Friday, August 23, 2013

How to(ACTUALLY)Cure Seborrheic Dermatitis

 Hello again everyone! It's been a while. I just got back on Tuesday night from my anniversary trip to Universal Studios Orlando. We had a wonderful time there at the resort and visiting both parks. I even got a little bit of a tan and the rides at the parks were amazing! Islands of Adventure was my favorite. But, on to the topic at hand!

 Seborrheic dermatitis is a condition more commonly known as dandruff. Most often it will effect the scalp and hairline but it can also occur anywhere that you have oil glands(face, chest, arms, etc). This is because the true culprit behind Seb. D. is a tiny fungus called malassezia globosa. Now don't freak out and try to scrub your scalp with dish soap. This fungus is present on all humans and is part of our natural flora. It only becomes a problem when there is an overabundance of it. It disrupts our cells normal renewal cycle and causes it to accelerate rapidly leading to little white flakes of dead skin appearing(aka dandruff). So how do we stop the fungus from growing?

 It's important to recognize that even this microscopic bad boy needs to eat. What does he eat? Oil. More particularly your oil. Our oil glands produce what is called sebum and is a normal part of our skins acid mantel which protects our skin from bacteria and other foreign substances. Sebum is Latin for 'fat' and is made up of wax, triglycerides, and fatty acids. This poses a problem. Because, the more oil our skin(scalp in this case)produces the more food the fungus has to eat and therefore the more it grows(disrupting the cell cycle and causing flaking/dandruff).

 The natural reaction to hearing this is to wash your hair every single day to rinse out the oils so the fungus can't feed and grow. And, this is what many shampoo companies will tell you. Unfortunately, if you do that you will never be rid of Seb. D. and you will be fighting it for the rest of your life. Here's why...

 By now you are at the end of your rope, am I right? You've tried Head & Shoulders, Selsun Blue, T-Gel, Denorex, and several others and nothing has worked permanently for you. I completely understand and believe me when I say that I have been there. A few months ago I had a really bad flare up that spread onto my forehead, around my eyes, and on my chin. It was redder than a fire truck and itched like crazy even forming rough little bumps and, of course, flaking profusely. There is a huge problem in each one of these shampoos mentioned. They all contain harsh chemicals similar to or the same as you would find in dish detergent. I know you have heard a million times in various magazines/online not to over-wash your oily skin or it will have the opposite effect and kick your oil glands into overdrive. This is because your skin is smart. It knows when it has been stripped clean of it's natural acid mantel and needs to produce more sebum to compensate. The only trouble with this is that when this happens your skin has a strong tendency to OVERcompensate. Thus feeding the ever present fungus.

 To get rid of Seb. D it is vital to note that your scalp is a part of your skin and needs to be treated with the same delicate care as your face. For example, after we cleanse our face we don't just leave it dry. We apply a moisturizer in place of our natural oils so that the skin can repair itself and be protected. Our scalp is the same way. It needs to maintain a certain balance of oil levels and have that constant fatty acid mantel to protect itself. If we strip all of that away frequently with harsh shampoos then our skin on our scalp is just going to react by over-producing sebum and feeding the fungus until again we have flakes forming and red, irritated skin. So, how can we avoid this then?

 Since the oil stripping chemicals are the main problem we need to avoid using any shampoo that contains them. These include but are not limited to: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Ammonia(Laureth)Sulfate, and Sodium Myreth Sulphate. The fungus is always going to be there in some amount because it is a natural part of human flora so our focus should not be killing the fungus but to treat what is feeding the fungus so that it's levels will naturally taper off on their own. Reducing the fungus population by normalizing oil levels and repairing the acid mantel will let your cell renewal cycle return to normal and stop the flaking.

 Another, thing you should avoid is using piping hot water. This can also strip oils from the hair. Try to use at most luke warm water but it's better to use cold. If you can't resist a hot shower try to avoid getting your head under the hot water. Point your shower head lower or get one of the ones that detach into a handheld sprayer.

