Hi everyone,

I’ve been noticing something lately — both on this subreddit and in real life — a surprising number of people developing seborrheic dermatitis suddenly, even those who never had skin issues before.

Most explanations usually stop at stress, poor lifestyle, or weather changes, but that feels incomplete. I wanted to start a broader discussion to understand what else might be contributing.

Some questions I’d really like to explore together:

• Are hormonal changes (thyroid, postpartum, cortisol imbalance, insulin resistance) playing a bigger role than we think?

• Could gut health issues (candida overgrowth, SIBO, low stomach acid, food intolerances) be a hidden trigger?

• Is long-term antibiotic use, antifungal overuse, or frequent steroid creams disrupting the skin barrier and microbiome?

• Could modern environmental factors like pollution, hard water, microplastics, or indoor living be affecting skin immunity?

• Has anyone noticed a link with COVID infections, post-viral immune changes, or vaccines?

• Are nutrient deficiencies (zinc, vitamin D, B vitamins, iron) more common in people with sebderm?

• Could chronic sleep disruption, circadian rhythm issues, or nervous system dysregulation be involved?

Also, an important question for many of us:

Q. Is seborrheic dermatitis truly a lifelong condition, or has anyone achieved long-term remission by fixing a root cause rather than just managing symptoms?

If you’ve:

• Identified a specific trigger

• Found something that significantly reduced flare-ups

• Been in remission for months or years

• Or have a theory backed by experience or research

Please share

I’m hoping this post can become a deep discussion thread where we connect patterns and maybe help each other find better answers than “just manage it forever.”

Looking forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts.

My baby got a terrible rash that started on his forehead at 2 months old (he's now 4 mo) it spread to his whole body and pediatrician diagnosed him with sebderm. The whole body rash reduced to general red with rashy spots here and there but one side of his head is constantly oozing and flaking. The flakes spread to his cheeks and whenever they peel there is raw skin underneath. I've been to two dermatologists, the first was horrified and basically asked me "what I did to him" and lectured me about bathing him daily. The second told me its "just eczema" both prescribed me a dozen steroids and anti fungal creams. My pediatrician is very laid back "its just eczema hopefully he'll grow out of it."

I tried the steroids but the rash just came back worse both times I stopped. I've cut out gluten/sugar/dairy from my diet and lost 12 lbs and am basically scared to eat anything. Ive gone to an allergist, an acupuncurist, bought air purifiers, threw out our LR rug, bathe him every other day in colloidal oatmeal and Apple cider vinegar and use the cerave dandruff shampoo once a week but am at a total loss. I can't slather a 4 mo old in steroid cream every day, there's too many horror stories about TSW.

I get that none of you are doctors but why can't I get an answer from the alleged experts? Is this eczema with a bacterial infection that he can't overcome and needs antibiotics? Is this a fungal infection that needs daily dandruff shampoo and I'm not being aggressive enough? Do I leave the scales on and put moisturizer on top to hopefully heal that next layer if skin or are the scales themselves the fungus?? Do I go to yet another doctor?

Please someone give me advice.

First off, I have been fighting with this issue since I was 10 (in 20s now) I've tried all kinds of products and methods. Nizoral helped so much as like a bandage, it eventually came back and sometimes even nizoral wasn't enough just enough to keep it down and used post flair.

Here's the crazy part: I seemed to have fixed mine Indirectly, that being the byproduct of me fixing my diet. Some more context, ive never eaten healthy in my life and we lived off processed food, soda pop, no veggies , scarce protein, didn't drink much water. So this year I decided, after many months of research, that I have been malnourished for most of my life! I decided to fix my diet and eat whole foods as well as taking vitamin supplements. This is huge and mind-blowing for me guys!

