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pic (NSFW, unsightly)
http://www.globalskinatlas.com/imagedetail.cfm?TopLevelid=1103&ImageID=2622&did=218
chronic skin disease (inflammation), unknown cause, possibly fungal or hormonal, pile of shit
characteristics are red sore itchy inflamed skin around the nose, eyebrows, scalp and chin, build-up of dead skin, dry skin, oily skin and pustules (weepy oily bumps)
hydrocortisol steroid (eg cutivate, dermacort) is the most common method of treatment but i avoided this because everyone online said it can/will fuck it up worse, or something. i also thought i had rosacea until i recently re-diagnosed myself. plus i didnt want a "quick fix" cream if i could find the underlying cause (eg diet).
i went gluten-free for 3-4 weeks (only beef, veg n dairy) with no improvement (im still basically on this diet, occaisional sandwich or KFC).
after 3 weeks i didnt shave for 4 days. i grow facial hair very fast. not shaving caused a big flare-up.
i later drank 27 units of vodka - no flareup. (still not entirely sure if beer is a trigger)
my current (new) routine:
1. shower 1-2x day
2. use Simple (fragrance-free) soap on face (and hair) in shower
3. use T-gel (tar? shampoo) on scalp (VERY effective) for 3 minutes, 1x or 2x
4. use T-gel also on face (dont think it does much). then use a moisturising conditioner (on hair lol)
5. now shave. every day (yes it hurts to begin with and is a bitch).
5. now use Simple oil-balancing wipes to exfoliate (rub off dead skin on face - yes it hurts to begin with. dont use exfoliating wipes, theyre too rough/overkill).
6. now use Dermacort 0.1% hydrocortisone cream (very weak, prescribed by doctor although i think you can get 1% over-the-counter lol)
been doing this for 3-4 days and looking much better. presueably after i have to stop using the hydrocortisone i will switch back to Simple moisturiser cream.
i know that during a flare-up it is unthinkable to exfoliate but even gentle rubbing will get the dead skin off after a shower (use proper women's wipes). also shaving every day is killer painful to begin with but IMO it is what is helping me so very much atm.
i feel like "shaving every day" is not an acceptable solution to this problem. i feel like it is the most affective thing but that it must be linked to something that can be gotten to even further.
i will see if i clear up completely with the help of the hydrocortisone, and then see what happens after i stop using it.
i dont really wanna be condemned to using medicated shampoos, shaving every day, and wacking on steroid creams for the rest of my life, but it looks like thats the way itll be :/ at least ive finally taken some serious action against it and not completely depressed (until the next flare-up)
 
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That sounds awful  Good luck combating it!
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Ew. That's frustrating. How long have you had it?
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not sure, i kinda remember having sick dandruff when i was like 7 (might not be true, or might just be because my parents only made me bath once a week), in highschool i was the spottiest person in the whole school and eventually got on roaccutane (strongest stuff for acne, might be banned now), which left me with killer dry skin which i brushed with water at every opportunity coz my parents never got me moisturiser (god knows why), later years im honestly not sure, its been a blur of frustration and not caring because i got so used to looking hideous, i guess i musta gone through long periods of not having it. oh i had terrible acne on my chest for so long, had various ointments and antibiotics (which work well for a while but it eventually came back). i cant pinpoint when the dermatitis started but thankfully ive been (mostly) free of acne for a long time. upper body is completely covered in tiny white marks which are scars from acne, but that doesnt look bad or is visible imo
my dad was a doctor and my mother very caring, so i have fucking idea why they fucked up my hygiene and medical/personal care so badly from start to finish :/
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Ew. Dad wasn't at home a lot or?
Isotretinoin is strooong stuff.
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idk, dont really like to think about it because theyre cool over-all and its like digging up the past where i have no place to judge
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Thats unfortunate. My brother has the same exact condition. His hygiene used to be really good, but he has been extremely depressed as of late because of seborrheic dermatits. He has done that diet as well and has tried many creams (not sure on steroids. Don't think he did because as you said it can fuck you up). It is a shame that there is no possible cure for this? (Besides steroids). I mean, how is it possible that doctors have not found a efficient and effective way to cure this shit?
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the hydrocortisone (and other types) is easily abused i think. im on 0.1% when the standard is 1% afaik. it also reacts badly when you dont have sebdem and instead have rosacea (iirc, which is why i never tried it before iirc). so that might explain the complaints.
your brother:
antibiotics for the acne
fragrance-free (makeup-removal) wipes for the dead skin
t-gel (google it) or similar for the scalp
shave every day
tell him to try it for 5 days, nomatter how much it hurts. he should feel better after 4
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Hahah, That T-Gel stuff is pretty...goopy.
I've got Cerebral Psoriasis (which is different than dandruff, but just as embarrassing cause everyone just assumes you have terribad dandruff lol) and that was one of the things I had to use. The stuff is so thick, it's nuts.
