Seborrheic dermatitis, a type of skin condition that most often causes facial dryness and scalp itchiness, affects about 6 million children and adults in the U.S. It can be tricky to recognize or diagnose seborrheic dermatitis because the skin reactions it triggers mimic those caused by similar conditions like psoriasis, other forms of eczema or even allergic reactions.
Like many other conditions caused by abnormal immune responses, patients tend to experience on-and-0ff intervals of seborrheic dermatitis symptoms. This means most have episodes of skin reactions suddenly flaring up and then periods when they go away. Patients with dermatitis have reported that outbreaks are triggered by factors like: (1)
- Trauma, emotional stress or depression
- Fatigue and lack of sleep
- Exposure to damp or dry conditions in the home and/or workplace, such as excessive air-conditioning
- Systemic infections
- Use of certain medications
- Other immune-disrupting factors
Chronic skin diseases can result in a diminished quality of life and emotional distress, especially if they get out of hand. (2) If you or a loved one are struggling with this condition, read on to find out what you can do to change your situation for the better.
What Is Seborrheic Dermatitis?
Seborrheic dermatitis is defined as a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory skin condition characterized by erythema and skin flaking. It’s actually a form of eczema and is also known as seborrheic eczema. It usually causes symptoms like itching, skin dryness or oiliness, and other common changes in skin texture, such as scalp dandruff. Unlike many people assume, seborrheic dermatitis is not contagious.
In dermatology terms, patients will “develop symmetrical, well demarcated, dull or yellowish red patches and plaques with overlying adherent, yellowish greasy scales.” Symptoms most often appear on areas of the skin that normally have high concentrations of sebaceous glands (read: oily skin areas). The parts of the body most likely to develop itch and other symptoms are: (3)
- Face — dryness and redness usually form on the forehead near the skin folds, eyebrows and front hairline
- Scalp — dandruff is regarded as a mild, noninflammatory form of seborrheic dermatitis. More than half of patients with this condition develop symptoms on the scalp.
- Ears
- Upper chest
- Back
- Near the neck or collarbone
- Any body fold, such as near the groin
There is no known cure for seborrheic dermatitis to date. However, by managing the underlying causes with natural means, you may be able to reduce or reverse the symptoms permanently. However, most people do experience flare-ups throughout their lifetime.
Seborrheic Dermatitis Signs & Symptoms
Something that makes seborrheic dermatitis unique is that it can cause both extra skin dryness and oiliness. In fact, surprisingly, oily skin is one of the most frequent causes of dandruff. It sometimes also contributes to other skin irritations (like infections or acne). Seborrheic dermatitis is marked by red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales, making it different from conditions like psoriasis.
The most common signs and symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis are:(4)
- Scaly patches and dandruff forming on the scalp. Dandruff is usually “stubborn” and doesn’t respond well even to over-the-counter products like dandruff shampoos or oily treatments. Sometimes, rash-like lesions form on the scalp that can range from mildly itchy to brownish crusts and cause the skin to stick to the hair.
- Red skin that’s sensitive and very dry. Irritated seborrheic dermatitis can cause very dry skin to become yellow or pink in certain areas.
- Extra dryness and flaking in areas of the skin that fold or that are usually oily, including the “T-zone” of the face (the area covering the nose, chin and forehead), upper chest and back.
- Skin peeling called erythema, which sometimes appears as macules (a discolored patch of skin ) or plaques with dry white or moist oily scales. Even when skin peels, papules or pustules are not very common.
- It’s possible for secondary bacterial infections to occur if bacteria proliferates inside dry patches or openings of the skin.
This condition also affects a high percentage of infants (around 70 percent) and sometimes children. In fact, cradle cap is one type of seborrheic dermatitis, which affects a baby’s scalp.Seborrheic dermatitis can also develop in the diaper area of infants and is sometimes mistaken for diaper rash. (5)
In infants, the condition generally resolves by age 3 or 4 months. But children with untreated food allergies can sometimes continue to show symptoms for years. (6)
Another time period when seborrheic dermatitis tends to develop is during puberty, when hormone shifts can affect the glands of the skin and oil production. Dermatitis prevalence increases again in adults over the age of 50.
Comments
Post a Comment