This seems like a never ending battle, not life threatening but extremely debilitating!

Hi Patrick,

Sorry to hear about your condition, which also affected me in a very similar way on the legs for 20 years. The oozing, inflammation, and scaling prevented my hair from growing back on the affected areas during that time. Thanks to a 6 month treatment with oral St. John's Wort Extract, I have now been completely cured for over 3 years.

Doctors cannot help you at the time because the science behind the disease is only in its infancy and has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, but here is what I found out and you can also easily read about with a few keystrokes in your search engine:

Researchers now believe there are 2 main factors behind dermatitis:

1) A loss of impermeability of the skin caused by either environmental or genetic factors. Usually, this happens because the keratinocytes that make up your skin's protection do not proliferate or differentiate properly.

2) Because your skin has become permeable, it allows external pathogens to colonize it, much like parasites. Usually, the main offender is the common but antibiotic-resistant strain of Staphylococcus Aureus.

To read more about this, simply type "Eczema and Staphylococcus Aureus what's the connection?" in your search engine.

There are many natural substances that can help combat Staphylococcus Aureus on your skin surface: Aloe Vera, Comfrey, Calendula, Turmeric, and St. John's Wort, among many others, You may have already read that patients suffering from various skin ailments have found relief by using creams containing these compounds. Results vary from person to person.

As for St. John's Wort, researchers believe that it can also help repair skin abrasions by stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes. For centuries, St. John's Wort had been used to treat minor skin abrasions and burns. Today, it is widely used to help combat depression and anxiety but science is starting to uncover the reasons why it may also be very helpful against skin disease. There have been small-scale clinical trials that have proven the efficiency of a SJW cream against eczema - just type: "St-John's Wort Eczema Clinical Trial" in your search engine and you should find a few links to read more about this.

I am just an anecdote so my success story does not prove anything, but I do know that after 6 weeks of treatment with oral SJW, most of my oozing, inflammation and scaling were gone. After 6 months, the long-term scarring from 20 years of combat with the disease had dissappeared. New skin and new hair were present and have remained since then... I am disease-free!

I can't promise you anything because each person is unique and science is incomplete. Additionally, some people have or can develop allergies to any substance. Some people can also experience interactions when taking natural substances along with other medication, and SJW is known to produce such interactions. But I do hope that this info may guide you and that if you wish to experiment, you will either find relief or a cure with time in your personal case. I believe patience is an important key.

Good luck,

Greg.

Hi patrickV, for years I have suffered from a similar condition affecting mainly my scalp and eyebrows. The skin would go through two phases. In the first, my scalp would feel tight and dry like the outer skin of an onion. After that rather large flakes, that stick to the skin would form. In the second phase, the skin would become red and inflamed and very itchy. Scratching and removing the flakes would make everything worse as the wounds would weep a clear liquid.

After many visits to dermatologists and allergy tests, I was left none the wiser. Strangely, medicated shampoos aggravated the condition. One morning I found that the area around my mouth looked like burn marks. After comparing the ingredients of my toothpaste and my shampoo I found one common ingredient: sodium lauryl sulfate. Later, I found out that I am allergic to sulfonated fatty acids that are used in many foaming and degreasing products from shampoo to liquid soap, toothpaste, and even dishwashing soap. 

After sourcing an SLS free shampoo the itching stopped almost instantly after washing my hair. It hardly took more than a week and the scales disappeared as well. 

After so many years of skin problems, I am sure you have been tested for common allergies. 

Even if you are not allergic to SLS I would recommend the use of the mildest shampoo, shaving cream, and soap that you can find. Harsh cleaning products can contribute to increasing the permeability of your skin. Like greg7350 mentioned above, this can lead to a reduced ability of the skin to defend itself against environmental factors like microorganisms (and/or harmful chemicals).  

The following remedies have helped me throughout the years to treat and prevent a flare-up of my dermatitis. They all have antibacterial and antifungal properties. 

1) To remove flakes you could try a medicated shampoo called Ceanel. It has descaling properties and it used for the management of psoriasis and seborrhoeic dermatitis. It is very different from P&S lotion and clears flakes rather well.  

2) You could try Propolis spray. I use a 10 percent solution in ethanol. It leaves a thin layer of resin on your skin that acts as a barrier and promotes healing and reduces itching. Some people are allergic to bee products so if you want to try this I would recommend using it on a small area first.  For me, this has been the best treatment option. 

3) Another thing you can try is zinc pyrithione spray.