I was amazed to learn how common the scalp issue of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis is which also happen to be the same disease on opposite spectrums.
The organism responsible for seborrheic dermatitis, the more extreme of the two diseases is malassezia.
In this video I share the topical treatments and a simple regimen a man or woman with very dry hair can follow in order to combat seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff.
Topical Treatment of Seborrheic Dermatitis and Dandruff
The easiest way to begin treating the issue is to purchase shampoos with the active ingredients of ketoconazole, pyrithione zinc and selenium sulfide.
For more extreme seborrheic dermatitis issues, one might consider using a tar shampoo or one with salicylic acid. It should be noted that these shampoos in general can be very harsh on hair.
Some shampoos to consider that have the active ingredients above:
In the video I recommend staying away from most vegetable oils that have a heavy unsaturated fatty acids make-up (like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid AKA oleic and linoleic acid) because they contribute to the symptoms found in the disease.
A list of the oils that might be best for you to stay away from are:
Olive oil
Grapeseed oil
Wheatgerm Oil
Soybean Oil
Almond Oil
Sunflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Some oils that may actually help contribute to healing (or at least not contribute so directly to the issue) are:
Coconut oil
Neem Oil
Jojoba Oil
Mineral Oil
There are a bunch of Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff fighting essential oils. Some are tea tree oil, rosemary oil, citronella, lavender, patchouli and so many others.
Here is a treatment that you might appreciate because its smell is not offensive.
What you’ll need:
Glass bottle
Glass dropper
Measuring spoon
Ingredients:
4 tbs pharmaceutical grade mineral oil
32 drops lavender oil
28 drops orange oil
16 drops patchouli oil
Instructions:
Stir all ingredients together until it’s a homogenous mixture. Apply to scalp everyday or whenever you need some smell good seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff relief.
Internal treatment of seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff
Of course you can’t think about treating yeast without doing so holistically. Consider these tips:
Minimizing your sugar intake
Eating more probiotic laden foods
Boosting your immune system with supplements like vitamin c
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. These are simply suggestions and ideas for treating seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. Use this advice at your own risk. Please see a professional when it comes to diagnosing a disease and finding treatments for your specific case.
Sources:
Effective medications for seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff here.
How malasezzia promotes seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff here.
How unsaturated fats, especially oleic acid produces the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff here.
Some essential oils that are anti-fungals here, here and here.
Transcript
Hey ladies! This is Cass from cassandrebeccai.com where I show you how to manage your afro textured hair. Today I’m coming at you with a whole series on common scalp disorders that women face today.
I’m gonna be talking about combating and treating dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. If you want to know how to treat these things and how to go about eliminating them or minimizing them then definitely stay tuned.
Dandruff is characterized by white flakes, gray flakes or small flakes. You don’t tend to experience a lot of inflammation with dandruff but there is some itching. Some people don’t feel it itching, some people do!
With seborrheic dermatitis, however; it looks different. First, the scaling is larger; it’s yellowish, it’s greasier feeling also. Seborrheic dermatitis includes more itching and there’s inflammation yeast or fungus behind dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis is called malassezia.
Malassezia is very interesting; because what it actually does is it kind of breaks down and feeds off of the sebum on our scalps that our scalps produce and when it feeds off of that it creates free fatty acids, specifically unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid and linoleic acid. What I found to be very interesting through my research is that oleic and linoleic acids act to produce the symptoms that we see.
Generally, dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis are treated using topical medications and shampoo. If you go to a doctor, they might prescribe something like the 2% ketoconazole shampoo but you can find one over the counter by the name of Nizoral that one is only 1% ketoconazole. The next medication that tends to help in combating dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis is the pyrithone zinc and that can be found in head and shoulders shampoo which is super cheap. You can find the next medication; selenium sulfide in something like selsun blue.
The other products that I think are really helpful in fungus fighting; have a fungus fighting agents are essential oils like tea tree, rosemary, lavender, citronella, patchouli, orange oil. There are a bunch, ladies, that are really helpful in taking care of these issues.
First, I would definitely go ahead and use a ketoconazole base shampoo; a product that has that at least once a week but in the case of, say, someone with afro textured hair, definitely put a bunch of conditioner on your hair and then while the conditioner is on your hair, use the shampoo on your scalp. This will kind of mitigate any effects of the dryness at the shampoo might have on your hair. Then after you wash out the product I would put in an essential oil mix that has tea tree oil and peppermint oil in it.
