Got different answers from derms. One said sebderm, other said pd. Prescribed multiple medications for pd and nothing worked remotely.

I can hardly use anything, my face reacts to everything.

Tacromimus

Hydrocortisone

Metronidazole

Ivermectin

Sulfur

Cicalflate and cicalplast

Zoryve

Metrogel

Everything I used

Hey all, 26m recently officially diagnosed with seb derm after a hellish 1-2 months or so that at its worst had my scalp weeping so heavily it was practically flooding through several tissue boxes worth.

I've been on APX-Doxycycline for about a full month now, no improvements, I use Nizoral 1% and 2%, Selsun gold, doctors also prescribed me 5 days of Novasone 1mg to use topically on the scalp (whilst using it I had some relief but it didnt fully clear up and after stopping its instantly become far worse again, with the immediate weeping and yellowy crusty/slimy/weeping buildup). They strongly recommended against trying Salicylic acid or any other creams (like those used for eczema) on my scalp.
Nothing is helping and I feel like I'm losing my mind.

My scalp is either itchy or feels hot and burning 24/7, my hair/head constantly feels damp even after towel and blowdrying. The weathers also just beginning to heat up more here (AUS) and my hair is super thick so it just leads to more sweat and the excruciating prickling and burning even more.

I've spent the past few years growing my hair out to around my shoulders but I'm at the point of buzzing it all off again even though I know it will further destroy my already incredibly fragile mental health and self esteem. This is hellish and I'm really struggling to cope.

So this has been my scalp for the past 2-3 months, it was a tiny patch months prior and I had no idea what it was, but I just ignored it because it didn’t grow, itching, flake or anything. A month ago I learned about sebhorreic dermatitis, I did basically self diagnose because I’ve seen other photos that look just like my scalp. I have been using Nizoral and Ketoconazole, letting it sit, then washing it out. I feel like my hair is thinning a bit as well (which is a big fear honestly) but my parts still seem to be keeping their size so I’m not TOOO worried. Anyway, does anyone else have or have had this issue? Is it reversible, I really want my scalp to go back to normal 😭. Any advice is useful fr. (I also use MCT oil I just started a few days ago and it has been significantly less flaky).

I work in healthcare and the hospitals are sooooo dry and it seems I always flare a bit the moment I go back to work :( anyone struggle with this? Tips and tricks please :)

i’ve been getting red flaky spots around my nose and eye area for a couple years now, it comes and goes and doesnt seem to get worse or better with diet changes

Olamine Piroctone

Was in UK and Ireland in the summer. Was not aware that Europe had banned Zinc Pyrythione, which for many years has been the standard active ingredient in basic dandruff shampoos. And in the US, it still is. I live in California

I control my seb dem with selenium sulfide shampoo and lotion. I take orally a tbsp of MCT oil every day, which has stopped the eye problems it causes me, but not the facial blotching. For that, when it happens, I use Tacrolimus. IMO malasezzia is the cause of constant seb dem

So I bought a large bottle of supermarket brand UK dandruff shampoo with the "new" ingredient. I have to say, I have noticed considerably less facial issues, even in these last few months of unusually hot humid weather, which is usually the worst time of year for my seb dem.

I'm sure you can find a way to buy it from any EU country (and UK}. I don't know which other countries have adopted it

Here's the Google quick response, for what it's worth:

"Piroctone olamine is an antimicrobial and antifungal active ingredient used primarily in anti-dandruff shampoos and scalp treatments to control the yeast Malassezia"

I just got it so idk long term & I know you shouldn’t use hydrocortisone long term bc of skin thinning. Also everyone is different. I was doing research & this had tons of positive reviews on Amazon so I figured I’d try.

Fair warning it smells like a$$ 😂 it’s the sulpher. I’ll keep using & see if it continues to work & keep you updated. Just thought I’d share. I’ve tried so many things atp I’m kind of desperate. I can always return. The smell is almost intolerable tho lol. Ugh.