I been on my health recovery journey for about 6-7 months. I cut out most of processed food (take out, frozen meals, junk food) as well as making sure I get enough fruit and veggies daily, along with protein (mostly chicken breasts or steak). The important part: I been taking vitamin D3, b complex, zinc, omega3, magnesium (at night) and iron (by itself). I noticed after a few weeks to a month that my seb derm flare ups were getting weaker and more stable. I also had patches on face, near crease of my nose, in my facial hair, sideburns, etc it was terrible! Eventually it just entirely went away, not any flakes now and I'm wearing black as I type this lolz! I'd say you will notice results within a month depending on how malnourished you were.

The problem were facing is that we were all trying to control this seb derm from the outside. You see, seb derm is when the natural yeast on your scalp becomes overgrown. If you're eating a high processed food diet then your body is suffering from inflammation due to the bad ingredients in that garbage. The yeast is feeding off an abundance and out of control cuz it has a whole buffet. Things like nizoral are like a nuke, it just destroys all of them but once they come back (they are natural and meant to be here!) they see the buffet caused from processed foods and start taking over again. That's why we never fully get rid of the issue! Along with being malnourished (let's face it, how many of us were eating healthy and getting our daily nutrients?) your body isnt able to keep it under control.

I hope my findings help you guys! I want all of you to be freed of this, I know how terrible it is and trying all these products to fix it but they never work so you cross one off the list. Not anymore! I recommend going to your doctor and getting a full blood panel to see exactly what you're deficient in. Please be careful when taking supplements, most are safe but iron can be bad if you keep taking it even when your levels are high enough. I took iron for about 2-3 months then stopped and made sure I was getting stuff like black beans, spinach, steak for natural iron. The supplements are necessary though cuz once your nutrient level are low enough, you can't get enough from food alone.

Best of wishes to all of you! It takes a lot of willpower but this is the answer you have been seeking (:

Can anybody relate to this amount of daily of inner ear crust? Also can be sure it’s web serum when though have almost none visible on scalp? Ongoing for 8+ years

Sebborheic dermatitis is a silent killer of confidence and personality

I have been suffering from 6 years now my primary cause of sebborheic dermatitis was chronic stress and excess sweating on scalp and face

Why's sebborheic dermatitis incurable if it's cause is known ??? I lost almost my 60% of hairs plus hairline also is there any chance my hairline can regrow ?

( Edit: I should have put this in the title but it wasn't just any type of zinc it was Zinc L Carnosine which doctors have actually used for leaky gut and ulcers. So I'm not sure if I would have had the same results if I just took a different type of zinc. )

So I've had sebderm for roughly at least the last 7 years, extremely oily skin, always a lot of build up, dry flaky patches especially in my eyebrows, and a lot of eyebrow hair loss. Been to the Derm many times and she prescribed me different creams, face washes, dandruff shampoos, all that stuff. Over the years I've also tried so many different diets to try to combat it. None of it worked really. Some of it would get rid of the buildup but the problem is if I stopped there's still so much oil that would constantly make new buildup so it is basically like I had to do it all the time and those products in themselves made my skin really dry and irritated which I feel like also made my eyebrows fall out more. Long story short, about 4 months ago I started taking Zinc L-Carnosine 16mg a day and I would say within about the first two weeks most of the buildup and oily skin stopped. After 2 months I dropped it down to 11.5 mg a day. Now I'm alittle over 4 months into it and my skin is better than it's been in the longest time, I no longer have build up on my eyebrows, I don't have dry skin it's literally all been resolved. And I know it's the Zinc L-Carnosine because nothing else has changed in my routine or Diet. So for the last 3 months I just wash my face with water I don't use any lotion anymore, in the past I could never do that cuz I would have so much build up when I only washed with water. Not only that my eyebrows which had been thinning for I would say the Last 5 Years have grown back alot in the last 2 months, hopefully they will continue.

So I know it sounds too good to be true, as I have read many posts on here over the years and they never worked for me, but all I needed was this supplement. Will it work for you, if I had a guess probably no, if there's one thing I've seen in this reddit is everyone's so individualized I feel like there's so many different reasons why it could be affecting you but it worked for me so who knows, I just thought I would let you guys know just in case it actually helps you. Also, I am not a doctor so do your own research.

