★★★★★
I've had SD for about 9 months now and over the last 6 weeks have really gotten it under control to where it's not noticeable. My symptoms got extremely bad (months 5-7) - very red / flaky face & chest and bad dandruff. I was really bummed when ACV didn't work for me as that seems to be the cure for so many others (ACV and hydrogen peroxide did a great job removing flakes on my scalp but neither helped facial or chest redness etc.).
I've been doing numerous things to help the condition so it's hard to point to one thing as 'the cure' but if I had to I would probably list dandelion as helping the most. I've detailed my current regimen below (note: I went ~5 weeks no meat, no dairy, no wheat, no sweets and saw a bit of improvement but things really started improving when I added in other supplements & products):
Diet ('Shakes' & 'Meals')
Shakes: Plant based protein powder, chia seeds, flaxseed. Usually breakfast and throughout the day if hungry.
Meals: Vegetables (Broccoli, caulifower, carrots, squash, onion etc.) eaten with hummus (usually melt non-dairy cheese on top for flavor), sometimes I'll add small portion of ahi tuna.
I was a big meat eater and have a huge sweet tooth so it's been tough but those items aren't worth a bright red face to me. Diet is probably pretty extreme, I'm starting to add back items and see how they affect my condition.
Supplements:
Dandelion: Mine is root, leaf and flower. Take 40 drops 2-3 times a day between meals (Brand: herb pharm).
Glutamine: Right when I wake up I drink a glass of water, wait 15 mins, take serving of glutamine and don't eat for 20-30 mins. I don't know how big of an impact glutamine has had, I read it worked for someone else so I've been doing it.
Enzymes: Taken with every meal (Brand: garden of life).
Multi-vitamin: Taken as directed (garden of life).
Probiotic: Taken as directed (garden of life).
Green superfood drinks: I drink occasionally (Brand: amazing grass).
Omega-3's: Just started taking this once a day (Brand: Ovega-3).
Skin Products:
Soap: Dandruff shampoo bar (Brand: round tree organics)
Shampoo: Burdock & neem healthy scalp shampoo (Brand: 100% pure)
Conditioner: Burdock & neem healthy scalp conditioner (Brand: 100% pure)
I used to shower twice a day, now I only shower at night. Make sure to really rub in the shampoo using fingertips & nails, may notice some hairloss at first but it would have fallen out anyways.
Face: Calcium bentonite detox clay powder. Use 2 nights a week. (Brand: living clay)
Face: Facial seborrheic dermatitis lotion stick. Applied in morning and at night. (Brand: derm-essentials)
Scalp: Oil for SD from derm-essentials. After I shower at night I mix with a small bit of coconut oil and apply to scalp / hair. (Brand: derm-essentials)
Scalp: In the morning I quickly rinse hair and apply a SMALL bit of coconut oil and may reapply throughout the day.
Some of these products are exclusive to the brand, others it probably doesn't matter what brand you use.
General lifestyle: I make an effort to sit in the sun each day even if for only 10-15 minutes and I also workout regularly (Male, age 27).
Borage Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Thanks in anticipation.
EC: Hi, you'll find information about Apple Cider Vinegar with the 'mother' here: https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/acvinegar.html
Borage Oil
★★★★★
Baking Soda and Water
★★★★★
But this alkaline method did it in 3 days. I put a 1/4 teaspoon in half a glass of water first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and in three days, no more flare ups. Thank God.
Lotrimin
★★★★★
In researching the condition on the internet, I believed I had sebhorrheic dermatitis. I read that this can be caused by a yeast called Pityrosporum ovale. I had a old tube of clotrimazole left over from a treatment of a vaginal yeast infection. I began to use it immediately, rubbing it into my skin, particularly between the eyebrows.
To my surprise, the rough skin and scaly patches were gone by morning. I picked up a generic version of Lotrimin the next day because the tube was nearly empty. I intend to continue this treatment for at least 2 or 3 weeks. I want to make sure that this yeast is dead.
Even if this cure is not permanent (although I hope that it is), at least I have something to fight this with!
Baking Soda and Water
Apple Cider Vinegar
Put a towel on, tip your head back. You may be allergic, it sounds as though it is 'burning' you.
You, MAY get better results with distilled, WHITE vinegar, instead of ACV.
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★☆☆
BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
to make a story short, been with S/D for more than 10 years. Tried a lot of things to get rid of it.
I will post a more detailed entry later. After reading this site, I bought ACV with the mother and applied 20 mn ago with a 1:1 ratio (ACV / bottled water). The results seem to be here already concerning the flaking, but when I finished applying it I realized parts of my face were red. The excess mixture of ACV and water ran down my face for a while, while I was applying it on my hair.
My face feels hot on the red parts. Any ideas what may have caused this, and will it last?
Those two links are pics of the red zones on my face right now.
http://tinypic.com/r/2yuy29y/8
I will post a more detailed history and results later.
Kimchi & Other Remedies
In addition to causing scalp issues, it can infect the melanocytes of the skin (sometimes causing white hypopigmentation spots, burning, or itching), the ears (hearing issues), and the eyes (blurry vision).
Overgrowth occurs when conditions favor Malassezia growth over its microbial competitors. Such conditions include prolonged use of antibiotics, use of antifungals to which it is not susceptible, steroids or other immunosuppressants, medications which increase blood lipids; diets high in vegetable oils & animal fats, alcohol (with the possible exceptions of dry red wine and beer).
The best way to get it under control is to take both topics and internal measures that inhibit its growth and add "good flora" that keeps it in check. And to avoid the things that help it grow, when you can.
Some ideas include:
- Kimchi: kimchi is a fermented vegetable product full of "good bacteria" like lactobacilli. Buy the medium spicy kind (available at Whole Foods or elsewhere). Strain it and spray the juice on your scalp. Leave on for several hours or overnight. Repeat for several days or as needed. Eat the remaining part of the kimchi, some each day. This helps build competing flora.
- Increase your intake of veggies that are high in sulfur (so long as you tolerate them ok). These include: onions, garlic, asparagus, hoarseradish (esp. potent), broccoli & other brassica veggies. Also include ginger (antifungal properties).
- Minimize vegetable oils in your diet, including olive oil. Choose lean meats and low-fat dairy to minimize animal fats.
- Sourdough is possibly the best choice in the bread category, because it contains lactobacilli in add'n to some bread yeast. The lactobacilli ("good bacteria") are what give it the sour taste. Get it fresh from a bakery that doesn't use additives and keep it in the freezer.
- If possible, buy your food at farmer's markets rather than supermarkets. Food at the supermarket is almost by definition lacking in good flora. They use additives and irradiation to extend the shelf life. Fresh food from the farmer's market is more nutritious, and it contains live enzymes and more flora. Be sure to choose meat/dairy that were not given antibiotics or homones, as these promote the growth of fungi.
- Include some seafood and seaweed in your diet.
- Eat more fresh herbs and spices ... packed full of good stuff for you, delicious and flavorful, AND they help inhibit the growth of microorganisms.
Topical measures like shampoos can provide temporary relief of symptoms but since they don't affect Malassezia organisms that can be underneath the surface of the skin or scalp, they aren't getting at the root of the problem.
★★★★★
Bit of background, early 20's male with Seb Derm originally in one eye brow as flaky skin (i didn't know what it was) but it ultimately spread to either side of my nose, forehead, and parts of beard.
Tried many things; at first it was emoillients (moisturising to the extreme), then I self prescribed Ketoconazole (Nizoral cream). The initial treatment stopped the flaking, but was 5% still red and not very pleasant to apply twice daily. The cream then (after 1 year) appeared to stop being as effectively recently.
Then I tried ACV - applied nothing else but Bragg directly to the skin and drank it twice a day minimum. With nothing else - this started to work after about a week and the results were fantastic.
Unfortunately I ran out of the stuff for about 4 days, and the redness has returned slightly but so far so good - very impressed!
★★★★★
In the past, I had tried sulfur soaps, anti-fungal creams, antibiotic rounds of minocycline (2 rounds of 6 months! Prescribed by my dermatologist! ) before finding the earth clinic's suggestion. Nothing has worked better! And, nothing has been cheaper and done less harm to my body!
My seborrheic dermatitis and perioral dermatitis is best managed (notice: I did not say cured) by keeping what I put on my face to a minimum- eliminating most makeup, cleansers, lotions, sunscreens. I only use what I absolutely need. My routine is to wash my face in the morning and at night with a mild cleanser (currently "Desert Essence Gentle Nourishing Organic Cleanser") and then splash the ACV/water/tea tree oil combo on after. I don't use a moisturizer every day but when my face feels dry, I lightly pat my face with a drop of extra virgin organic olive oil (from Trader Joes).
For me, this treatment has worked like a charm. I notice my skin gets triggered/I get a flare up with sweaty skin (after a workout), too much sun, or when I use too many products on my face. So, I keep this in mind and know what to do to keep my symptoms at Bay and what to do when I get a flare up!
I hope this helps people reading this because when my flare ups were at their worst, I didn't think anything was going to help.
Remember: Less is MORE!
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
My first night I used pure ACV, no dilution. I didn't have Braggs with "the mother" on hand, but thought it was worth a shot. I applied with a spray bottle and let sit for 30 minutes. I washed it out and my hair/scalp looked great! I'd say 90% was gone.
I then purchased the Braggs ACV and tried a 1:1 dilution. This time I put my hair up (it is long) prior to the ACV treatment so the rest of my hair wouldn't soak up the ACV/make a mess. This was much better! I also applied with an eye-dropper which was more precise than the spray. I let it sit for 30-45 minutes then rinse/shampoo after.
After this second round SD was 95% gone. Within 2 more treatments I haven't seen any major flakes or had any flare ups! A few tiny flakes here and there but nothing like before (where my whole scalp basically came off). With the ACV I used an all natural coconut shampoo, but I have also used Pantene afterward and it was fine.