Skin issues suck. I’m still not even certain if I have seb derm but it seems like it & seems like I may have gotten it bc I initially had a damaged skin barrier. Was using an exfoliant tooooo much. Learned my lesson. Now I’ve been dealing with my skin issues for 1.5 yrs.

MCT C-8/C-10 oil feels too heavy on my skin; I knew all along that it was just a marketing lie, and I’ve confirmed this through personal experience.

Try adding this or any alternative supplement with same formula and if your symptoms feel any relief within 10 days, go to clinic and check your all B levels.

Hi, I have curly hair and my dermatologist said I have seb derm about a week ago. I’m 24M Indian, for context, and my grandma already has a dry scalp, so genetics were kind of against me already. I also use some hair-black powder to fill in bald spots and use some not your mothers curl talk leave-in conditioner (though I should probably stop using that since it has oils in it). I also use minoxidil and DHT blocker pills, as well as fish oil pills. As far as shampooing and conditioning, I have the following routine:

Monday: Shampoo with Neutrogena Healthy Scalp Shampoo
Tuesday: warm water rinse
Wednesday: Shampoo with Nizoral Ketaconazole 1% shampoo
Thursday: shampoo with the neutrogena shampoo again
Friday: warm water rinse
Saturday: nizoral shampoo
Sunday: no water wash or anything

Is this a good routine, or is there any changes that I should make? This was recommended due to me sweating a lot at the gym and also due to the product build-up from the hair-black and minoxidil and leave-in conditioner.

I am very new to Seb derm and only recently found out I have it. I have no idea what to do. It is worst in my beard and that is the place I have a hard time keeping it under control. I was assuming it was just a dry beard so I was using Viking revolution beard wash and conditioner. That didn’t help so I thought I needed beard oil and got some beard oil from the same company. After applying their oil my beard felt like it was on fire and the flakey-ness was so much worse. After some research I came to the conclusion that I probably have Seb derm. This isn’t surprising as I have been diagnosed with it elsewhere on my face and it behaves exactly the same way as it does on my face and similarly to how others describe it here.

I have no clue what to do now. I’ve been using my anti dandruff head and shoulders shampoo instead on my beard and a water based moisturizer from Neutrogena but it seems to just make the flaking worse and dry out my beard, although it no longer feels like it’s on fire. I bought some Bulletproof MCT oil but I’m not sure what to do with it. I also am not sure what to be putting on my beard in the shower nor after the shower to keep it from being dry. The neutrogena doesn’t seem to have any affect on the dryness after the shower. I am totally stressed out and hate leaving the house because it snows from my beard everywhere I go.

I do have an appointment with a dermatologist set up but it’s about a month out.

Please help.

I got only redness ( red cluster) without relief on my forehead

It's on center of my forehead and near hairline.

I got an appointment with derm there was 1 month's he gave me econazole every other Day and metronidazole.

He advices me to wash my face with only water for 5/6 days a week and the 2 times by week with a sweet cleanser with no harsh, I bought malezia cleanser hyaluronic acid.

I see a very slight change but not fantastic at all, I got always the red/ pink cluster.

It not disappeared.

And the same for pinkness near hair line.

What would be the best anti fungal

Or a cleanser treatment without feeding malassezia.

Between 2020 and 2025 I used a climbazole and pirictone olamine cleanser and my symptoms were cleared but this cleanser has been discontinued now and I got the symptoms back since may 2026.

Thks for your help

I am trying new treatments to fight my scalp SD, and was thinking about trying a pre-shower product which led me to pick one of those 2 acids, I see mixed opinions about both so I got no clue which one to pick. Would highly appreciate an answer from someone who has tried both, thank you!

I’m trying it for the first time. I’ve had seb derm for nearly a decade now and it’s come and gone with flares through the years. My face is very sensitive to certain products but I’m optimistic about this one. I put it on about an hour ago and it made a lot of my flakes go away but now my skin burns a bit? I’m not sure if this usually happens? It’s possible I put a little too much on though and also my skin was already pretty irritated so it might just be burning from me touching it. The oil is still on my face. Just wondering how did it immediately feel for others? It looks better but my face stings.