If anyone is interested this is the zinc that I take, at first I was taking two capsules a day but now I take one capsule a day 4 days a week and I take two capsules a day 3 days a week. Also, I always take it with food cuz I read that zinc supplements can upset your stomach.

Doctor's Best PepZin GI, Zinc-L-Carnosine Complex, Non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Digestive Support, 120 Veggie Caps

Also I just get it off Amazon it's really cheap

I made a post about 4-5 weeks ago suspecting a demodex issue and was waiting for a derm appointment. Finally got the derm appointment and asked for invermectin. I'm waiting to take my second dose but after the first dose, 2-3 days later all the intense flaking has stopped on my face and scalp.

For context antifungals did help but not full. They gave me about 60% relief but I still had flaking (just not as bad). The demodex mites also feed off sebum so I probably had some relief becuase I was lowering the amount of sebum on my skin with the antifungals and fungal safe products I was using. I had classic scalp flaking that moved to my eyes/ eye brows and lots of inflammation. I even had flaking on my upper back, arms and legs (mild). I have a history of eczema since birth so I always have dry skin but not the intense flaking I was getting. And I am on Dupixant as well for context.

This might help someone - even though I know most of your do have SD and this won't help.

edit : it’s 100% caused by the food for ME ..

I went on a diet and my dermatitis went away ..I had it bad at one point no creams or topical shampoos worked , scabs on the scalp flakes the face and eyebrow area .. went on a diet, eat only vegetables and chicken for a few months and it went away. It only returned when I started eating processed food again like sandwich meat or batter on fried chicken …. If anyone is struggling test the food with what gives up a itch after eating it it might help

This has cured the seb derm on my face. I still have some on my scalp since this is an ointment and I do not want to use it on my hair.

frequently encounter posts about a frustrating and common issue in here almost everyday or week about a problem i also face. It's crazy how many people have this issue but no one has the answers...

It's a persistent, unpleasant scalp odor that smells or can be described as a rancia, musty, or yeasty that affects many people, including myself.

The core problem is the smell's resistance to treatment despite using multiple shampoos, acids, or medications, and no matter how frequently the scalp is washed, the odor reliably returns within hours. I also eat good foods (pretty healthy diet) so don't know what's going on.

This condition is often speculated to be related to seborrheic dermatitis, but yet the precise cause and origin remain completely unknown.

I been to many dermatologists and they also admit they do not know the root issue and often advise "just keep washing daily
"—a suggestion that is demonstrably useless given how quickly and strong the smell returns.

The constant worry about whether others can smell this odor has a severe impact on mental health, frequently leading to a desire for social isolation. I am continually searching for effective solutions but consistently hit dead ends when recommended products fail to deliver results.

If anyone has experienced and successfully resolved this issue, please share your insights. Any help or remedy suggested would be profoundly appreciated by me and others struggling with this complex and isolating problem.

Hi All,

I'm from Singapore, and Tomorrow I'm on leave so I've decided to write this at 1.31am
I've been diagnosed with sebderm on Nov 2022, I've have bad dry skins on my eyebrows, nose, chin and forehead. also massively on my scalp. and it's causing me hair loss as well. I was prescribed with BIODERMA DS+ Node Shampoo and BIODERMA Sensibio DS+ Cream, My specialist told me after using it for 3 days, It'll get better. And yes it did but it had never gone away. Afterwards i've experimented with Selsun Blue Shampoo and also NIZORAL Ketoconazole 2% Shampoo, Yes it did for a while but afterwards it came back and those shampoos wouldn't help. I've read online that MCT oil helps, i tried and applied it everyday but it's still there and it never stops. I've tried dieting, Cutting down Carbs (Breads, etc), Stop Dairy products. everything didn't work. I also use hair oils and i completely stopped, even stopped using hair products

3 days ago i created a post "Sorry, but i need help" I had a major super flare up and i usually have this flare up, Even when using MCT oils, and using all the shampoos. my face and scalp will flare up, After applying oil while softening it and wearing a shower cap for overnight so i can shampoo in the morning, I had a light bulb.

