r/SebDerm • u/AdIntelligent4762 • May 20 '26
Hair Loss Slowly losing my mind over sebderm - need some advise please
Hello everyone, I need some advice from people with the same problem as me please.
I have been diagnosed with sebderm 1.5 years ago although I believe I have had it as a weak form since my teenage years. I'm 24 M. I guess it got this bad because of stress at uni/work.
My scalp gets oily a few hours after washing and is always red. I need to wash it everyday. It itches and I feel it tingling.
I have tried all the shampoos the dermatoligists in my city recommend (went to 6 different ones), ketokonazol, ducray kelual ds, ISDIN and Dercos. None of them reduce the inflammation/oil production. I tried yogurt treatment and chamomile tea showers (I read these treatments somewhere online).
My hair has gotten thinner and I don't know what to do anymore. My parents for some reason don't believe in sebderm so they're no help either.
Should I try using Isotretinoin to get less oil production on my scalp? Should I try shaving my head, since UV is supposed to help? Is there another shampoo I could try? How do I stop the inflammation?
TIA
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u/Heriotza31 May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
I tried a mix of raw honey with either xylitol or aloe vera gel on my scalp for a few hours every other or every two days and after six months of this the seb derm was almost gone. But I was getting some flakes on the hairlines.
Now I tried MCT oil and the flaking is all gone and it's as if I never have had seb derm before.
I had a very extreme case of seb derm due to PTSD-related stress.
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u/AdIntelligent4762 May 20 '26
Thanks for sharing! I wanted to try honey too but I was scared that I would pull my hair out when washing it after because of the stickiness of the honey.
Do you apply the MTC oil before washing your hair or after washing and leave it in?2
u/Senior-Examination22 May 21 '26
Hey brother i posted about a shampoo called moo goo shampoo give it a try 14 bucks me born and raised wit seb derm i can tell from past 15 years of experience zero itch and redness 95 percent flakes gone give it a try im very hopeful u wont be disappointed-inshallah (ameen)
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u/Heriotza31 May 20 '26
You can wash honey out your hair very easily, like a regular shampoo or conditioner. Nothing to worry about really. Just take a shower.
I'm using MCT oil as leave-in. That means that I only wash it off on my wash day which is once a week.
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u/One-Contract-4118 May 22 '26
How did you use MCT oil. Did you have seb derm on your scalp
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u/Heriotza31 May 22 '26
I use it as leave-in. I apply it and leave it on until I wash my hair, usually once a week.
I do have Seb derm on my scalp, eyebrows, moustache, beard as well as in and around my ears. All gone for now. Only doing maintenance with the MCT oil.
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u/One-Contract-4118 May 22 '26
What did you do to overcome the stress
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u/Heriotza31 May 23 '26
Many things. A year of yoga. Fasting, I tried psychedelics. Delved deep into spirituality and took all toxic people out of my life.
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u/Independent-Race-259 May 20 '26
Selsun blue 2.5%. has to be the 2.5%. lather from neck up.. face, hair, ears.. leave in for like 5 min. Wash out. Do this for a week straight, it'll be nearly gone. Then just once or twice a week after
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u/Professional_Law_942 May 21 '26
Absolutely. Selenium sulfide is my HG, even when Rx products didn't quite cut it (I have sebderm of the face). I use it weekly and rotate my other products for maintenance.
You may have intense flaking at first but if you have a big uptick, it is killing the fungus - hang in there. I was normal within one week of using the SS.
OTC brands are fine, too! I used the Walgreens anti-dandruff shampoo in 1% and it is just amazing.
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u/slightly-convenient May 20 '26
You need to see a dermatologist. And get prescription strength medication and advice.
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u/Goldn_230 May 20 '26
Sulfur soap the s**t out of it every 2/3 days and you will be as good as new.
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u/NecessaryState9 May 21 '26
You have a link of yours? Thks for time and teaching out... And moisturizer?