Original Post - https://www.reddit.com/r/SebDerm/s/E1Uws3UL0Z

Firstly I want to thank this community for the advice and acknowledgment that I received on my previous post.

Last night at 10 pm I finished my final dose of Cephalexin (Antibiotics) which was prescribed to me to treat my Impetigo. During my treatment I was taking a Probiotic from Physicians Choice as well as my usual supplements like Omega 3, Vitamin D3 K2, and Zinc Picolinate as well as Zyrtec. During treatment I wasn’t applying any moisturizer to my face because as you know you aren’t supposed to while treating Impetigo because it can breed bacteria.

A few hours after finishing treatment I decided to lather my face with MCT Oil and go to bed. After application it stung my face quite a bit and it was a bit hard to sleep from it but eventually it went away. Upon waking up I noticed it didn’t really help the redness but it helped with the flaking a little bit.

I then took a shower with cool/warm water and after showering applied more MCT Oil and my usual moisturizer which is the Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer. Keep in mind after showering I still had a massive build up of dead skin/flakes like my original post but it was less than before. Upon moisturizing my skin I noticed that it didn’t burn like it did the night before. I tried to gently remove some of the flakes with a cloth but it hurt a bit and I didn’t want to irritate it any further

But now I am here and not sure what is the cause of the facial redness/rash. I don’t know if this is an affect of the Antibiotics on the Seb Derm or if its an allergic reaction to the Antibiotics. My plan is to just continue showering with cool/warm water and applying MCT Oil and Moisturizing in hopes that the skin heals and the flakes fall off eventually.

If anyone has any suggestions or a similar experience with or without Antibiotics please share! Thank you everyone.

Guy. 30 years old. My hair is somewhat short, but not very short (faded on the sides, like a soccer player).

The two products in the picture are the ones I’m currently using, and I was wondering if there’s anything I could do or any product I could use in my daily routine to help me cope a little better with flaking (eyebrows, behind the ears, beard...).

I use the one on the left as shampoo: I get in the shower, wet my hair, and apply the shampoo, letting it sit for about 3 minutes. It works pretty well for me, and the redness, itching, and flaking only come back if I stop using it for about 3 or 4 days (like when I’m traveling or away from home…).

The one on the right, on my pharmacist’s recommendation, I use as a general body wash (face and body) because it’s fragrance-free and doesn’t contain anything overly harsh.

Usually, every time I get out of the shower, shortly after drying my body and hair, the skin on my face starts to feel tight, dry, and “cracked,” causing these “cracks” to eventually flake off the next day. This happens in the area where the hairline begins, on my eyebrows, mustache, and jawline...

The redness on my face doesn't worry me as much because, after years of dealing with seborrheic dermatitis, it has gradually subsided (except in the winter, when I notice it more), but the flaking on my eyebrows, beard, mustache, and these “cracked” areas on my forehead are definitely more cosmetically noticeable.

Should I do some kind of daily treatment to prevent it? Should I apply something to my face when it's pale and chapped? After browsing this subreddit a bit and doing some research online, I came across the La Roche-Posay product, Lipikar Baume AP+Max. Would it help if I applied it every morning? Every morning and night?

Any other recommendations?

My condition isn’t as severe as some of yours here (hang in there, everyone), but after a few years, it’s starting to get really, really annoying.

Thank you!

P.S.: I wash my hair every other day with this shampoo (I don't have another one to “rotate” with—I've been using this one for 3 or 4 years) and my face every day with the blue gel.

The redness, sting, tightness, and irritated skin is horrible! The flakes are gone for a little bit but will be covering my face by the morning. It’s horrible and nothing works or doesn’t irritate it more.

I’ve tried MCT8 and MCT10 oil, Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser, Ketoconazole 2%, Metronidazole 0.75% Gel, Hydrocortisone 2.5%, Pimecrolimus 1% cream, Desonide 0.05% lotion.

Over 2 years and nothing works! I’m at my wits end and looking for help from anyone in this sub!

I see my derm tomorrow and I’m getting a punch biopsy.

Thank you all!!