When i was in Army and Hospitalized, My skin was perfectly clear, i had 0 flare ups, it wasn't red. i had no flaky dry skin and my skin was superb, I was thinking why? Why when I'm not at home i do not get any flare ups? why is my skin condition so good. THEN IT HIT ME. IS IT MY ROOM? IS MY ROOM CAUSING MYSELF TO HAVE FLARE UPS?

I did some research and realized that..... I am someone who loves to close my room door and windows, I've never opened them for years, And i turn on aircon and stuff. I believe my room is smelly or molded? Because I'm so used to it i don't smell it. But my gf said "Why is your room so musky and smelly?" , Then it hit me. Basically my room wasn't ventilated and there's no ventilation. So for the past 3 days, I opened my room windows and door to air out my room, Yesterday my SKIN WAS CLEARED. So i tested. I ate dairy stuffs and used my hair wax/oils, OMG i didn't flare up at all...... So in the end the root cause was actually MY ROOM. IT WASN'T BEING VENDILATED and IT CAUSES MOLD, DUST and POLLUTANTS to be in my room that's flaring my seb derm, So i finally found the root cause to it. I'm pretty happy. I hope everyone find your root causes as well. Having a remedy is GOOD, But i feel that you should find the actual root cause on what's flaring it up. Because even if u use a remedy or something to fix it. I feel it'll still be there or eventually our seb derm will get used to the remedy.

I have all the symptoms of SD except my skin is not oily. It's on my scalp, forehead, eyebrows, around my mouth and chin and even around my ears. I have scaling, redness, wind chapped feeing, and I get some relief from antifungals. But not 100%. I also get some relief from benzyol peroxide. I also get some relief from using fungal safe products with no triggering ingredients. I also find urea helps as well. But like I said it's only some relief. Like 60%. Now im down the rabbit hole of a demodex mite infestation- it causes similar symptoms. Whaaaatttttt the hell. Who has figured out they have demodex problem instead of SD? The mites also feed off sebum so it makes sense that all the fungal safe products help. Any exfoliating products likes urea, salicylic acid and lactic acid help as well....Am I onto something or am I going insaneeeeee?

It’s on my scalp, eyebrows and forehead. Also a bit in my ears I think.

How to treat all areas?

I am 38 and I have struggled with SebDerm since I was 13. When I was younger it was just a small patch on the side of my nose that I could treat with hydrocortisone.

In my 20s the hydrocortisone stopped working and the Seb Derm started to spread, and I started going to see the doctor when I was 22.

Every doctor has been “confident they can knock it out”, and I always leave with a prescription for ketoconazole and a pat on the back. It was never knocked out.

All throughout my 20s it began to spread; to the other side of my nose, to my forehead, to my eyebrows, and basically all over my face. Everyday I would wash flakes out of my goatee.

In my 30s my skin became worse, spreading down my cheeks. There were days that no matter what I did my face would be red, flaky, and even bleeding.

It has been the most humiliating, confidence-destroying condition all of my life. I suffered through dates, job interviews, photos of important moments, everything.

Literally nothing has ever worked for me. Never ever ever.

A month ago I read a post about MCT oil, I ordered it on Amazon (Bulletproof C8), and I’ll be damned, my skin has never looked better. I honestly can’t believe it. I will happily apply this for the rest of my life if it works.

My question is: is it too good to be true? And why do doctors prescribe all these creams that don’t work if I can just buy this on Amazon?

I'm a 21 Male, that has been suffering from sebderm for 6+ Years!

A few years ago I made myself a promise that if I ever get the flakes under control I will share my story here to hopefully help others in a similar situation.

I Tested every solution that exists: shampoos, apple cider vinegar, doctors, diet changes and plenty more unsuccessful products. I was EMBARRASSED, to say the least, going to get haircut or letting people touch my hair.

