Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin condition that affects a person’s scalp. It causes scaly patches, reddened skin, and stubborn dandruff. It could also affect the oily areas of one’s body like the face, sides of the nose, eyebrows, eyelids, and chest. Sometimes, it may go away without treatment, and at other times, an individual may require repeated treatments before the symptoms start fading away. There is also a possibility of recurrence. Daily cleansing with soap and shampoo can help reduce the oiliness and buildup of dead skin cells. It is essential to know the symptoms of this condition to get an accurate diagnosis.

Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis

• Skin flakes on a person’s eye, hair, eyebrows, and even beard and mustache.
• Patches of greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales or crust on the scalp, face, sides of the nose, eyebrows, chest, armpits, groin, and the area under the breasts.
• Reddened skin with severe itching is another sign of this condition. These signs and symptoms will become severe if an individual gets stressed.
• People also tend to face flareups in the cold and dry seasons.

Causes of seborrheic dermatitis
The real cause of seborrheic dermatitis is not yet known to doctors, but they do know of the factors that may lead to this condition.

• Psychiatric and neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and depression could cause this condition.
• If a person has a weak immune system due to factors such as undergoing an organ transplant, having HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), or suffering from alcoholic pancreatitis, then they are more likely to develop this condition. Some forms of cancer can also lead to this condition. Overall, one can say that an irregular response of the immune system can cause this condition.
• A yeast called Malassezia present in the oil secretion of the skin can cause seborrheic dermatitis.
• People recovering from stressful medical conditions, such as heart attacks, may be prone to this disease. Some medications could also cause a severe form of seborrheic dermatitis.
• An individual’s genes also play a role in determining how likely they are to suffer from this condition.
• Cold and dry weather could also lead to this disease.
• Newborns have a higher chance of developing seborrheic dermatitis.
• Some other causes of this condition are alcoholism, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, rosacea, psoriasis, acne, or even AIDS.

A doctor can determine whether one has this disease by examining their skin. Sometimes they may scrape off some skin cells and send the sample for biopsy to rule out conditions with symptoms which are quite similar to this disease.

Seborrheic dermatitis can be treated with antifungal products, corticosteroid lotions, prescription-strength medicated shampoos, and sulfur products. For the best results, one can try a combination of treatments including medications and lifestyle changes. It is essential for people with this condition to work with their doctors for better and faster results.