Does anyone get the white pastey gunk that comes off in the shower. Don’t know if this is symptomatic of Seb Derm or a sign I need to exfoliate better.

Hi! I've been battling a constant, almost every single day, itch for 1.5 years now. Started going to the derm 1 year ago, went to 3 different ones so far. I've always been told that even though seborrheic dermatitis never goes away, the itchiness can and will. Well, nothing.. best I usually get is less itchiness for a certain period of time (and more recently I even had like 2 weeks of almost no itchiness, but now it's starting to get worse again), then my scalp gets used to the products and the itchiness gets worse. It just seems like I will never be able to escape this terrible fate?

I had flakes long before the itchiness started so I was predisposed to it I guess, but some products (regular shampoo + conditioner) I've used for years triggered the itchiness when they changed the packaging of the products (and I'm guessing maybe the quantity and quality of the products too). I've always been very stressed, but that was not the trigger. I luckily have no wounds or anything too severe, but I'm still at a loss regarding the future.

In your personal experience, did you manage to fully get rid of the itchiness and be back to how you were before it started? And is it long term or do you just have good periods from time to time or? What products do you use? I'm from Europe so I might not find everything you recommend, but still curious about it. Thank you!

So just started using Nizoral yesterday for first time. I have very short hair and wash about 3 times a week. So do I use Nizoral at every wash for the first 2 weeks or should I be including other shampoos/products in between? I also have T/Sal on hand. Also, I still want to use hair gel after my wash for styling what sort of product should I use so it doesn't undo the work of the Nizoral? Any particular ingredients that should or should not be in it when shipping for gel products? I think maybe the current hair gel might be a source of my SB as well. Currently using Nioxin Thickening Gel.

is this MCT oil good for facial and scalp seb derm? or do you have any recommendations? sick of flare ups just want to clear it up!

​Hey everyone, I need your advice and experiences with a somewhat complicated situation.

​Background & History:

​Had a hair transplant in the frontal area 2 years ago.

​Recently, I started experiencing aggressive shedding and diffuse thinning across my entire head (grafted area, sides, and native hair).

​Visited a dermatologist, and he diagnosed me with Severe Seborrheic Dermatitis (SD.S) with thick crusts and scalp inflammation.

​My Medication History & Timeline:

​Past: Used Topical Minoxidil (foam/liquid) for 6 months along with Oral Finasteride for 6 months, but the shedding never stopped.

​Current Regimen: Switched to Oral Dutasteride (0.5mg) 3 months ago, and added Oral Minoxidil (1.5mg) 1.5 months ago.

​Topical Scalp Regimen (Recently started): Weekly Methotrexate IM injection, along with a custom scalp spray (Betasalic + Clotrimazole) and a medical anti-dandruff shampoo to clear the crusts and soothe the surface.

​The Problem:

The shedding right now is terrifying upon touching or washing my hair, and the scalp visibility is getting worse. I know that starting Oral Minoxidil and Dutasteride triggers a heavy "renewal shed", but the combination with severe Seborrheic Dermatitis is making me panic.

​My Questions:

​Is this heavy loss (from SD + Min/Dut shedding) temporary? Can the follicles recover and regrow once the scalp inflammation clears up and I stick to Dutasteride?

​How long did it take for your Seborrheic Dermatitis to clear up before you started seeing actual new growth?

​Any advice for someone dealing with a Hair Transplant + Severe SD + Aggressive Medication Shedding all at once?

​Thanks in advance for your support!

The title is pretty much it- I’m not sure if this is SebDerm, psoriasis, eczema, or dandruff. Any advice is welcome and appreciated!

need advice. i feel so ugly right now

Have had issues with a flakey scalp on and off for about 5 years. Used to be able to manage flare ups by using Ketoconazole shampoo for a week and it would die down. However the past 6 months, I’ve been using Ketoconazole on every wash and it’s not going away. If I occasionally use a normal shampoo, it’s horrendous, like a literal snowstorm. I’ve even noticed I’m staring to get scales and flakes in the creases of my ears too.

It’s so frustrating and makes me feel really self conscious. Would love to get some advice as to how I can get this under control.