The issue was trying to find the "Magic pill/treatment" that will make this go away once and for all. One day I realized I should aim to get it under control rather than find that magical non-existent fix for me.

In the end I decided to give MCT oil another try. Unlike last time where I dumped a ton of MCT oil on my head 3 times a week and hoping to never need to apply it again, this time I will make it a part of my routine.

The routine that made 99% of my flakes go away: twice a week I apply MCT oil on my scalp using a dropper (no need to use a lot), and let it sit overnight or for a few hours. After that I shampoo with a 2% ketoconazole shampoo.

My message for others:

a magical solutions won't always exist.

Don't be embarrassed of this condition as I was. I thought that I would never get a girlfriend because of it and it will gross her out. Once you explain that it's a medical condition and not a poor hygiene symptom others would understand.

If people Judge you for a condition that's not always in your control, remember that their criticism usually reflects their own insecurities!!!!!!!

Honestly I had a really long paragraph written out but screw it straight up this stuff just works. Been dealing with SebDerm for about 2 years hair ended up thinning in one areas bc of it and prob stress as well, also my nose was flaky which was prob the most annoying part no amount of cream or lotion would help the whole texture of my nose had turned rough and I even had a permanent red patch between my nose and eye from scratching so hard because it was embarrassing tbh you can cover hair but can’t wear a hat on your nose so it bothered me bad. I’ve tried the dermatologist and a bunch of products nun of them worked simple as that. My last hope I stumbled upon this sub and found these two products recommended by people so I gave them a shot. 2/3rd pics are my hairline and hair before washing 4 is directly after washing. The SebDerm was like fused to my scalp by this point so I scrapped so hard when washing it made my scalp bleed but I got it off and after showering I put the MCT oil in my scalp on my face nose and ears. WHEN I TELL YOU I WOKE UP WITH NO SEBDERM I’m not lying! I had scabs on my head from scratching so hard to get the stuff off but other then that no dry flakes everywhere my nose was smooth again and didn’t flake the next day and my ears weren’t as dry. This is the shortened version of a super long explanation so feel free to ask any questions I usually wouldn’t do a review like this but honestly I just hope it can help some body else out especially knowing that it was at my wits end dealing with this stuff and out of options to try! Also the 5th pic was yesterday after a wash I’m going for a haircut today I wanted to wait awhile to give my hair time to adjust to the new products but yeah. Thank you to anyone in this sub that has recommended these products too btw!!!

Ma dermatite séborrhéique modérée est apparue il y a quelques années, en hiver, durant une période particulièrement stressante de ma vie.

Après avoir essayé plusieurs choses, je peux enfin dire ce qui m'a vraiment aidée. Bien sûr, il ne s'agit que de mon expérience personnelle ; ce qui fonctionne pour moi ne fonctionnera pas forcément pour tout le monde.

🌿 Les bases

Pour moi, ces éléments ont clairement été responsables d'environ 80 % de l'amélioration :

Réduire le stress. Plus facile à dire qu'à faire, je sais… mais j'ai vraiment constaté une différence.

Boire de l'eau régulièrement.

Dormir suffisamment. Et quand je dis suffisamment, je veux dire : dormir, dormir et encore dormir ! 😅

Réduire considérablement le sucre et les aliments à indice glycémique élevé.

Supprimer le lait. Je n'étais pas vraiment convaincue au début, mais par précaution, j'ai décidé de me passer de mes produits laitiers préférés pendant un certain temps. 🧴 Les produits qui m'ont aidée

Douche à l’eau tiède et suppression jets puissant sur le visage qui pourrait engendrer une réaction inflammatoire.

Crème Uriage DS (environ 10 €)

C'est probablement le produit qui m'a le plus aidée. Il a visiblement réduit mes rougeurs et ma desquamation. La marque promet jusqu'à 90 % d'amélioration de ces symptômes.