 Try not to wash your hair as often since washing too often even with a sulfate free shampoo can disturb your scalps balance. At most wash it every other day. It should take 2 weeks to repair the irritation and restore balance to the skin. If you have any bad flare ups try using apple cider vinegar as a rinse in the shower. Allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes(the acid creates an inhospitable environment for the fungus >:-] )before rinsing. If this does not work try using a normal shampoo that contains selenium sulfide. It must be selenium sulfide since pyrithione zinc or coal tar will not kill the fungus. At first you will find that it will be a little worse. Your hair will be quite oily and flaky. But you have to give it time so that your skin can have time to see that it doesn't have to over-produce oil anymore.

 Back in the early to mid 1900s people only washed their hair every ten days and didn't put nearly the amount of products in it. This is because leaving the appropriate amount of natural sebum in your hair makes your locks shiny and healthy. It protects against an irritated scalp and prevents split ends by giving the oils your skin produces a chance to make it all the way there. Shampoos and frequent washing were only made popular in the 1970s by the propaganda and marketing of the companies who produced them. Nowadays about 2/3 of Earth's population suffer from Seb. D. because of this. So shampoo less often, with less chemicals, and cooler water. It's what your body expects and it will thank you for it.

 This same principle works for your skin anywhere else on your body. Try to avoid harsh cleansers and taking too hot of a shower if you have this condition elsewhere on your body. Also make sure to get your probiotics in, as these fight fungus. I like the Silk Dairy-free Soy Yogurts myself since I am lactose intolerant. And, if you will be adding in some probiotics make sure that you get plenty of fiber since that's what probiotics eat. Eating foods with fresh garlic and vinegar is also very good to fight fungus from the inside out. One last tip is that when you shampoo massage gently with your fingertips(no nails!)and leave the shampoo in for 5 minutes.

 I sincerely hope that this helps at least one person out there who is having to deal with this condition. I know from experience what a strong effect it can have on your self-esteem. Let me know if you would like a post with some product recommendations. I have a BB cream review coming up next so don't miss out! Subscribe by e-mail. It's free and you'll make my whole week = ). Have a great day everyone!

23 comments:

  1. I've found a great solution for harsh sore seborrhoeic dermatitis though it's rather embarrassing to buy.. I found that sudocrem.. exfoliation and even simple 'hypoallergenic' moisturisers infuriated my case until I was limited for choice in my local asda skincare aisle after a particularly bad break out of my skin disorder where I stumbled across "nspa mum to be soothing nipple balm" absolutely fabulous!! The embarrassment at the checkout was most definitely worth it!!!

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    Replies
    1. Really? Does it help with the tiny bumps too? It's probably lanolin based, right? Where can I get it from? I'm looking for an alternative to the steroid lotion my doctor prescribed(as mine is hormonal in nature).

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    2. I had bad sebderm flare ups on my face. I used the treatment provided by sebdermcure.com and it worked. I'm finally free of seborrheic dermatitis!

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  2. I'm going to give this a try. Its just that my hair gets oily so quickly and my dandruff is actually oil-based it seems. I feel bad since i just used dish soap on it this morning thinking that would work. I'm so desperate to get rid of my seborrheic dermatitis and I'm trying to avoid going to the dermatologist, as this is costly. I go school though and I feel like not washing my hair everyday at first is really going to be embarrassing around people.

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    Replies
    1. Hello maddheart96,

      I recommend cute hats. Also search the web for hairstyles for 2nd day hair or for dirty hair. A bit of translucent powder can be a girls best friend when your hair is transitioning. Also, it's not that you can't ever use shampoo. Maybe just restrict it to a once a month deep clean with something containing selenium sulfide(Head and Shoulders Medicated or Selsun Blue)to cut down on the malassezia population. Or, once a week at most.

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    2. here's an example
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67N3-_NryQc

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  3. I am also suffering from the same problem form last 6-7 years. Recently i have change few things in my daily lifestyle.

