Seborrheic Dermatitis, will it EVER go away?? Please help

[bdbino]

Hi everyone. I developed seb dem about a month ago and it is driving me nuts!!It is all over in essentially all the spots that it apparently can occur. It is all over my scalp, the typical spots on the face, my back, stomach, ears, neck, under my breasts, even my arms and legs have some red bumps. It itches like crazy sometimes too, especially at the end of the day. If I skip a day of showering or even just wait too long for my shower my skin just feels gross, almost waxy. I get this waxy/oily feeling when it is wet in the shower too and the water just kind of beads up on it.

I have always had VERY sensitive skin, prone to allergic reactions, rashes. In addition to seb dem I also have peri-oral dermatitis (though my flare ups are rare now and have become much milder) and dyshidrosis (an eczema of the hands, judging by pics of other sufferers I got off easy but I never would have thought so)

I have been using Neutrogena T/sal shampoo and T/gel conditioner. The first 2 days I used them and it was soooo much better! Once it cleared up I started using a regular shampoo a few times and just doing the T/sal every few days per the package instructions but this was no good. It came back so I had to back to using the T/sal daily. So basically it is not too bad as long as I take a shower every 20 hours or so, use the special shampoo, and am not too active (it is much worse if I am active, sweating, etc. this does NOT fit my lifestyle) Oh, on my face I use Neutrogena acne wash with salycilic acid twice a day and in between I rince my face with cool water and blot dry, it seems to help cut down the oil.

So my question is: how long will I have to do this?! It's exhausting being so vigilant and I am so uncomfortable if I slip at all. I was under the impression that there are periods of dormancy and periods of flares but I have had a month long flare, when will it end!

Thanks for listening

[shantelle]

Heya

SD thrives with any oil/moisture/heat/warmth. It is also incredibly hard to get under control, so unless you attack it head-on using multiple anti-fungal avenues (external, internal, low sugar/low yeast/low starch diet etc) and commit to a long-term regimine, it is unlikely to improve much.

First thing that I want to ask is if a Derm has officially diagnosed it as SD? It is unusual for one to be affected in so many different places, and perhaps there needs to be further investigation to ensure diagnosis is correct and/or yeast is or is not affecting you systemically. These days, blood tests and fungal swabs can be taken to help identify yeast/fungal strains affecting your body.

As your skin is sensitive I would not recommend the Neutrogena cleanser you mention. I have sensitve skin and the salycilic acid irritates the living out of it even though it does it's job reducing oil. Look for a gentler cleanser- ask your Derm or Pharmacist for advice here. There are also skin care product reviews on this forum. Another option is looking into SD fighting cleanser DermaDoctor Born to be Mild (avail online) used for the face and body.

But if the anti-dandruff/sd fighting shampoo and conditioner work then why not use it daily... or switch to Heads n Shoulders with anti-fungal Zinc Pyrithrine in it which people uses daily without problem.

Yes, absolutely, if you are prone to SD then daily bathing is crucial in regulating/reducing skin oils for which SD thrives in. I.E. It cannot flourish very easilly in dry conditons (like other fungal infections).

If you conduct a keywords forum search you will find alot of info on Seb Derm for which you will find helpful in your path to getting SD under control.

Keep us updated..

Best wishes, Shantelle

[bdbino]

Heya

SD thrives with any oil/moisture/heat/warmth. It is also incredibly hard to get under control, so unless you attack it head-on using multiple anti-fungal avenues (external, internal, low sugar/low yeast/low starch diet etc) and commit to a long-term regimine, it is unlikely to improve much.

First thing that I want to ask is if a Derm has officially diagnosed it as SD? It is unusual for one to be affected in so many different places, and perhaps there needs to be further investigation to ensure diagnosis is correct and/or yeast is or is not affecting you systemically. These days, blood tests and fungal swabs can be taken to help identify yeast/fungal strains affecting your body.

Thank you for replying with so much helpful information! It was diagnosed by a GP, he said he was very familiar with the condition and was confident in his diagnosis. He was "impressed" by how widespread my symptoms were/are but he said it is not unheard of, though it is not the norm. All the places I have it are the places SD likes to be, it is just that most people only get affected in a few of them rather than ALL of them, guess I'm just lucky.

Thanks for the advice about the facial cleanser, I will look into getting a different one (practically a PhD research project because of all the things I need to/should avoid, lol)

I have no problem with having to use the T/sal or something similar everyday, it is just the fact that it is just barely keeping it at bay, as I said even 24 hours between showers leaves me feeling greasy I don't want to over shower because I imagine that is not good either, but should I shower twice a day??

Again, thank you so much for your response, this has been very hard for me and it is taking some adjusting to come to accept the fact that this is my life now

[Wildscenery]

I have seb derm in the same places as you do, not under my breasts thought as i am a man, ive got some on my chest though. Face,scalp,behind ears,chest and groin are the places i usually get it