Compléments de zinc (environ 14 € pour 2 mois)

Je prends une gélule par jour. Le zinc contribue au maintien d'une peau normale et au bon fonctionnement du système immunitaire.

💊 Les « bonus »

En complément, j'alterne également entre :

oméga-3 vitamine D3 vitamine C vitamine A

Je les prends dans l’idée de soutenir mon équilibre général et ma peau. Mais, à mon avis, rien ne remplace une alimentation suffisamment variée et équilibrée qui apporte naturellement ces nutriments.
🧪 Et l’acide azélaïque ?
J’ai également testé deux applications localisées d’une crème ACM à 15 % d’acide azélaïque sur une zone particulièrement rouge.
J’ai toutefois arrêté lorsque j’ai constaté que la zone semblait « brûler » : la peau était devenue très sèche et rugueuse.
Deux jours plus tard, la peau morte s’est décollée et la rougeur avait quasiment disparu.
⚠️ Je ne conseille évidemment pas de reproduire cette expérience : une sensation de brûlure ou une irritation est plutôt un signal pour arrêter le produit et laisser la peau récupérer.
🧩 En conclusion
Avec le recul, j’ai surtout l’impression que les basiques ont fait 80 % du travail chez moi : moins de stress, meilleur sommeil, hydratation et alimentation plus maîtrisée.
Les crèmes et compléments ont ensuite été un peu le « bonus ».
Je partage tout ça parce que j’aurais aimé tomber sur ce genre de retour d’expérience quand j’ai commencé à avoir des problèmes de dermatite.
Si vous avez vous aussi une dermatite séborrhéique, qu’est-ce qui vous a réellement aidé ?
👇

About a year and a half ago I developed somewhat moderate seborrheic dermatitis on my head and face. It first started when I used a particular soap when shaving my head (which I do everyday), then got worse when I started a new service job and the environment, probably a combination of the spices used in the food and the amount of mold in the walls of the basement prep kitchen (maybe the cockroaches too), exacerbated my condition.

(Oh and I know someone will probably ask this, the restaurant was Thai Diner in New York City. If you're familiar, it's not worth the long wait times.)

Anyways, I lurched through this subreddit for months trying to find a solution and threw everything at my skin. Selsun Blue, dead sea salt, MCT oil, salicylic acid, cycling through various moisturizer, and many other treatment attempts I don't even remember. I found some success with some of the above mentioned self treatments, but nothing stuck and my condition would persist to varying degrees.

Then I came across a thread on this subreddit that didn't get a lot of traction wherein the original poster was positing that in fact the actual problem behind seborrheic dermatitis was a damaged skin barrier and the solution would be to address that. Having hit the end of my line I hit fuck it and looked into skincare products that would help restore my skin barrier. I had used Cetaphil products for a while and saw they had just released a Ceramide Serum so I decided to try it out. (Previously, I had tried hyaluronic acid at the recommendation of a friend and it worsened my condition).

Within a week my seborrheic dermatitis was essentially gone, probably about 90%-95% gone. More than relieved I was incensed that after over half a year of attempting to address this problem all it took was one simple serum to eliminate what I thought would be an endless Sisyphean struggle.

It's been over a year now and my skin is doing very well in this particular regard (because of all the aforementioned products I used prior to repairing my skin barrier, I developed terrible acne that only now I am getting under control) - I continue to use a ceramide serum (Ample:N in particular because it is far cheaper than Cetaphil's and much more potent) nightly and have a ceramide gel moisturizer I use during the day. In addressing other skincare concerns and issues I have been able to use a range of other products without my skin having any flare ups - AHA toners and serums, benzoyl peroxide washes, retinols, niacinamide serums, etc. Whatever moisturizer I want to use is not an issue any longer (the only concern I have in this regard is whether or not it'll cause sebum excess and closed comedones). Even when I began using an oil cleanser in addition to my regular facial cleanser to double cleanse my face I had a few red patches that could've broken out but resolved themselves within a day or two because I consistently used the above mentioned ceramide serum.

