Pink spots and itchy, flaking skin – seborrheic dermatitis, an unpleasant skin condition, affects up to 5% of the population. Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic disease so there’s no satisfactory answer to getting rid of seborrhea once and for all. But you can largely suppress its symptoms. Here’s what works for seborrheic dermatitis.
What is seborrhea?
Seborrhea or seborrheic dermatitis (dermatitis seborrheic) is a chronic skin disease that can occur at any age – from infancy to adulthood. Seborrhea is caused by a yeast of the genus Malassezia. This is commonly found on the skin and feeds on skin sebum. When the yeast overgrows, inflammation occurs on the skin and the skin responds by forming new cells more quickly, in the topmost layer of the skin. The dead cells then form the typical manifestations of seborrhea – dandruff, crusting and flaky skin.
How to recognise seborrheic dermatitis
Seborrhea typically occurs in areas where there are a large number of sebaceous glands – on the scalp, chest and face in the area above the eyebrows or around the nose. Symptoms of seborrhea include pinkish patches and peeling skin with yellow-brown flakes, with the skin becoming easily irritated and itchy.