I'm not really sure about your condition, but mine is tied a lot to stress - there's not really a "cure" or a solution for it, and it seems like yours is kind of similar. One of the things I do, is if an area gets really bad, I can take some oils and kind of gently massage them into the area, like grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil. Leaving overnight seems to be a lot better, too.
I think it's just something - for now - you'll have to just deal with. I was told the same thing, as generally psoriasis doesn't really "go away" it just kind of hibernates if it's not effecting you.
This is, of course, assuming the conditions are similar - it sure seems like they are, but I've not really read a whole lot on Seborrheic Dermatitis other than what you've put up.
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I actually had this about 5 years ago.
It took a few months to completely disappear.
Basically I was prescribed a topical steroid cream (hydrocortizone) to use for a few weeks. The one I was given was Daktacort. Then always always use moisturiser after showering with lukewarm water.
Sorry to tell you this but shaving has no effect on this. Just use a machine if you want to make sure you dont aggrevate it.
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I saw ur list and there is 2 things I used succesfully that aren't there (I won't watch that pic, seems scary).
1.- 30 mins sunbath everyday (whenever is sunny). Adjust according to skin color, I assume u are very white (cause u have acne) so 30 should be fine.
2.- Vinegar showers. I can't remember where I read about it, but it does wonders drying off acne. Just dilute vinegar into a 2% solution and put it all over acne areas while u shower. Wait 1-2 mins, and rince off. Do this daily.
U can also go hardcore and just apply outside of shower (w/o rinse) on really bad acne parts, helps a lot aswell.
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I have this too and it is really frustrating. So, here's a little snippet of what can happen (at least in my case.) Two weeks ago I took a shower that was as hot as it could go because I hadn't had an outbreak in a while luckily. I got it on my face around my nose (side) and I'm thinking oh well it's probably just from me shaving/hot shower. Bad idea. (So much fun to shave a face that's basically a rash) Two days later my face looks and feels like a dried out splattered tomato. The problem with this condition is that it can be caused by stress and so when your face feels and looks like shit you get a little stressed out. It's a mean and cyclical thing lol.
Anyway, my triggers seem to be heat (from a shower), not shaving regularly, something diet related (hard to pinpoint), stress for sure, weather changing (I didn't get it much at all in the winter.)
For my face I use the aforementioned "Cutivate" but I haven't had the issue with having to use it continuously. I'm not advocating you run out and get a prescription for it but I'd consider it if you continue to have issues. I'm going to be watching more closely to make sure I don't suffer from this rebound that you mentioned.
I also have issues with scalp. That's a whole different story in terms of treatment. My dermatologist recommended that I take T/SAL (salicylic acid) and extra strength T/Gel and combine them because apparently in the 90's or 80's they were in one shampoo but the FDA made them split it up. This is in combination with a foam called Luxiq. Using just the shampoos I see an improvement but it's still an issue with the dermatitis flakes. Luxiq seemed to work after repeated use for a few days, but then I would stop using it just out of forgetfulness because I didn't have any flakes and it seems to behave like an anti-biotic in that you should keep going a little longer than it seems necessary. I'm going to try again and see how it goes and I'll update it if it works out for me.
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Gryffindor:
Yep. That was my trigger as well: heat from a hot shower. Completely disappeared after I realised this, stopped having hot showers and applied moisturisers after showering.
Also, to the guys too scared of using steroids. Dont worry, the amount of steroid in those creams is so small, it would take some pretty damn serious abuse to thin your skin and/or discolour it. There are there to help you so you might as well use them as intended.
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Yeah one more thing about the steroid creams is that at least in the case of Cutivate my dermatologist said I can't use it for more than 2 weeks at a time. So, 2 weeks of use if needed and then no more for 2 more weeks because apparently if you use it too much your face will explode with acne or something.
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United States11637 Posts
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I have not had any skin diseases of this kind, but I have quite sensitive skin, and in the winter my skin gets really dried out and chapped/flakey because of the dry heated air in my room and cold wind outside. It is normally a bit oily though, so I have both issues at once.
Something that's done wonders for me in Vitamin E oil. I apply it directly to my skin with cotton balls right after I shower and the pores are opened up. It traps the moisture from the shower, clears up all dryness, and seems to prevent my skin from getting oily. However, it takes a few hours to sink in, so if you don't want to be walking around with an incredibly shiny face, do it in the evening before bed. (Shouldn't be a problem if you are showering twice a day then.)
Not sure if it would help, but certainly seems like something worth trying, as it is very good for you skin regardless of its effect on your condition. It can be bought in a bottle in the vitamin section of pharmacies for around $10 or so.
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I have had this as well for the past 2 years. It doesn't hurt at all (except when I don't shave for a bit and it starts to break the skin further... it only hurts when I shave it because it leaves destroyed skin exposed). It's annoying because it leaves a mark of white skin pieces when it flares up and then a red wound when I treat it, leaving my face scarred for a couple of days. The "wounds" from it go away after 2-3 days of using cortisone cream twice a day.
It's a life long disease with no real cure besides controlling the symptoms/flare ups as far as I know. I use very weak cortisone creams (0.05%... below the basic 0.1% HC creams most people get prescribed) and it works well enough.