My recommended recipe for that would be 4 tablespoons of jojoba oil or mineral oil and 32 drops of tea tree oil and 28 drops of peppermint oil. I would do that every day until you see the symptoms of the dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis go down.
I also have another recipe on my website that includes lavender oil and pack patchouli oil and orange oil which are really great at helping with dandruff and they smell nice too. So go check on cassandrebeccai.com for that particular recipe.
Ladies! If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer. Remember, I am not a dermatologist, I’m not a doctor. I’ve just been studying up on it and I really want to offer some good information to you guys.
So leave your comments below and I’ll do my best to answer you right away and I hope to see you soon bye.
6 Comments
Crystal
on 08/04/2016 at 6:25 pm
I just want to thank you for your research. I have been trying to figure this out for years and just always thought it was eczema, but noticed that none of the eczema products really worked for my extreme dandruff. I researched seborrheic dermatitis, and this is exactly what I have. I get it on my face and the back of my ears and ofcourse my scalp. I found awhile back that when ever i used products with olive oil, my scalp would burn and itch and i would get flare ups around the top of my hairline. So I stopped using those product and thought it was an allergic reaction. But anyway, this was so helpful, and although there is no cure for this, i have a better understanding of it, and hopfully can control it better.
Crystal, thanks for your comment. I know what you mean about thinking it was something else. I hope you can find more relief with this info (I’m also in process of linking to my research for more info). Someone commented under the video that her symptoms really got better when she changed up her diet by minimizing sugars and adding probiotic foods. Thanks again for commenting and I hope you get much more relief in the coming weeks!
I suffered from seborrheic dermatitis for YEARS. I was able to control the flaking aspect of it with Pantene anti-dandruff shampoo for women of color. I discovered that getting rid of the flakes got rid of the occasional facial flare ups altogether. My issues responded best to pyrithione zinc but that only stopped the dandruff-like flakes, not the horrendous itching. Unfortunately, it took me so long to find a solution because I was so stubborn about transitioning to natural (#naturalishard). With the help of your site and others like it, I made the transition with minimal trouble and no longer suffer from seborrheic dermatitis! I know that’s not the solution for everyone (some sufferers are already naturals) but relaxers were not my friends and didn’t want good things for me lol. And I so wasn’t here for the cornflakes-looking dandruff and the OMGIWANNASHAVEMYHEADTOSCRATCHBETTER itching. Everything you said was right on the money as far as what I experienced and what remedies worked best so I’m sure any sufferers that read this post will find something that works for them. Thanks for providing such well-researched info!
HA! This comment was so good. Thanks for telling me your story. I am so glad you shared what worked for you because I know someone else will be enlightened as I was. Looking forward to your next comment!
Thank you for bringing this topic up. Unfortunately, sebohoerric dermatitis and scalp eczema are conditions that can be managed with a combination of medication and natural remedies. I have this condition since childhood and rocked my natural locs because of it. Before, during and after treatment (medically speaking) often results in a loss of hair in low lying areas and breakage. Over the years, I have cut my hair and even had a big chop and shave. Here are some additional tips for chronic sufferers:
– DO NOT chemically process your hair (ie. Permanent Hair Straightening, Perms, Relaxers, Texturizers). The chemicals actually worsen the condition and increases hair breakage.
– As soon as you see red patches and/or yellow scales. SEEK TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY. The sooner you treat the condition, the less it spreads over the scalp and even all over the body.
– When in emission use oil for DESCALING ONLY. Avoid products with oils until your scalp in remission.
– Don’t scratch. It is tempting, but the scratch and itch cycle damages the scalp.
– For lubrication and moisture, silicones are your friend, I know some naturals will hurl stones at me, your irritated scalp will thank you while being treated. Avoid hair products containing alcohol- it is drying and an irritant.
– Hair colour freaks: Hold the dye until your scalp is in remission
– For those who wear hair extensions, use human hair only. Prewash synthetic hair extensions before use to prevent irritation. Do not keep extensions in hair longer than three weeks.
– If needed to wash hair on a regular basis, follow with conditioner.leave-in conditioner and topical medicated cream/foam to avoid “shredder hair”
– Once in remission, follow-up with a medicated treatment every three months. Seasonal changes can also trigger the condition.
– Find products formulated for dandruff, scalp eczema and psoriasis for scalp and hair as well as sensitive scalp. You could also ask your derm and trich for product recommendations
– Keep in touch with a dermatologist and tricologist for inspection, progress and change in treatment. Let them know your hair growth goals. You can still grow your hair 😀
– Watch your stress levels. High stress levels can also trigger the condition.