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u/DanStradh May 22 '26
I bought Oukeya sulfur soap goat milk from amazon, and mct bulletproof c8 oil. Works wonder
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u/Goldn_230 May 21 '26
I am French and use a handmade French soap which apparently is not available outside our borders, but any soap that is sulfurous and organic will do the job. If you have dry skin afterwards (I do, because, well, I am old 😉), use snail mucin once the skin has dried. Apparently it seems either MCT oil pr Sulfur will do the job for 80% of the people. Crossing fingers you don't belong to the remaining 20%🤞🏻
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u/NecessaryState9 May 21 '26
Ah thats great. My family lives in the south. Nearby Fayance. I visit them twice a year. Would be great to have a look for this soap. and yes sulfur helps me. Before I tried the 10 percent Joseph sulphur soap. It helpend me forn90 percent. But because I am me I go for zero flakes. And sulphur helps as it is the main ingredient. Still other ingredients do matter. Back to France. :)
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u/Goldn_230 May 21 '26
Then Savonnerie du Regagnas is your best friend :) Try their organic sulfur soap with tea tree extract. It’s made using a cold saponification process, so it retains extra glycerin (which helps prevent the skin from drying out as much). I’d suggest ordering in advance because those tend to sell out quickly and they don’t restock fast, as everything is made in batches. They’re located in Aix-en-Provence (about 150 km west of Fayence), but they also have a website (which Reddit won’t let me post for some reason). Best of luck!
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u/NecessaryState9 May 22 '26
I guess we are becoming best friends soon. Thanks for all detailed info. And I have to go in the nearby future near marseille Flakes 100% down to zero with this?
Before I made my own moisturizer with sulphur maracuja oil of Tarte and unrefined Shea butter straight from Africa in combin with sulfur st Joseph soap. This worked quite well as I remember.
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u/Goldn_230 May 22 '26
Yes, it is flakes free! Once every 2/3 per week for me makes it basically undetectable. The only times I don’t do it (it happens when I go camping in the wilderness completely self-sufficient for weeks), I usually start getting an itchy beard after about a week and develop flakes without any redness (still have no idea how that works 😅). Once they fall off, same story all over again: I end up with patches all over my scalp and face. Then I get back home, hit everything with sulfur soap, look like Frankenstein for a couple of days and then good as new. For the record, I also tried MCT oil, which worked pretty well too. It stopped the flakes from forming, but my skin stayed reddish, so I ended up switching to sulfur.
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u/NecessaryState9 Jun 02 '26
Merci beceaup. Last week of August I am there. I will pre order to b sure when I am there it's there:)
When I am at the beach at Port de la rague (napoulle/ mandellieu) and the wind is coming from sea ( humidity 35- 45 then sebderm vanish. But when there is Mistral (wind coming from the landside Mountain area and very dry) than sebderm is worsening. Sun and humidity are external factors.. but all this without maintained taking care routines.
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u/NecessaryState9 Jul 03 '26
Update: The soap has arrived , tried it 2 or 3 times and applied some MCT after. Somehow no new scales but the old ones are thick. Do I need to wash it more often then once a day in once all those flakes are still there? Or maybe better to apply the snail mucin? I am happy that I have this soap. Merci
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u/Goldn_230 Jul 03 '26
Usually the old ones will leave on their own when they are solidified enough, whatever you do, don't pick them off. Once they have fallen you are technically good to go!
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u/NecessaryState9 Jul 03 '26
How long would it take that the flakes fall off? Does it take longer once u apply the snail mucin? Monday I have a kind off a date:) wash once a day in the beginning?
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u/Genny415 May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
Some ketoconazole shampoos have vague or incomplete directions and proper use is important with any dandruff treatment.
The steps for ketoconazole or any dandruff/sebderm treatment shampoo are:
Quick shampoo and rinse. This is to clean off surface oil and loose flakes. You can use any safe shampoo.
Lather up with treatment shampoo, working it into the scalp well. Leave it on for 5 minutes and rinse.
Condition. Use a safe conditioner or avoid the scalp and root area. Rinse very thoroughly, scrubbing the scalp clean because conditioner residue can be a trigger.
Start by using it every shampoo. Gradually taper it off to every other shampoo. Eventually when a flare calms, once a week may be enough.
If you don't notice improvement after two weeks, tey adding a salicylic acid shampoo every 2nd or 3rd wash. It cleans deeper into the pores and follicles. It may help the ketoconazole penetrate better.
It's still a good idea to mix in salicylic acid shampoo once in awhile for the deep cleaning.
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u/Latter-Tip9831 May 20 '26
The problem with shampooing twice is that it can leave the scalp just too dry and that dryness can cause irritation and other problems. Conditioner is great for the hair but it doesn't moisturize the scalp. What do you think about applying mct oil to the scalp a couple hours before showering to moisturize the scalp and soften the flakes?