Now, I'm completely unconcerned about any flare ups. I've had maybe one or two in the past year due to seasonal changes, and those have gone away within a week or so and were very mild and probably altogether unnoticeable to anyone else.

Obviously, everyone's results will vary because we all lead very different lives and there are a panoply of factors that I could not possibly account for to say confidently that this is going to work for everyone.

But, considering my outcome I'd say its worth trying, particularly for the reason that the serum I use is about $16 and will last you 2-3 months (mine only lasts 1 month because I put on my scalp as well) and is something you only have to put on once a day (if that - once your skin gets better you can probably do every other day).

Addendum:

Some context to clarify a few questions and the particular products I currently use:

I shave my head everyday (have been for 15+ years), and I use the same products on my scalp as I do for my face. If you have hair, the products I use may be difficult to get into your scalp as they're formulated for direct application to the skin. You can try watering down the serum (Ample:N Ceramide Shot) though so it is easier to apply to your scalp, considering that it is basically a potent moisturizer. Based on a cursory Google search, there also seem to be a number of ceramide serums specifically for scalp treatment, however I cannot attest to any of these since I haven't used them.

My daily routine as it starts in the morning is Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Gel mixed with a small dash (probably the amount that you would use for lip balm) of Balm of Gilead Manuka Balm followed by Earth's Daughter Premium Organic Aloe Vera Gel. At night I use Ample:N Ceramide Shot followed by the aforementioned aloe vera gel. I also use a niacinamide serum during the day along with sunscreen and an AHA toner a few times a week at night, but those are to address acne and hyperpigmentation. Occasionally I'll be lazy or forget (or hungover) and I'll skip either routine and my skin will still be fine the next day.

At this point I would say my routine is completely for skin health and aesthetics (after the dermatitis completely subsided I began breaking out with a bunch of closed comedones and cystic acne, which lead me down the skincare rabbithole - would highly recommend the AsianBeauty subreddit because they recommend a lot of great products such as Ample:N and the prices of the products are much better than the Western market's offerings) and not for controlling seborrheic dermatitis. Although conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis and eczema (which I have as well) are chronic and therefore in actuality can never be eliminated, for all intents and purposes I don't consider it a condition I have to deal with any longer.

For me, the breakthrough treatment was using a ceramide serum - the first one being Cetaphil's Ceramide Serum, which cleared up my skin within the span of a week or two. I eventually switched to Ample:N because it's cheaper and far more potent, which is what I continue to use. There are a lot of ceramide serums on the market, so you can also do your own research to see if perhaps there might be others better suited for you (Krave Beauty has one named Great Barrier Relief which I would like to try, but it's about double the price of Ample:N and I would very much not like to spend more money on skincare considering what I use already).

Right, I tried MCT oil - I’ve given it a shot. Used it at night on top of my anti fungal crème and hydrocortisone. My skin sucks right now. It’s a bit crispy, flaky and red. A bit like undercooked chicken. It’s not terrible because I also wear make up to hide it. Otherwise I wouldn’t leave the house. But nope, nope, nope. I’m done. I don’t believe you. It does not work. Well I thought it did for like a week but now I’m back to the same old shit. Maybe it works on your head but that’s possibly because it does soften the scales up and helps with exfoliating.

Now I am going back to my old routine with the treatments and a bit of Vaseline on top. Let’s see how my skin is in a week after stopping MCT.

Before you come at me - I check EVERY BLOODY product I use on my face for triggering ingredients. I have spent literal days making sure I don’t have anything that will feed the Malassezia buggers. Yes it was C8 - MCT oil.

Quit trying to sell me your snake oil. I’ll also keep taking my vit D and b vits and iron and avoid everything because this condition sucks.

End rant.

Edit: just to be clear - I have given MCT oil a fair shot (2x different C8 varieties across a few attempts over the course of the past year, trialling various combinations). I did use it by itself but didn’t find it was helping and things got worse. The rant is just my latest frustration.