    1- Eating yoghurt(dahi)
    2- eating grinded Alsi Seeds daily every morning empty stomach with water (2-3 table spoons)
    3- avoiding foods that increase internal body tempreature for example- meat, chicken , eggs (*i know its difficult still i am trying)
    4- i used to go gym daily aand do intense workout i stopped doing it.
    5 - i am also drinking probiotic drinks(yakult) twice a day
    6- taking herbal or organic supplements ti increase immunity

    u can try this it helped me to some extent

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment, Sandeep. I am actually already a vegan(I eat no meat or dairy)and take supplements and eat/drink as many fermented probiotic foods as possible. It helps to some extent but because mine is triggered by hormones it can only be managed and never cured :(

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  4. Hi I've been suffering just over a year with SD on around my noes and in a bad flare up eye brows as well, and being using steroids to control which as actually made it worst! but in the last week I've been using Derma spray made by Salcura I got a free sample from them and it's been great still really early day's but will keep you all up dated.

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  5. Vitamin D topically on the skin is great for seb derm!

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  6. A very good overall summary. You're very knowledgeable when it comes to seborrheic dermatitis causes and treatment. I also have a great resource you might want to check out with regards to seb derm. You can find more: http://sebdermrelief.com

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  7. A very good overall summary. You're very knowledgeable when it comes to seborrheic dermatitis causes and treatment. I also have a great resource you might want to check out with regards to seb derm. You can find more: http://sebdermrelief.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. @joyPniewaz, which brand did you took and which item of that brand probiotic? thanks!

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  10. I have been suffering from oily scalp sunce 2013. Whenever I wash my hair, the oils starts to come back after 5mins of washing hair. It then makes my hair vert very sticky and causes hairfall. The sebum is very thick hard like a glue. I have even tried washing my hair without shampoo n only with water, then also the same thing happens. I now wash my hair once a week but no change. Water and humidity and heat makes it worse. Please help

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  11. what shampoos do you recommend that don't have all the harmful stuff listed? (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Ammonia(Laureth)Sulfate, and Sodium Myreth Sulphate

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  12. Thanks for your great presentation and i like your post so much: SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS

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  13. I had dandruff for more than 7 years, which I tried to get rid off by using normal shampoos like Head&Shoulders etc. It never occurred to me that the persistent dandruff and itching could be a symptom of an underlying cause. Now, when it dawned on me that I have a disease which is responsible for the flaky skin on my scalp and side of my nose I quickly started googling for the treatment etc. I wasn't really sure what I had. dermatitis, eczema, tinea etc were some of the guesses. First, the doctor gave me corticosteroid. Needless to say, it didn't cure me. Then I tried Nizral which is 2% ketoconazole shampoo. I had high expectations for it, but alas, it didn't work either. Finally, my dad recommended me the Candid shampoo. Here is the link https://www.amazon.com/Glenmark-Treatment-Dandruff-Versicolo-Suspension/dp/B01K4UU8O8/ref=pd_rhf_cr_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F7V9H69Y0JD0MVVZJXVJ I used Candid after every 3 days and it cured all the dandruff and flaky skin on my nose in a month. If you have the same problems I highly recommend you to try this shampoo once.
    I don't know if this information is helpful but I will write it anyway. I have oily skin. I lived in areas with very hot and humid climate. My symptoms were flaky skin on scalp and side of nose. My scalp used to itch a lot when I was outside in hot weather and sunlight.

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    ReplyDelete
  15. I have this condition and have had since childhood. After menopause it became more severe requiring steroid cream around my eyes which was not good. I visited a naturopath at my wits end. He took me off every enjoyable food under the sun which eventually cleared my skin and then gradually introduced foods back into my diet. If there was a flare up, I removed it from my diet altogether. I have been free of SD for over five years, only experiencing symptoms when I eat the wrong foods. In my case, although triggered by stress, the underlying predisposition was eating foods I could not tolerate.

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  16. Here's an example.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67N3-_NryQc

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  17. My daughter gets severe seborrheic dermatitis on the folds of her nose. Dermalmd psoriasis serum helps control it.`

    ReplyDelete

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