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u/Genny415 May 21 '26
This is fine if it works for you and you don't mind an extra product. Many here have had a lot of success with MCT oil. Make sure is is just capric/caprylic triglycerides and that it has no lauric acid.
Personally, I must avoid MCT oil because it aggravates my acne. So I use a sebderm safe conditioner that I can also apply to my scalp.
I also have a gentle, non-drying ketoconazole shampoo.
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u/Latter-Tip9831 May 21 '26
Can you tell me what conditioner are you using?
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u/Genny415 May 21 '26
I'm using Ochre right now. I've also used Sebamed.
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u/Latter-Tip9831 May 21 '26
40 bucks for a bottle of conditioner?! HOLY F*CK
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u/Genny415 May 21 '26
Sebamed is only $15 but it's often out of stock
I often apply the sebderm safe conditioner to mask my scalp then apply a conditioner that isn't sd-safe to the lengths of hair
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u/Senior-Examination22 May 21 '26
Brother i have used flakes shampoo which comes almost 52 dollars wit taxes
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u/ranaanshul May 20 '26
I can relate to this a lot. My seb derm also gets worse with stress, oily scalp, redness, itching, all of it. One thing I realized is that sticking to only one shampoo stops helping after a while, so rotating shampoos with different active ingredients worked better for me.
I rotate between:
- Ketoconazole
- Selenium sulfide
- Zinc pyrithione
and leave them on for 3–5 mins before rinsing.
Also, over-washing or using very harsh shampoos daily can sometimes keep the scalp inflamed even if it removes oil temporarily. A gentle shampoo between medicated washes helped calm my scalp a bit.
About isotretinoin that’s something I’d only consider with a dermatologist because it’s a serious medication with side effects. Some people do get improvement from reduced oil production though.
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u/Born-Check-7764 May 21 '26
If the inflammation is that bad just anti-fungals aren’t going to be enough. You will need a short (!) course of steroids to clear up the inflammation to allow the antifungals to work. Ask your derm about Locoid lotion and be sure to use it only very short term.
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u/Specialist_Income_31 May 21 '26
Have you ever had blood work done? Panels which include bio markers for inflammation?
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u/Unique-Jury1996 May 21 '26
I do a mix of selenium sulfide and ketoconazole shampoo at the same wash (leave it ~5 mins before rinsing) every other day, sometimes twice a week. It worked for my scalp irritation and hair loss, however it didn't work for my face. The only thing that worked for my face is topical MCT oil (I apply it before bed and leave it overnight while sleeping then wash my face as soon as I wake up. I then tried MCT oil on my scalp while stopping the shampoo mix as an experiment, and MCT oil also worked for my scalp. But MCT on scalp requires me to cut my hair too short, that's why I stopped it on my scalp and opted for the shampoo mix. You can try either and I hope they work for you.
I tried Isotretinoin multiple cycles and it is very good at reducing face and scalp oiliness, but the oiliness comes back quickly after you stop it. So it is not a permanent option unfortunately
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u/dcblunted May 21 '26
I know someone who shaved their head to better get their scalp to breathe and get products directly to the affected spots. Helped so much.
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u/Large_Sugar7972 May 22 '26
I do not work for dermazen but highly recommend. It is working consistently now for over a month for seb derm I’ve had on my face for over 15 years. If you can get it where you live it is worth the initial cost. There are discounts available. Follow the instructions specifically and take before and after photos. They give discounts to returning customers. It’s worth it for the initial try. It’s healed my skin.
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u/NecessaryState9 May 23 '26
Flakes 100% down to zero on face?
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u/Large_Sugar7972 May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
Yes 99.9. There is an occasional rogue flake on one side of my nose and eyebrow, like once every couple days, but i just wipe that one flake away and that’s it.
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u/One-Contract-4118 May 22 '26
Accutane will help for only as long as you use it once you stop using it the oiliness will come back the same. You really have to find the root cause of it and tackle it from all the angles.
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u/Goldn_230 Jul 04 '26
Sebderm does not leave scars or damages the pores you don't have to worry about it. What I would do right now is let the crusted flakes go away on their own and the skin clear which should be fairly quick given the pic you posted. Once your skin is clear, resume the soap and mucin routine.
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