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How to treat seborrheic dermatitis?

Posted , 5 users are following.

merva
merva

About 15 years ago the rashes on my ears and my private area were diagnosed as seborrheic dermatits.  The doctor just gave the condition name (so I have no idea what causes it), prescribed a steroid cream and told me to wash my hair with dandruff shampoo and apply a little of the suds to my ears and privates.  It was suppressed for just a few weeks and came back with a vengeance.  A few years after that I had switched doctors and mentioned the diagnosis to the new doctor.  She gave me some samples of a fungal cream.  That did nothing.

So I've been badly itching for 15 years.  Last year it spread to my face.  Three or four weeks ago it spread again to my chest and near my belly button, and my scalp started itching.  I have to get rid of this, I can't live with the itching and it erupting everywhere.

I Googled home treatments.  I started off with rubbing a dandruff shampoo directly on the ears like a lotion while showering as a test.  In a week my ears were much better.  So now, based on what Google said, I'm rubbing a dandruff shampoo on all affected areas like a lotion, then washing my hair with the same shampoo, rinsing it off and taking a second dandruff shampoo with a different active ingredient and doing the same.  Then twice a day I'm using athlete's foot cream and cortisone on the affected areas and itchy areas on the scalp.

Is there any more I can be doing?  I really need to get rid of this stuff.

I'm not wasting my money to go back to the doctor because they failed me twice with this rash and because lately all doctors want to do is tell you the home remedies for symptom relief rather than dig out the prescription pad.  No point in spending the copay and 2 hours at the doctor's office if all the doctor is going to do is say that Google was right.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest merva

    Posted

    Hi merva, I had a similar problem and had been suffering with an itchy, inflamed, and flaky skin and scalp for years.  I got diagnosed with seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) but the standard remedies prescribed by the dermatologists (antifungal creams, antifungal shampoo, topical cortico-steroids) did not seem to work.

    Then I found out that on top  of SD I also had a contact allergy which meant that I was allergic to most shampoos (even the prescribed ones) and some of the creams. My skin finally recovered after I started using only products and medication that I was not allergic to.

    With the above in mind, I would recommend that you switch to a very mild shampoo (for example a sulfate free one) and start using Head and Shoulders conditioner to treat your SD. The conditioner can be used on the body, face, ears, and your groin area. It is not as harsh as the shampoo and will work better if you leave in on for a few good minutes before rinsing it off.

    You might find this post useful:

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/flaky-face-and-scalp-for-10-years-advice--560898

     

     

  • Carolineq8
    Carolineq8 merva

    Posted

    My brother suffers really bad and i bought him a big jar of organic coconut oil from one of the cheaper stores and it has improved greatly, shop around for it as it can be pricey, good luck 😊

  • hopesohigh07
    hopesohigh07 merva

    Posted

    There are a few things you can try.

    First, I'd stop using the steroid cram as your skin can actually develop a dependency to it, which will only make the condition come back with a vengeance.

    My second suggestion is a medicated shampoo, such as Neutrogena T\gel or T\sal. One is a tar based shampoo, and one has salicylic acid. The tar shampoo works wonders for my daughter.

    There is also a stronger shampoo called nizoral. You can get it over the counter or a stronger one with prescription.

    Last suggestion is tea tree oil. It acts as both antifungal and antibacterial. It wan either be added into your shampoo, combined with another oil like olive or coconut for a hot oil treatments, or simply diluted with water and sprayed directly onto the scalp.

    I would suggest using both the tea tree oil and medicated shampoo.

    The shampoo you only use a few times a week, with your regular shampoo the rest of the time.

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