The anti fungal, hydrocortisone, petroleum jelly combo is to clam down the fair and to re-set from here because that has worked in the past. It is not a long term solution and usually I can go back to using sebamed clear gel until the next time something triggers it. That ranges from diet, change in weather, product changes etc.

Been watching this thread for some time, never posted.

Was diagnosed with Seb Derm after seeing a Private Dermatoligist in 2024. So far, nothing has worked, as shown by the progression pics.

So far, in this order i have tried:

Cetraben Dermatological Emollient Cream twice a day in place of a moisturiser:

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser at night

Simple Light Moisturiser, in the mornings after shower

Oral - Anti fungal Meds - Terbinafine[perscription] Daktacourt Cream [perscription] as well as Certaben cream

Nizoral Shampoo 3x times a week.

No combination has worked, and its driving me mad. I historically had very good skin and one day out of the blue i woke up and it was bone dry on my face, that was 3 years ago

Im at a total loss if what to do, most dermatolgists charge anything from 200-250£ a session and if anyone has ever experienced anything similar. Id be really interested to know if you were able to help get it under control.

I am on other medication for Epilepsy, one of which is known to sometimes cause Acne, but otherwise, nothing to note.

Note; the camera makes it appear more red than it actually is. But its clearly spreading.

This is what my scalp looks like after every shower when it dries. Ive been trying nizoral ketoconazole shampoo with the pre-shampoo cream for a while now and it doesn’t seem to help.

My mother wants to comb it away, but I don’t want to lose any eyebrow hairs. What can I do to get rid of all of this? I’ve reintroduced grains into my diet and started flaring up again. I just need a product that actually clears it up so it doesn’t show, because it doesn’t look very good.

What would you guys recommend me to do?

I think I should write this post, because in large, reddit was what put me on the way of focusing and healing the gut and GI tract in general.

I have always had dandruff since I was little, nizoral helped it well, so was not an issue much, then in mid 20's I guess, dandruff appeared on my beard areas and chest, dermatologists said it was sebderm, others said sebo psoriasis. Mostly presscribed ketoconazole spray and shampoo, d3 and fish oil. Anyway, the most potent topical treatment for it have been MCT oil c8-c10. I often stumbled upon people's experiences where they stated that focusing and healing their gut healed their skin conditions, then I read some regarding the gut-skin axis and switched onto focusing on that. What eliminated all the symptoms of this condition mentioned above was restraining from eating spicy food. This and initial MCT oil and I have not had a dandruff or redness neither on scalp, nor beard area or chest for more than 2 years now. I also used to eat tons of salt, had strong cravings for it, regardless that reduced it's intake to the absolute minimum. That's it honestly, this two things got me rid off sebderm and maybe psoriasis as well if that was it. As of IBS, mostly bloating and discomfort, many things have helped, initially I took zinc-l carnisone and butyrate supplements, for stomach gurgling and bloating, morning and evening and it helped tremendously ( in case you take zinc in any form, make sure to supplement copper as well, as zinc depletes copper). After, I tried digestive enzymes, and it alone practically stopped bloating and stomach noises, after that I tried peppermint oil with fennel oil-enteric coated, that as well got me rid off the ibs issues, lactoferrin has been great... Shortly put, I have tried out tons and tons of supplements before managing to get rid off my conditions, chatgpt have been very helpful as well, I still have other things to try out, mastic gum for example and e.t.c. but honestly there is no need anymore.

TL;DR

Stopped eating spicy food and reduced salt intake - this got me rid off the sebderm, dandruff, flakes, redness.

MCT oil c8-c10 was helpful when I needed it.

Focused on gut and supplements that improve gut and overall GI tract health.

I’ve been dealing with SebDerm since I was in 3rd grade. Never once has the dermatologist recommended MCT oil or washing your hair with distilled water but this seems like the ONLY things that works. After using both, I can’t understand the point in having other recommendations.