What is seborrhea?

What is seborrhea?

Seborrhea is not just skin dryness. Actually, the word "seborrhea" means "too much oil." Seborrhea is also known as seborrheic dermatitis or common dandruff.

Seborrhea can present as a variety of conditions such as dandruff, thick scales on the scalp, redness on the face or in the armpits, or raw, red patches below the breasts. Although some of these conditions may feel "dry," moisturizing only makes them redder. In other cases the skin may seem oily or even oily and dry at the same time.

Seborrhea is a skin disorder that results from neither too little moisture nor too much oil. It is a form of skin inflammation (dermatitis) which has no known cause. This condition can appear at any time from infancy to old age, and can come and go more or less at random. Treatment of seborrhea is directed at fighting the skin inflammation. This is done either directly, by using cortisone-based creams and lotions (which reduce inflammation), or by reducing the yeast that builds up on scaly areas and adds to the problem. Note, though, that seborrhea is not a yeast infection.

What doesn't help seborrhea?

Moisturizing--Moisturizing lotions don't do much more than smooth out scales and make patches look redder.
Switching brands of shampoo--Shampoo doesn't cause seborrhea. However, medicated shampoos (see below) can help.
Changing hair care routines -- There is no "right" shampoo or conditioner. There isn't even a "correct" number of times to shampoo per week; it depends on how old you are and what country you come from. (To people from other parts of the world, Americans wash like maniacs; to Americans the others . . . well, never mind!) And hair dye does not cause or aggravate seborrhea.
Switching antiperspirants -- When underarms are red from seborrhea, almost anything will make them redder, including antiperspirants, even though the are only aggravating the seborrhea and not causing it. Almost every antiperspirant on the market contains the same active ingredient, aluminum chlorohydrate, or a related compound.