Seborrheic dermatitis

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition characterized by red, scaly, greasy patches, and dandruff. It primarily affects sebum-gland rich areas of the skin, including the scalp, face, and trunk. The exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis is unknown, but it's believed to involve a variety of genetic and environmental factors.

Symptoms[edit | edit source]

The most common symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis include:

  • Redness
  • Greasy, swollen skin
  • White or yellowish crusty scales
  • Flakes (dandruff) on your scalp, hair, eyebrows, beard or mustache
  • Patches of greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales or crust on the scalp, face, sides of the nose, eyebrows, ears, eyelids, chest, armpits, groin area or under the breasts
  • Red, itchy rash

Causes[edit | edit source]

The exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis is unknown. However, it's believed to be due to a combination of an overproduction of skin oil (sebum) and irritation from a yeast called Malassezia. Other risk factors include:

  • Neurologic and psychiatric conditions, such as Parkinson's disease and depression
  • A weakened immune system
  • Recovery from stressful medical conditions, such as a heart attack
  • Certain medications
  • Cold, dry weather

Treatment[edit | edit source]

Treatment for seborrheic dermatitis focuses on loosening scale, reducing inflammation and swelling, and curbing itch. This may include:

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Seborrheic dermatitis Resources
Wikipedia
WikiMD
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD

Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Let Food Be Thy Medicine
Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD