Seborrheic Dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common, red, scaly rash that you will mostly see on your head, face, and upper trunk. There are ill defined, red, to salmon pink patches with a greasy looking scale that sometimes crusts in parts of the skin that is rich in oil glands. This could be thought of as an inflamed type of dandruff. In dandruff of the scalp, the skin is not inflamed. Infants have scalp involvement in what is known as cradle cap as well as oily looking scale in the skin’s folds.

Who Gets Seborrheic Dermatitis?

There is an adult as well as an infant form of this condition, and it affects about 2-5% of the population. The baby form is seen in the first three months of life, while the adult form is seen mostly between the ages of 30-60 years.

A type of this condition is often seen in those who have HIV disease as well, it is very common in neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease. It is more common in people who are obese, and in those with rosacea and perhaps acne. There are a greater number of people living in cold dry climates who suffer from it.

Where Is Seborrheic Dermatitis Found?

You may see the rash on your face, scalp, central chest, armpit, and occasionally on the groin area. On your face you may see it on, and in between your eyebrows, the sides of your nose, behind and inside your ears, as well as in the beard area (for men). You may also experience redness, scaling, and discomfort on your eyelids (blepharitis).

In the infantile form, it is found on the scalp and the folds of the neck, armpits, and the diaper area. It is rare for this condition to spread and become generalized over the whole body. In childhood there is a rare condition called Leiner’s disease where there is an all-over seborrheic like rash associated with anemia, gastrointestinal symptoms (that is nausea, vomiting, and diahrerhea), and bacterial infections.

What Causes Seborrheic Dermatitis?

There are probably many factors, a central feature in about half of the people who have this is an increase in Pityrosporum yeasts on the involved skin. For some individuals, their skin becomes more oily. Stress can worsen seborrheic dermatitis, and some drugs such as cimetidine and gold may also be risk factors.

How Does It Affect You?

Seborrheic dermatitis can be itchy, the redness and scale can be unsightly, and scale from the scalp can embarrassingly fall and be visible on clothes covering the shoulders.

Frequently Asked Questions:

This is a chronic condition that may vary in severity. It can be controlled but usually not cured. In infants the rash lasts for a couple of months.

No, infant seborrheic dermatitis does not increase the chances of developing this as an adult.

No, seborrheic dermatitis is not infectious so you did not pick it up, nor can you give it to any one else.

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