– Watch your diet. You should be eating healthily anyway. Cut back on the junk and have your guilty pleasures in moderation. For some, consider an elimination diet.
– Educate yourself through your derm, trich and support groups for eczema and psoriasis
I just want to thank you for your research. I have been trying to figure this out for years and just always thought it was eczema, but noticed that none of the eczema products really worked for my extreme dandruff. I researched seborrheic dermatitis, and this is exactly what I have. I get it on my face and the back of my ears and ofcourse my scalp. I found awhile back that when ever i used products with olive oil, my scalp would burn and itch and i would get flare ups around the top of my hairline. So I stopped using those product and thought it was an allergic reaction. But anyway, this was so helpful, and although there is no cure for this, i have a better understanding of it, and hopfully can control it better.
Crystal, thanks for your comment. I know what you mean about thinking it was something else. I hope you can find more relief with this info (I’m also in process of linking to my research for more info). Someone commented under the video that her symptoms really got better when she changed up her diet by minimizing sugars and adding probiotic foods. Thanks again for commenting and I hope you get much more relief in the coming weeks!
I suffered from seborrheic dermatitis for YEARS. I was able to control the flaking aspect of it with Pantene anti-dandruff shampoo for women of color. I discovered that getting rid of the flakes got rid of the occasional facial flare ups altogether. My issues responded best to pyrithione zinc but that only stopped the dandruff-like flakes, not the horrendous itching. Unfortunately, it took me so long to find a solution because I was so stubborn about transitioning to natural (#naturalishard). With the help of your site and others like it, I made the transition with minimal trouble and no longer suffer from seborrheic dermatitis! I know that’s not the solution for everyone (some sufferers are already naturals) but relaxers were not my friends and didn’t want good things for me lol. And I so wasn’t here for the cornflakes-looking dandruff and the OMGIWANNASHAVEMYHEADTOSCRATCHBETTER itching. Everything you said was right on the money as far as what I experienced and what remedies worked best so I’m sure any sufferers that read this post will find something that works for them. Thanks for providing such well-researched info!
HA! This comment was so good. Thanks for telling me your story. I am so glad you shared what worked for you because I know someone else will be enlightened as I was. Looking forward to your next comment!
Thank you for bringing this topic up. Unfortunately, sebohoerric dermatitis and scalp eczema are conditions that can be managed with a combination of medication and natural remedies. I have this condition since childhood and rocked my natural locs because of it. Before, during and after treatment (medically speaking) often results in a loss of hair in low lying areas and breakage. Over the years, I have cut my hair and even had a big chop and shave. Here are some additional tips for chronic sufferers:
– DO NOT chemically process your hair (ie. Permanent Hair Straightening, Perms, Relaxers, Texturizers). The chemicals actually worsen the condition and increases hair breakage.
– As soon as you see red patches and/or yellow scales. SEEK TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY. The sooner you treat the condition, the less it spreads over the scalp and even all over the body.
– When in emission use oil for DESCALING ONLY. Avoid products with oils until your scalp in remission.
– Don’t scratch. It is tempting, but the scratch and itch cycle damages the scalp.
– For lubrication and moisture, silicones are your friend, I know some naturals will hurl stones at me, your irritated scalp will thank you while being treated. Avoid hair products containing alcohol- it is drying and an irritant.
– Hair colour freaks: Hold the dye until your scalp is in remission
– For those who wear hair extensions, use human hair only. Prewash synthetic hair extensions before use to prevent irritation. Do not keep extensions in hair longer than three weeks.
– If needed to wash hair on a regular basis, follow with conditioner.leave-in conditioner and topical medicated cream/foam to avoid “shredder hair”
– Once in remission, follow-up with a medicated treatment every three months. Seasonal changes can also trigger the condition.
– Find products formulated for dandruff, scalp eczema and psoriasis for scalp and hair as well as sensitive scalp. You could also ask your derm and trich for product recommendations
– Keep in touch with a dermatologist and tricologist for inspection, progress and change in treatment. Let them know your hair growth goals. You can still grow your hair 😀
– Watch your stress levels. High stress levels can also trigger the condition.
– Watch your diet. You should be eating healthily anyway. Cut back on the junk and have your guilty pleasures in moderation. For some, consider an elimination diet.
– Educate yourself through your derm, trich and support groups for eczema and psoriasis
Amazing info! Thanks!