I was so excited by my results I had my dad try the ACV on his facial SD. He has been using a variety of washes/topicals for years and within 3 days of applying ACV with a cotton swab his SD is gone as well!
Bottom line- give it a try! This experience has really turned me off from traditional medications, not that I was a big fan before. Regular ACV and Braggs both worked, but I am sticking with Braggs because more people seem to recommend it.
D vitamin: from sunshine (20 minutes every day is enough) or from tablets 10.000 IU per day.
Eat lots of fish.
Flowers of Sulphur, Cream of Tarter, Honey
Flowers of Sulphur, Cream of Tarter, Honey
Scalp Cure Remedies
You may also want to consider adding some lavendar oil to your scalp treatment (1 part lavender oil to 4 parts tea tree oil) to aid in disinfecting, healing, hair growth, and calming itching. And also eat/ingest a few teaspoons of coconut oil per day, it really helps to get it working from the inside out as well!
And just in case you need extra help; a topical nutrient "Selenium sulfate" (doctor perscribed in the USA) often works like a miracle! Good Luck!
Scalp Cure Remedies
★★★★★
Every time I would shower I would get into a panic because I was losing more and more hair just trying to get all of the crust off of my scalp. I went from having a nice thick pony tail you you could barely get in a band to a pony tail that was as thin as my pinky.
Every time I panicked it seemed to get worse. I finally had enough. I shaved my head. I don't advocate that anyone else do this but I had it on more than 50% of my scalp and felt like I had no choice. I wanted to get my scalp cleared up for good.
I had my husband shave my head on Thursday 8/7 and as of now, 8/10, I have no more flakes. Right after he shaved my head I used denorex which softened up a lot of the flaking on my scalp. I used a very fine toothed comb to get rid of as many of the flakes that I could. Then I used apple cider vinegar to scrub my scalp which helped to loosen up even more of the scales. I also went outside and got some sunlight on the scalp.
Thursday night I made a mixture 2 TBSP each of EV olive oil, EV coconut oil, castor oil and tea tree oil. I applied it to my scalp and covered my head with a plastic cap, put a towel on my pillow and went to sleep. In the morning I was able to get much more of the scaling off of my scalp. I did it again Friday night and this morning I was able to get all of the rest of the scales off.
I still have some bumps and some red spots but not a single scale. The last 2 days I have been able to wear dark shirts and not have any flakes falling out. I will continue to do the oil overnight until the red spots and the few bumps I have are gone and maybe even longer because there are some sparse spots where the flaking and scaling were the worst.
At the moment I apply ACV with the mother to my scalp 2 times a day. I am also using EV coconut oil twice a day. I leave it on for about a half hour and then wash it off. When my scalp is feeling itchy or irritated, I wash it with Yardley oatmeal and almond soap and that seems to help for a while. If the soap doesn't help, the tea tree oil does help with the itching.
I hope this can help some of you. For me it was better to shave my head than to continue to agonize constantly over hair loss from removing the flakes. On the upside, I can see my hair growing already so I know I won't be bald forever.
★★★★★
Thanks for all your posts as it has helped me a lot! :)
I have been suffering from severe Seborrheic Dermatitis on my face for over a year. Nizoral cream (anti fungal) from the doctor has helped but not as much as I would like.
I tried ACV 1:1 with water last week. I apply it at night with a cotton pad after washing my face with warm water and leave it on. The following morning I wash my face with water again and reapply ACV.
Results have been fantastic, no more flaking, very little redness and normal skin. It does smell for around 5 minutes after application, however this is a very small trade off for clear skin.
Thanks all and good luck!
CD
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide
★★★★★
I have gotten rid of the seb. completely in my face and still working on the scalp. The H2O2 does not burn skin unaffected by the yeast although I have found that some areas infected by the yeast can be unaffected by it. I can not recommend this aggressive treatment for others because it is painful and can burn badly (like a bad sunburn) on spots where the yeast is dense. But I offer it as an example that H2O2 is good against seborrheic dermatitis caused by malessazia yeast.
First it attacks the yeast only, not surrounding skin and secondly, the byproducts are H2O, O2 and heat...sometimes very hot indeed! So maybe in smaller doses preventatively and apparently not in combination with vinegar either (see post above in the acv and h202 section)! Furthermore, I do not use anything else on my skin to moisturize it, no oils or creams. I wash with sea salt water and Resdan shampoo occasionally. I expect to move to a maintenance program involving diminished H2O2 combined with the same cleansing regime.
Ted's Remedies
Apple Cider Vinegar
Thanks
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Friends try it but use organic apple cider vinegar. I wants everyone to be free from stress and wants to see smile on their face.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Adding water doesn't make it alkaline, it just dilutes it. It will still be acidic. You dilute it to avoid skin irritation and possible hair damage.
Flowers of Sulphur, Cream of Tarter, Honey
★★★★★
Seborrheic Dermatitis Remedies
★★★★★
