Seborrheic eczema

definition

Seborrheic dermatitis, also known as seborrheic dermatitis, is a skin disorder that is associated with yellowish flaking and itching. It can occur at any age. There are different courses of the skin disease, which are generally to be regarded as completely harmless. There are acute and chronic courses, there are dry peeling skin and oily courses.
The main sites of seborrheic dermatitis are primarily the face and scalp. In the scalp area, seborrheic eczema is the most common cause of the presence of flakes of skin. This is primarily the dry, flaky form of seborrheic eczema.

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Causes of seborrheic eczema

The exact causes of seborrheic eczema are still largely unclear. However, there are some theories about how it came about. One theory is that the normal skin fungus Malassezia furfur can be responsible for the development of seborrheic dermatitis. Normally the skin fungus does not lead to any disease.

Under certain conditions, which, however, have not yet been researched, researchers suspect that the fungus could multiply and spread unnaturally frequently. The fact that seborrheic eczema occurs very frequently in the scalp area has made researchers think whether there might be a connection between the disease and the increased sebum glands on the skin. It is believed that there is an overproduction of the sebum glands on the skin. For what reason and what causes could be behind it is not known. An indication that the sebum glands could be involved in the disease is the fact that patients with Parkinson's syndrome also have a much higher incidence of seborrheic eczema and that Parkinson's disease has been proven to be of a disorder of the sebum glands.

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Another consideration is whether the male hormone testosterone could be to blame for the development of this skin disease. It is also suspected that the disease is more likely to break out in people whose immune systems are weakened. An above-average incidence can be observed in people with an immunodeficiency disease such as HIV or in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Stress can also play a role in the development of the disease that should not be underestimated. If that were the case, this would indicate that the autonomic nervous system is involved in the development of the skin disease.

Accompanying symptoms of seborrheic eczema

In addition to seborrheic eczema, some associated symptoms can also occur. Depending on the type of seborrheic eczema (dry or greasy), dandruff can either appear on the individual hair and the scalp, or, if it is the greasy variant, one that is too greasy Scalp and oily hair.

The annoying itching of the scalp, which often occurs, also has a not inconsiderable effect on the general well-being of the person concerned. This can lead to restlessness, irritability and even sleep disorders. If seborrheic eczema is associated with inflammation of the scalp, it can also lead to burning or pain in the scalp. In very rare cases, headaches can also occur.

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diagnosis

Often times, the diagnosis of seborrheic eczema is one Eye diagnosis. If this skin condition is suspected, a dermatologist should be seen who will examine the affected area more closely. If he sees the scaly changes that are typical for the disease, he will examine the rest of the body to see whether the skin is scaly and itchy in other areas as well.

There are several other skin conditions that have the same symptoms, but most of them appear in different parts of the body. That would be mentioned psoriasis, which is also known as psoriasis, and which Neurodermatitis. Both diseases can lead to scaly and reddish, inflammatory skin changes.

With psoriasis, however, most areas are affected on the upper body and on the arms and legs. The clinical picture is characterized by a strongly thickened and calloused skin surface in sharply defined areas. This skin begins to flake itself off, is always dry and flakes off. Atopic dermatitis can also have dry components. Your appearance is allergic conditional, the occurrence mostly in the Elbow crooks. Both of these alternative skin conditions can appear on the scalp in rarer cases. A corresponding distinction is therefore sometimes not that easy.

Where does sebarrhoeic eczema occur?

Seborrheic eczema on the face

It can also happen that seborrheic eczema does not spread to the scalp but to the facial area. The fact makes it probable that seborrhoeic dermatitis could be caused by sebum glands. Because in the area of ​​the facial skin there are a multitude of sebum-producing glands.

If seborrheic eczema occurs on the face, it is mostly on the area of ​​the face forehead, to the Cheeks and under the eyes. Corresponding eye areas can also swell. The appearance of seborrheic dermatitis on the face is similar to that on the scalp. For example, the skin of the face is flaky when it is infected, it can be red and itchy. In the case of severe infestation, swelling can also occur in the entire facial area.

It is also characteristic of seborrheic dermatitis that the affected areas are usually sharply demarcated. It can happen that several small, reddish, scaly and itchy areas (mostly rounded to oval) can appear on the forehead, under the eyes and on the cheeks. It is important to distinguish between one Neurodermatitiswhich can also occur in this area and which can look similar.

Seborrheic eczema on the scalp

In proportion, seborrheic eczema occurs much more frequently in the scalp area than in other areas. While the reason for this is not known, the theory that sebum glands participate in the Disease emergence could be responsible, but this could be confirmed. This is because there are a large number of sebum glands in the scalp area.

In the scalp area, seborrheic eczema leaves a very flaky scalp. Sometimes there are also disease courses in which there is a rather greasy and yellowish coated scalp. The reason why one and the other variant is expressed is not known. It can also be numerous Mixed images give in this disease. Different parts of the body can also be affected. Some people affected suffer from seborrheic eczema of the scalp and also of the face area and possibly even on a part of the body on the upper body or back. Very pronounced variants, where all skin areas of the body are affected, are relatively rare.

Treatment of seborrheic eczema

Therapy with ointment, cream and shampoo

Despite the currently still unknown cause of seborrheic dermatitis, various drugs have been developed which, if taken consistently, lead to very successful results.

The treatment approach includes three main points: a fungus control, an anti-inflammatory and a skin care variant. Often not all three points can be combined in one drug, so that it may be necessary to take different drugs depending on the severity. Due to the high relapse rate, the treatment is called Long term treatment to be carried out over several months.

In the case of moderate to severe infestation, substances such as ketoconazole or cotrimazole are used. These are available in special shampoos and should be used with every wash applied to the hair. If areas of the body other than the scalp are affected, there are also ointments containing these active ingredients that should be applied to the affected areas of the skin. If the scalp is slightly infected, you can do without a fungal medication for the time being. If the scalp is very greasy, drying shampoos such as dermowas or mineral salt shampoos should be used once a day.

In addition to the substances containing fungi, preparations containing tar, such as LCD 5% or ichthiol, can also be applied. There are other shampoos that are popular for treating seborrheic dermatitis, primarily because of their proven anti-inflammatory properties. Zinc or selenium disulfide containing shampoos should be mentioned here. If the scalp is severely affected, you can also consider applying cortisone-containing medication to the scalp for a short time. Shampoos with salicylic acid can also be used if the course of seborrheic dermatitis is very drying. The Salicylic acid Has the effect of exfoliating excess skin and thus promoting skin regeneration.

If skin areas on the body are affected, ointments are almost always used. Ketoconazole creams, Nizoral, and Batrafen creams did the job regular application brought good results. They should be applied regularly as a thin layer to the affected skin area on the face and body.

It may also be necessary to treat particularly pronounced occurrences of seborrheic dermatitis systemically, i.e. with tablets. Even if areas of the body previously treated with ointments or creams or shampoo do not heal to satisfaction, a treatment attempt with tablets should be carried out. On the one hand, cortisone-containing medicines are used and, on the other hand, fungal medicines can also be taken in tablet form. Also can use antibiotic drugs, like Tetracycline can be used. Decortin H is often used on cortisone. It is important that the starting dose should be reduced at regular intervals to prevent one from developing Habituation effect sets in the body.

In some cases, an accompanying UV treatment can also come into play and help the lesions heal more quickly.

Home remedies for seborrheic eczema

In addition to the numerous conventional medical treatment approaches alternative medicine Treatment options that have been passed on for many years. The main approach here is to treat dry skin, which also leads to flakes of skin in this context. Anything that makes the skin more moist can also be helpful in the treatment of seborrheic eczema and also prevent it.

Applications with Honey cures are often mentioned in this context. The honey is not applied to the scalp in its pure form, but a mixture made up of 90% pure bee honey and 10% water. Not the hair, but only the scalp should be coated with this solution and the absorption should be accelerated by slowly massaging. After about 2 hours, the solution should then be washed out. Treatment should be carried out once a day for a month and then once a week for 5 months. After 6 months, the affected areas of the inflamed skin should have disappeared and the risk of a new appearance should also have been significantly reduced.

In addition to the honey cure, there are other tinctures that are also regularly applied to the scalp and should then be washed off after about 20 minutes after gently massaging in. These tinctures consist of tea tree oil on the one hand and apple cider vinegar on the other. Apple cider vinegar should be diluted with water to reduce its irritating properties.

Certain types of tea are also said to have a healing effect on seborrheic dermatitis. Dandelion tea or horsetail tea, drunk regularly, should heal seborrheic eczema and also have a preventive effect against the development of new foci. When dieting should be one balance be careful with foods that are low in sugar and fat and the menu should include mostly whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruits. Sweets should be avoided completely or enjoyment should be severely restricted. Alcohol and nicotine should also be avoided as far as possible. The hair should be washed once a day with a nourishing and non-irritating shampoo to ensure that the flakes and sebum are removed from the scalp.

Risk of infection with seborrheic eczema

According to the latest knowledge, it is seborrheic eczema not infectious or transferable. Even if the skin fungus Malassezia furfur is primarily responsible for seborrheic eczema, the immune system has to keep this fungus in check, especially since this fungus can also be found on the skin of many people without triggering an illness.