Seborrheic dermatitis is a deadly disease!! Well, not really. It is not as hard to understand as it may seem. Check out what this confusing medical term really stands for!!
Seborrheic dermatitis! You don’t think you know what it means? We all know what it means. We just know it as ‘dandruff’. Basically, it is a condition that causes flaking of the skin. It ordinarily affects the scalp. It is known to cause oiliness or dryness, flaking and itchiness. Now, that seems to be familiar, right? But, it does not just affect the scalp; it can also affects the face, chest, the creases of the groin, arms and legs. So, let’s take a look at its causes, symptoms and treatment.
I am sure you are wondering, if it is as ‘common’ as you think. Yes, it is a very normal condition. Although, it’s not only seen more often in men than in women, it’s also worse too (guess, now we know who buys more anti-dandruff shampoo in the house!). In fact, newborn babies also suffer from this ‘horrible, terrible’ condition. But for them, it is known by a more appropriate name ‘cradle crap’!
Causes
The exact causes are still unknown. Although, there are many who believe that a yeast Malassezia furfur could be one of the culprits. The other accused are genetic, environmental, hormonal and immune-related factors. In children, an excessive intake of vitamin A has been known to cause this dermatitis. Keeping away from nutritional elements like biotin, pyridoxine and riboflavin can also lead to a call from the flaky monster.
Symptoms
The next obvious question would be regarding symptoms. You must have already guessed a few, like itchiness, flaky scalp, greasiness of the skin. Since, there are more places where this can occur, there are a couple of more symptoms that could be visible (keep an eye out for them actually), like scales (mostly yellow or white) attached to the hair shaft, small reddish brown bumps, soreness, redness and greasiness of skin along with patchy flaking.
Treatment
The most well-known treatment, is the use of ‘dermatologist recommended shampoos’. These would contain coal tar, ciclopiroxolamine, ketoconazole, selenium sulfide or zinc pyrithione. Although, if the infection is severe, one could opt for more serious treatments, like application of water-soluble ointments containing vitamin B6.
One can also opt for zinc, biotin, B-complex and flaxseed oil supplements. That would help create the nutritional balance, giving the body the required strength to fight the ‘monster’. A secret: When you apply an anti-dandruff shampoo on your scalp, let it stay for about 5 minutes. That will give it more time to work, and hence, ensure better results.
Hair is considered as the crown of an individual. In fact, several cultures believe that the quality of a person’s hair mirrors the quality of their lives. Simply because, if one can take care of their hair, they can definitely take care of themselves otherwise also. In India, hair is the key to a woman’s beauty.
It used to be considered uncultured to have very short or not good quality hair. When persecuted, women used to be tonsured, in order to torment them further. If so much of literature, personality and psychology (obviously!) is connected to the top of a person’s head. So, keep in mind all that you have read in this article. You never know, when you might need to use it.
