seborrheic dermatitis

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Looking for some help or advice. Last year I developed this condition on my face, it's the same fungus that causes dandruff.
GP prescribed dandrazol shampoo to use as a facewash and it seemed to clear it up.
I recently have had another flare but this one is much worse, my skin in my forehead, cheeks and nose is sore and itchy and roaring red all the time . The shampoo doesn't seem to be working, I've tried a steroid cream too, theatre cream/oil etc but nothing seems to be helpful.
Feeling so down and self conscious about it.

Can anyone recommend anything else? I will go back to the GP but at the minute like everywhere, it's impossible to get an appointment.

TIA

*teatree cream

What shampoo did you use?

My DD suffers (on her scalp and her ears) and we've found that the only thing that keeps it under control is a shampoo with selenium in. But it's hard to get. And it smells.

I'd steer clear of steroid cream for your face, it can cause perioral dermatitis.

Have you tried not using anything at all on your face? If you wear makeup have you renewed it all? Is there any way you can go makeup/moisturiser/product free for a couple of weeks to see what happens?

@JuneOsbourne i've been prescribed dandrazol for it in the past. It's a bit like Nisrol.

I'd love to go no make up but it's a catch 22 because it looks so bad, like I've been sunburnt.

wish it was in my scalp, at least it wouldn't be so obvious. I've always had brilliant skin on my face, nearly 40 and have no idea what triggered this

I’ve had this, it’s not pleasant!

Mine seems to flare up when I eat bread and when I drink a lot of cheap red wine.

Mine was in my scalp, on my face and in my ears but I got some relief from a hair rinse made from apple cider vinegar diluted with cold water.

@NoraButty I'm at my wit's end with it, here is a picture . It's so itchy and sore, 😞

I feel for you. Over the last 4 years I've had various skin issues and flare ups on my face. Recently I had inflamed dermatitis around both eyes. I think you need to stop wearing make up to alow your skin time to heal. The recent issue was caused by eye shadow.

the worst one was just before the furst lickdown, it made me so self conscious, I had a horrendous inflamed, weepy rash from my eyebrows to my chin, all down the right side that took months to clear. I had back to back antibiotics and various steroid creams, emollients etc.

When I've had flare ups, I've been able to call the GP and give an update over the phone to the receptionist and they've either asked to see me or sent a new prescription for different meds to my pharmacy. That might be worth a try.

Selsun shampoo, not the blue one (I will try to find a link). I had this on my head for years, then just before lockdown it spread to face. Suffered for ages and then long story short, washed my face with it and that really helped.

First lockdown! *

I've suffered from this, which came on completely out of the blue. Firstly, I was prescribed Nizoral for hair and face. I used it religiously for weeks, but it made no difference. In the end, I was so self conscious that I made a private appointment with a dermatologist. It was very pricey, but he prescribed 'Daktacort 2%' and another moisturiser cream which was on prescription too ( I can't recall the name but can find out if you need it). It cleared up within a week, after about 18 months of trying absolutely everything else. I can't tell you how much I spent on Google recommended creams and potions!! Anyway, best of luck with it!!

Bit of a diaster (as I still needed this to manage my scalp) but it looks like this is out of stock in the UK. This has happened before so hopefully it'll be back but it could take years.

There's a medicated head and shoulders which has the same active ingredient, selenium sulphide, which might be worth a try

This cleared it up for my husband. Called scalp cream but can be used anywhere.

moogooskincare.co.uk/scalp-cream-international-120g

Tha KS everyone, some things to try here. I did read that using canesten can help too, will look at the selenium sulphide.
Going no makeup would be tough as it looks so bad. And I work in a client facing job, but I might try and limit the makeup just to days when I am in the office.

I know there are worse things but I also have lichens scelorsis so have had my fill of sore, itchy skin

I've ordered the stinky stuff cream, has anyone ever used it? Definitely considering booking a private appointment.

I’m going through exactly this at the moment. I also think it might be steroid withdrawal. It really is a thing. I’ve got a private dermatologist appointment on Thursday, I will let you know what they say.

Try Sebclair cream for your face. It's sorted mine totally, been using it for years now, no flare-ups. It's medium priced but it goes really far so actually doesn't cost much at all.
Warning though, when I started using it my skin got a bit worse for a week or two, but then improved rapidly.

What I am trying atm is moisture withdrawal. I’ve been poorly and not worried what I look like, so I haven’t been putting anything on. Today it is very dry but so much less red!

PS, apart from the Sebclair cream I don't use anything except water on my face. I wear makeup maybe a few times a year. My skin is clear and glowy now though so this is fine.

Try a cheap athlete foot's cream. I get it around my nose and putting the cream under my usual moisturiser really helps.

I’ve had this since I was a teenager. Tried everything over the years but the only thing that works is Daktakort Ointment (not the cream). You apply a small amount at night when you can see/feel it coming on. Works like a charm. I was prescribed it by a dermatologist at hospital, but obviously your doctor can prescribe as well.

I sometimes see people on the tube/bus who have SD and have to stop myself from telling them!

I will ring my GP on Monday and ask for this. Seems to be a pretty common issue, I reckon my dad has it too but he never did anything about it.

Ask to be referred to dermatology or for allergy testing. I had dreadful SD on my face and it turned out to be triggered by allergies. A combination of oral antibiotics, topical steroids and other creams, as well as strictly removing the allergens from my environment, cleared it up. Identifying and avoiding my allergens also cleared up several other mild but chronic skin issues I had, but which I had never sought help for as I thought that was just what my skin did.

BTW SD on the scalp is not necessarily better than on the face - it caused me permanent hair loss. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The most soothing thing I found to put on my distressed skin was pure coconut oil. The sort you find in food shops. It is solid at room temperature. I would gently drag the back of my index fingernail across the surface to scrape a little up. Then I rubbed it in my palms to melt and applied it gently to my face. About half a fingernailsworth treated my whole face and did not leave it oily. If your face looks oily or shiny after you've applied it, there's too much. Rub some off using your forearms.

I don't generally wear make up in any case, but I occasionally did when my skin was in flare up. Of course it's distressing to look like that, but, ultimately, wearing make up made it worse. I didn't find that the makeup itself was the problem, but the lotions to remove it made my skin worse.

Body Shop ginger shampoo seems a second best to Selsun shampoo and CeraVe creams calms my skin down.