My skin is fucking ruining my life.

[Daffodil12321]

3 years ago I developed seborrheic dermatitis completely out of the blue and it very quickly spread across my scalp. It’s now across my whole scalp as well as inside and around my ears. There isn’t a single mm of my scalp with it.

i visited a doctor who was utterly shocked and said they had never seen seborrheic dermatitis as severe as this. They were completely lost for words and immediately we did blood tests to check my immune system which didn’t show any problems thankfully.

since then we have tried everything imaginable. All the over the counter products for example t gel, nizoral and hibiscrub (among millions of other things). We have also tried antibiotics, steroid creams/solutions, steroid tablets, Anti fungal creams/shampoos/solutions and anti fungal tablets. I was also under a dietician and have done every elimination diet possible from sugar to dairy to gluten to yeast to literally everything.

Nobody knows why this happened so suddenly and why it’s so severe. And sadly nobody seems to be able to treat it.

its obvious and embarrassing and also extremely uncomfortable too.

does anyone know anything about this and why this has happened? And what I can do to fix it?

I am really sorry OP.

When you say you’ve seen a doctor is that a dermatologist or your Gp?

My DS developed this immediately after his vaccinations, of course we aren't meant to say that's what caused it though! After many doctors and dermatologist appointments, allergy tests and dietitians, I saw a homeopath who treated it within 2 weeks and it never returned (again, MN will turn itself inside out telling me that can't have happened!)

I’m sorry OP, I’m not a doctor and know nothing about your condition. I have psoriasis on my scalp and it’s awful if I don’t blow dry my hair because the water sits on my scalp whilst my hair air-dries and inflames it. Could it be caused/exacerbated by something like that? Could it be caused by water or something in your tap water? Could you try washing with bottled water to see if that helps?

I have been using Healpsorin shampoo and conditioner for a while now after nothing prescribed by my GP did any good. I found it by googling and it has made a huge difference. My scalp is very rarely itchy and the scabs have all gone. I've even been to a hairdresser and had my hair cut and coloured which seemed like something I'd never be able to do again.

I had this about 20 + years ago, it was on my face, eyelids, forehead and scalp. I saw a dermatologist and used nizoral shampoo (which knackers your hair) and I think an ointment called daktacort. It eventually went and I’ve never had it since. If you’ve only seen a GP you need a referral to dermatology.

What did the homeopath actually treat it with? Your comment has intentionally omitted the only part that might actually help the OP.

My partner got his under control using a Zinc pyrithione product called Noble. I’ll link to it here nobleformula.com/collections/nf-shampoo

He ended up buying the active ingredient and making his own skin cream which he still uses and he’s been free from the condition for around nine years now.

OP try washing your pillowcase regularly with persil non bio powder (has to be powder) and an extra rinse on the washing cycle.
As a PP has said, blow dry your hair after every wash.
After you've washed with your treatment shampoo, leave the shampoo on the scalp for as long as you can - 20 minutes ideally.
I'm guessing you've tried Enstilar but if you haven't, ask your GP for it.

Are you anxious / stressed? I have a skin condition around my eyes that only flares up when I am.

Have you actually seen an NHS consultant dermatologist, OP?

Massive sympathies, btw.

Is this the same as cradle cap? If so I get it on and off. I have a feeling in my case I'm allergic to Limonene and linolool which are in a lot of products such as shampoos.

OP, has anyone mentioned light therapy? A friend has found it very successful for psoriasis.

a study here seems to show good results for SD, too.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11069503/

Yes. My partner has it. Interesting that drying your hair straight after washing can help.

I have read that accutane (roaccutane) can help, it’s usually used for acne

With three years of unsuccessful treatment behind me and this level of misery, I'd be wanting a secure diagnosis from a consultant dermatologist.

We can all suggest things, but the diagnosis is crucial.

Could you be in peri-menopause? My skin went mental when I was in peri-. HRT has helped a lot, although I still have small dodgy patches.

Care to detail how the homeopath cured it?

Came here to suggest trying a homeopath. It has its place imo and if i had tried everything you had then i would be up for giving it a go. They will be interested in exploring what could have triggered it and trying to treat it from the inside out, rather than suppress it which is what steroid creams etc do.

I have sebhorric dermatitis and eczema. For my scalp I find I need to be MILITANT with my hair washing routine. Must be at least every third day. I can't not be bothered, my scalp will peel for weeks if I leave it another day. I must dry it with a hairdryer, can't leave it wet. Same with sweat, if I do exercise I can't leave my hair sweaty.

I have to use a head and shoulders (72 hours deep cleanse one), followed by ketoconazole once a week. Conditioner cannot get on my scalp so can't risk washing my hair in the bath. If it flares up I have to use Betnovate 0.1% twice a day.

Anything near my scalp needs to be cleaned regularly. Hats, headbands, hairbrush needs to be shampoo'd, pillowcases, even over-ear headphones have been known to cause a flare up. It's also linked to my allergies. If my hayfever isn't under control it get bad quick. I need to be careful not to get pollen in my hair and also it being warm also raises the sweat issue. If you have an allergy to dustmites, a pet etc maybe that could be contributing. I hope you find what works for you @Daffodil12321 .

I can scratch my scalp red raw, try Betnovate scalp lotion. Sprinkle through scalp after washing for 2-3 days, then twice a week, then as and when needed. Fantastic stuff.

I haven't found anything that works yet but I am covered head to foot in psoriasis (which started after covid). My feet and my scalp are worst affected. I'm under dermatology although have only had one appointment so far and I have steroid foams and ointments and a liquid for my scalp to use twice daily.

It's so annoying because my scalp is so itchy and flaky with big paoriasis plaques. My hair is very fine now and I can't colour my greys (only 38 so I don't know where they have come from!)

Interested to read what people suggest.

This forum is not going to cure you. You all need to see a dermatologist and have follow up appointments with them if you want to see an improvement. Don’t wait for the nhs to cure you because it ain’t gonna. Go solo and get seen if you can afford it. Your physical and mental health are the most precious things you will ever own.

My son had this as a child - he has done eczema too. We got it under control with olive oil to soak off the patches then using a medicated shampoo.

It sounds awful I really feel for you. But having a thread every week about it isn’t going to help, I’m afraid nobody here is going to have any cures or tips that weren’t mentioned on all the other threads you’ve had about the problem

Have you put a good water filter on the shower head? That was life changing for me, no shampoo and medication sorted me out, my scalp was raw bleeding itchy patches, it was horrible. If I forget to replace the filter by a week or two, it comes back quickly and it takes weeks to get back to normal.