Seborrheic Dermatitis, Scalp Acne, And Hair Loss -- Anyone?

[Suswang]

My hair loss, like many of you, has coincided with seb. dermatitis and scalp acne. Topicals alone (including 2% ketoconazole shampoo, Head and Shoulders, and 3% salicylic acid shampoo) have not been enough.

Any suggestions for what has worked for anyone in terms of dietary changes? I follow a very healthy diet but think the following foods that I often consume might be potential culprits: fruit juice, protein (vegan) powder, flax seed oil, or dark chocolate.

 

[doyle11]

Have you tried nizoral? I used to have a very red, tight and painful scalp with horrible white spots, I stopped using regular shampoos altogether and only exclusively wash my head in water/nizoral and it cleared up a treat

 

[HNMB]

Been dealing with the same for ages now. Scalp acne (which derm said is probably SD), dandruff, and general acne on my face and upper back/shoulders. Makes me think part of my hair loss might be due to some fungal infection. Haven't tried anything, I just use head and shoulders which kind of helps but thinking about picking up some Nizoral. I just hate how it supposedly ruins your hair quality.

 

[Suswang]

Hi, Doyle. I've just updated my original post. I use 2% Nizoral 1x-2x/week, on top of Head and Shoulders at least once a week and 3% salicylic acid shampoo 1x-2x per week. It's not been enough.

HNMB: Do you follow a healthy diet? Do you have any suspicions about what might be causing the acne? I definitely believe all of my skin/scalp issues are related.

 

[HNMB]

Hi, Doyle. I've just updated my original post. I use 2% Nizoral 1x-2x/week, on top of Head and Shoulders at least once a week and 3% salicylic acid shampoo 1x-2x per week. It's not been enough.

HNMB: Do you follow a healthy diet? Do you have any suspicions about what might be causing the acne? I definitely believe all of my skin/scalp issues are related.

I don't eat much to be honest, it's definitely health er than the average American but it could be better. Maybe cut back on the sugar. No idea what's causing it, and considering my older brother doesn't have any acne nor any hair loss I don't believe it's 100% genetic.

 

[Yexboj]

My hair loss, like many of you, has coincided with seb. dermatitis and scalp acne. Topicals alone (including 2% ketoconazole shampoo, Head and Shoulders, and 3% salicylic acid shampoo) have not been enough.

Any suggestions for what has worked for anyone in terms of dietary changes? I follow a very healthy diet but think the following foods that I often consume might be potential culprits: fruit juice, protein (vegan) powder, flax seed oil, or dark chocolate.

Do you feel itchiness? Does your scalp burn when you sweat or apply water? Do you have tiny white scabs of sebum? I suspect i have rhe same issue but havent been diagnosed yet

 

[Lycoo]

I've been diagnosed with Seborrheic Dermatitis since I was 18 (I'm now 26). Went to the best specialists in town, wasted thousands of euros in local treatments, it never worked.

Since then my main symptoms have been scalp iching, white sebum on scalp , bloating and hair loss.

One year ago I stopped eating gluten, and the SD instantly went away, as well as hair loss. However 6 months ago it came back in full force. Recently I looked up for the gut connection on the internet. Turned out I have most likely a Candida infection (candida infection causes deficiency due to leaky gut and inflammatory reaction = hair loss). I bought several antifungal supplements (garlic, oregano oil etc.) but it turns out the only real treatment is "starving" the candida by not eating any sugar/carbohydrates for a while. It means getting rid of all pasta, bread, anything made of flour, fruits (because sugar) etc... for a guy like me that used to eat lot of pasta every single day, this is insanely hard (carbohydrates must be more addictive than any other drug).

alcohol is also prohibited, at least the drinks containing the most sugar

Look up candida on the internet if you want to know more. There is a very simple test (spit in a glass of water) to know if you're infected


PS : as someone who wasted 8 years of hairloss and an insane amount of money on dermatologists, I advise you not to make the same mistake. Mines laughed at my face when I said diet was potentially the cause for my "seborrheic dermatitis", when it was indeed the case. Most dont know sh*t and their creams or shampoos are more damaging than effective (and in any case, only temporary since the real problem is inside you).

 

[Artisan]

My hair loss, like many of you, has coincided with seb. dermatitis and scalp acne. Topicals alone (including 2% ketoconazole shampoo, Head and Shoulders, and 3% salicylic acid shampoo) have not been enough.

Any suggestions for what has worked for anyone in terms of dietary changes? I follow a very healthy diet but think the following foods that I often consume might be potential culprits: fruit juice, protein (vegan) powder, flax seed oil, or dark chocolate.

In terms of culprits you may also want to consider dairy. Also regarding Lycoo's informative post about yeast infections, I'm a big believer in it even though I don't think it's something that doctors do. Found decent link for more info:

https://bodyecology.com/articles/unknown_health_epidemic.php

 

[abcdefg]

Welcome to the club. There is no cure just learn to live with it. I think its male pattern baldness and hormones. I would try RU or an male pattern baldness treatment.
male pattern baldness id argue is more common in men than women, and so is seb derm/dandruff. Its all connected somehow but we dont know why. I think its mostly hormone driven just like acne.

 

[Roxxy]

I realize this thread is old but others will happen upon it as I have. I had very stubborn sebderm for a year. No steroid, medicated shampoo, apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, diet changes helped for more than a few days.

Then I went from 60 hours to 20 hours a week, and the sebderm started to ease up within days. I couldn't believe it.

A few weeks later, at a dermotogist's recommendation, I began taking low dose of doxycycline, which has been shown to reduce inflammation (needed in my case for hair regrowth). The sebderm continued to get better.
At one point, I had a stressful week, and it flared, but I was able to get it under control in a week with ketoconozole shampoo + Taclonex (steroid) lotion. I've been free of sebderm for 6 weeks now!

I didn't want to believe the doctors when they said stress was a big factor. In my case, I think they were right. Early in treatment, I had resisted steroids, but I can now see their utility. I'm careful to use them only when necessary and to take time off from them.

This is what seems to be working for *me*. I'm not saying everyone should rule out other approaches and go this route. I think it's important to try different things in a systematic way.

Now I'm in the phase of trying to keep my hair in my scalp. Frustrating but as I've learned, perseverance seem to pay off.

 

[Roxxy]

To clarify, by "60 hours to 20 hours a week," I mean at work.