face, and trunk. The exact cause of this disease is still not fully understood. It is mainly believed to be related to an increase in sebum secretion or changes in its chemical composition. Additionally, colonization and infection by Malassezia yeast, along with factors like stress, diet, deficiency in B vitamins, and alcohol consumption can all influence the occurrence and development of this condition to varying degrees. Due to these factors, the disease has a chronic course and may relapse repeatedly. Seborrheic dermatitis occurring on the scalp, although clinically curable, can still experience flare-ups. Its symptoms mainly include oily hair, scalp papules, erythema, dandruff, and itching. Clinical treatment primarily involves the use of shampoos containing ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, or salicylic acid. This can be accompanied by oral antihistamines, supplementation with B vitamins, or zinc-containing preparations. It is crucial to maintain regular life habits, ensure sufficient sleep, restrict diets high in polysaccharides and fats, increase the consumption of vegetables and fruits, avoid alcohol and spicy irritant foods, use less hot water and strongly alkaline soaps for bathing, and avoid various types of mechanical irritation to reduce the recurrence of scalp seborrheic dermatitis.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
1min 43sec home-news-image

How to treat symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis?

Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic papular and scaly superficial inflammatory skin disease that occurs in areas where sebum is secreted. It is often accompanied by varying degrees of itching and commonly affects areas with abundant sebaceous glands, such as the head, face, and trunk. The disease is chronic and may recur periodically. Treatment generally includes three aspects: Firstly, patients should be informed to maintain a regular lifestyle, get sufficient sleep, avoid various mechanical irritations, use less hot water and strongly alkaline soaps for bathing, and pay attention to their diet. They should try to reduce or limit the intake of polysaccharides, alcohol, and spicy foods, while consuming more vegetables and fruits. Secondly, topical medications are used, generally choosing formulations that contain corticosteroids and antifungal agents, such as compound miconazole and compound econazole. If the response is inadequate, calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus and pimecrolimus can be used. Zinc oxide ointment, boric acid and zinc oxide camphor ointment, and erythromycin ointment can be used when there are exuding erosions. If the scalp is affected, shampoos containing ketoconazole or selenium sulfide may be used. Thirdly, oral medication treatments typically include supplementation with B vitamins such as vitamin B2, B6, complex B vitamins, or zinc-containing formulations. For severe itching, antihistamines can be taken orally. Oral itraconazole may be used for fungal infections or widespread lesions. Tetracycline or erythromycin may be used for bacterial infections.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
51sec home-news-image

What is seborrheic dermatitis?

Seborrheic dermatitis, also known as seborrheic eczema, is a chronic, papular, scaly, superficial inflammatory skin disease that occurs in areas of sebaceous secretion. It commonly affects the head, face, chest, and back—areas rich in sebaceous glands—and is more frequently observed in adults and newborns. It may be accompanied by varying degrees of itching. The onset of this disease is generally believed to be related to increased sebum secretion or changes in its chemical composition. Additionally, colonization and infection by Malassezia yeast, as well as factors such as stress, diet, deficiency in B vitamins, and alcohol consumption, also variously influence the occurrence and development of the disease.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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How is seborrheic dermatitis formed?

Seborrheic dermatitis, also known as seborrheic eczema, is a chronic papular and scaly superficial inflammatory skin disease that occurs in areas where sebum is excessively secreted. It commonly affects areas rich in sebaceous glands such as the head, face, and trunk, and is more frequently seen in adults and newborns, often accompanied by itching of varying degrees. The exact cause of this disease is not completely understood; however, it is generally believed to be related to an increase in sebum secretion or changes in its chemical composition. Additionally, colonization and infection by Malassezia yeast play a certain role. Other factors such as mental stress, diet, deficiency in B vitamins, and alcohol abuse also influence the occurrence and progression of the disease to varying extents.

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Written by Huang Ling Juan
Dermatology
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Will seborrheic dermatitis recur?

Seborrheic dermatitis is likely to recur. In cases of seborrheic dermatitis, oily skin can easily lead to recurrence. Additionally, an inappropriate diet, often consisting of spicy, irritating food, as well as fried and greasy food, and habitual late nights, can also easily lead to recurrence. Therefore, when seborrheic dermatitis occurs, it’s essential to maintain a light diet, avoiding spicy and irritating foods, and seek treatment under the guidance of a doctor. For topical use, one can choose corticosteroid medications, typically choices include desonide ointment or hydrocortisone butyrate cream. For oral medications, options include Vitamin B6 or a B-complex vitamin. If itching is significant, it might also be necessary to combine treatment with antihistamine medications.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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What fruits to eat for seborrheic dermatitis?

Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic papular and scaly superficial inflammatory skin disease that occurs in areas of the skin where sebum is secreted, often accompanied by varying degrees of itching. The causes are generally believed to be related to increased sebum secretion or changes in its chemical composition, as well as colonization and infection by Malassezia. Other factors such as stress, diet, alcohol consumption, deficiency of B-complex vitamins, fatigue, emotional stress, infections, etc., can all influence the onset and development of the disease to varying degrees. Clinically, patients are advised to maintain regular life habits, ensure sufficient sleep, adjust their diet, limit polysaccharides and fats, avoid spicy and stimulating foods, avoid alcohol, and consume more vegetables and fruits. As for what types of fruits to eat, it is generally better to choose fruits rich in B-complex vitamins, such as tomatoes, bananas, grapes, kiwis, pears, walnuts, chestnuts, oranges, etc.