Edit : I see someone said he had this and it went away. I didn't bother to do much research about the disease to be honest so don't take my word for fact here. It's the information I was given though when I was diagnosed.
Getting a routine is the best way to deal with it. I sometimes go for months with hectic routines where I don't shave everyday or apply creams everyday and it's popping up non-stop.
On the other hand, I can go a few weeks following a basic shave everyday + apply cream twice a day (cortisone when I see it acting up, moisturizer otherwise) and it doesn't really come back much, and when it does it's much easier to get rid of it with the cortisone cream. Seriously, facial hair is the biggest problem so just keep it clean shave. Sucks but it's worth not having red dots that burn up all over your face and flakes of dead skin all over your face.
To be honest, it's important to control it otherwise it will spread much further. I have it around my nose, a small spot next to my lips, a very small spot under my eyebrow that you can't really see (wtf disease, why? T_T) and on parts of my jaw. It started just on the jaw and I ignored it for a bit too long which is why it spread. I'm taking more precautionary actions now to avoid it spreading more (I recently had a build up of dead skin on my scalp; hoping it was just a sun burn because it only lasted 2-3 days and yeah, I don't want it spreading there).
As far as over usage of cortisone cream : It can affect your skin long term. It's VERY important to apply it in small dosage (IE that you feel it on your skin, but not that you actually leave a giant spot of cream. Only apply it where needed, and in the thinnest way possible. Using the weakest possible cortisone cream that is effective is suggested, especially on your face because of the long term side effects (weakening of the skin, leading to very sensitive skin if you abuse it... it essentially makes your skin thinner). I'm not sure about the 2 weeks at a time thing, and I'm too lazy to open up my books right now, but it makes sense. You need to avoid using the cream as much as possible when you don't see anything (of course, ignoring your skin disease is worse, so don't limit your usage out of fear).
On June 12 2011 11:25 RedJustice wrote:
I have not had any skin diseases of this kind, but I have quite sensitive skin, and in the winter my skin gets really dried out and chapped/flakey because of the dry heated air in my room and cold wind outside. It is normally a bit oily though, so I have both issues at once.
Something that's done wonders for me in Vitamin E oil. I apply it directly to my skin with cotton balls right after I shower and the pores are opened up. It traps the moisture from the shower, clears up all dryness, and seems to prevent my skin from getting oily. However, it takes a few hours to sink in, so if you don't want to be walking around with an incredibly shiny face, do it in the evening before bed. (Shouldn't be a problem if you are showering twice a day then.)
Not sure if it would help, but certainly seems like something worth trying, as it is very good for you skin regardless of its effect on your condition. It can be bought in a bottle in the vitamin section of pharmacies for around $10 or so.
It can help moisturize skin, a good reason to use it is exactly what you say : dry skin. It won't, however, help clear the dermatitis. Cortisone cream is the best way for that. Using it when your face is not having any flare ups is not a bad idea. Probably won't help much but, from my experience, using a moisturizer helps keep my face clean longer.
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ya vitamin d or sunlight is good for skin conditions like this or psorisis. If you have a lot of stress that can be a trigger. If your skin is ever really dry you might wanna try extra virgin olive oil at night before bed. It is an antioxidant and anti inflammatory.
Good luck brother. Find a good derm as they are not all equal in expertise.
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Mine started by the right side of my nose, then spread to the left side, then under the nose, then a bit farther from the nose, then under the eyebrows, then a bit between the eyebrows. I also have something on the edge of my forehead and hair. (plus some "dandruff") Have it for quite some time now. It's annoying, if I don't babysit my face I end up looking like a tomato after a few days (and I'm pretty pale so it's high contrast), and it itches/hurts and everything. Doesn't really help socially or mentally. I'll never get used to it. It's stressful. Every time I walk out I'm self-conscious of my face and I'm thinking maybe something is visible, because outside air tends to dry it or something. It's hard to face and talk to people like that.
Yea, shaving every day helps tons, at least for me. If I don't shave for a few days, shit starts going on under the facial hair. T_T
If I don't clean dead skin every day carefully it gets worse very quickly, so ALWAYS follow routine. NEVER skip anything. Once it gets better, it can be kept in check more easily.
Also, don't touch it unless you're cleaning it. Even if it itches, because it can spread. Don't touch your face, period. (I always touch it T_T)
I'm going to try no hot water as some people have suggested. But I usually used hot water to loosen up my skin so I can clean it more thoroughly. I have also always wanted to get some sunlight regularly.
Anyway, I visited a dermatologist, and she prescribed some things to me which made it all go away, no trace. There were like 2 creams, 1 lotion and some vitamins/minerals for the skin. After 1 day of applying those things it became barely visible, and after about 3 it was as if it were never there. But as I'm bad with routine, I didn't follow everything regularly and to the letter, so it returned. I've heard stories of people that got rid of it. I'm thinking about starting the treatment again and following it to the letter.
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EPT
