Seborrheic Dermatitis

I've mentioned seborrheic dermatitis (SD) on more than one occasion throughout this blog; this page condenses my research, experiences and findings in one place.

During the Flare-Up, I discovered a book that kicked off my belief that I may have been battling SD on my face as well as guttate psoriasis everywhere else. SD comes about as a result of excess Pityrosporum (Malassezia) yeast.

An anti-fungal approach to treatment is recommended; the aloe vera gel and jojoba/tea tree oil combo I incorporated did the job.

Between then and my tonsillectomy, it came and went a little. However, a more aggressive resurgence occurred during my post-op recovery. It was itchy in places and burned when I applied moisturiser.

 

Day 6 of tonsillectomy recovery 

A generic search of ‘red blotches nostrils upper lip’ took me to facial erythema and perioral dermatitis, though my symptoms most closely resembled seborrheic dermatitis. My scalp was also dry and flaky- another symptom of seborrheic dermatitis. I wasn’t quite sure what brought this on:

-A suppressed immune system due to the surgery?

-My parents’ dehumidifier making the house too dry?

-The break in my supplements?

-Bathing less frequently?

-Antibiotic use?

-Stress/tiredness caused by tonsillectomy pain?

 

I was only showering every other day during my recovery, which may have led to a build up of sebum- an oil that Malassezia feeds on. Since it was more intense than before, I tried to get in touch with my GP to ask for oral anti-fungals, anti-fungal shampoo and anti-fungal creams, but was unable to get through.

-Oral medication includes fluconazole and itraconazole.

-Anti-fungal (aka anti-yeast) shampoo contains ingredients such as zinc pyrthione, selenium sulfide, ketoconazole and propylene glycol.

-Topicals cover ciclopirox, clotrimazole; Daktarin (ketoconazole) and nystatin.

 

So, not for the first time, I took matters into my own hands...

Shampoo designed for oily hair/scalp is recommended. I went back to the trusty Superdrug Trichology range.

As for my face, I applied a one-part vinegar, two-part water mixture to red areas using a cotton swab that I rinsed off with lukewarm water after a few minutes. However, this didn't feel great. I also decided to give a salicylic acid cleanser a go, which was even worse. I washed my face with it before bed, and the stinging kept me up ALL NIGHT.

Never again!

 

When looking into natural remedies, I carried on applying aloe vera gel post-shower, but bought a new one that also contained tea tree. I was surprised to learn that Malassezia feeds on olive, coconut, jojoba and almond oil- the latter two being involved in my most recent night-time skincare routine. I replaced them with MCT oil (ensuring it only consisted of C8 and/or C10 since Malassezia feeds on C12- Lauric Acid). Oil-free and water-based moisturisers are recommended; despite containing apricot kernel oil, my colloidal oat cream still sounded fine.

My face looking much better after a few days of Aloe Vera with Tea Tree and MCT oil