What are you looking for?

SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS.

Considered a chronic form of eczema, seborrheic dermatitis is a rash characterized by erythema and greasy scales and occurs most commonly on the scalp. It also affects the face, ears, especially around the nose, eyebrows, on the eyelids or behind the ears with the potential to spread into the body.

Seborrheic Dermatitis is often quoted as affecting 1-3% of the adult population: the majority of studies have found that SD is commoner in males and the disease detection rate has been found to increase sharply above the age of 20 with a peak prevalence reported around the age of 30 years in men and later peaks in women around the age of 40 or 50 years.

SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS.

Advances in molecular diagnostic techniques have led to the identification of seven main species of Malassezia yeast to be responsible for Seborrheic Dermatitis and dandruff.
However, these yeasts are not conventional pathogens as they are part of the normal skin microbiome and the mechanisms whereby they trigger diseases remains unclear.⁽¹⁾

Seborrheic dermatitis may be difficult to distinguish from psoriasis, which presents in a similar distribution with persistent red scaly plaques with well-defined borders.

TREATMENTS

Although the cause of the disease is unclear, genes and hormones play a role. Also, the microorganisms that live on the skin naturally have been implicated, and a number of treatments including ketoconazole and ciclopirox shampoos and creams are directed against these organisms.

Other compounds such as zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid, and coal tar shampoos may also be effective.

Treatment for seborrheic dermatitis focuses on loosening scale, reducing inflammation and swelling, and curbing itch.

Moisturisers are commonly used to overcome dry skin, interrupting dry skin cycle while maintaining skin smoothness as they improve skin hydration and increase stratum corneum water content, also covering small skin fissures, provide a soothing protective film and protects skin from friction.

Moisturisers also have several benefits aside from skin moistening. Some of the possible functions provided by moisturisers are as follows:

Anti-inflammation
Antipruritic
Antimitotic
Wound healing

SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS IN INFANTS (CRADLE CAP)

Infantile SD presents primarily with cradle cap and/or napkin dermatitis.

The condition is most common between the ages of 4 and 16 weeks and is estimated to affect up to 41.7%⁽³⁾

Infantile SD is also known as cradle cap or crusta lactea, crusty yellow or brown scales on their scalp, with the prevalence dropping quickly after the first birthday.

Cradle cap starts with the scalp becoming thickly coated with greasy, yellowish, waxy scales that stick to the head, making it look crusted.

Additional involvement of the eyebrows, paranasal areas, forehead, temples, neck fold and behind the ears is often present and this distribution has been considered helpful in distinguish infantile SD from atopic eczema.

Cradle cap is not usually itchy and causes no discomfort to babies. ⁽⁴⁾

If the cradle cap does not clear by itself within a few months, the following suggestions may be helpful⁽⁵⁾:

Soften the scales prior to washing with emollient (medical moisturizer).
Frequent, gentle shampooing of the scalp will remove crusts and excess scales.
Gentle brushing with a soft brush will help to loosen the scales.
If the baby is itchy or the cradle cap persists, or any symptoms other than those due to seborrheic dermatitis appear, consult your paediatrician.

^{⁽¹⁾ Rook's Textbook of Dermatology}

^{⁽²⁾ The Role of Moisturizers in Addressing Various Kinds of Dermatitis: A Review Schandra Purnamawati, MD, *† Niken Indrastuti, Dr,* Retno Danarti, Dr,* and Tatan Saefudin, MD‡}

^{⁽³⁾ Bernard Cohen. Differential Diagnosis of Diaper Dermatitis. Clinical Pediatrics 2017, Vol. 56}

^{⁽⁴⁾ Christopher Griffiths, Jonathan Barker, Tanya Bleiker, Robert Chalmers, Daniel Creamer, Rook's Textbook of Dermatology, 2016}

^{⁽⁵⁾ Seborrhoeic dermatitis and cradle cap in infants factsheet, National Eczema Society}

ASK YOUR DOCTOR

Always seek the advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition or before starting a treatment.

RELIZEMA™ CREAM

ARE YOU A DOCTOR?

R Academy is the educational and training platform that provides the physicians with high quality medical contents. Enter the World R Academy and sign up to the platform to take advantage of all the knowledge, the training contents and the products we have set up for you.

JOIN OUR R Academy TRAINING PROGRAM

RELIFE S.r.l. Via dei Sette Santi 3, 50131 Florence, ITALY Tel +39 (055) 56809345 - Fax +39 (055) 56809346

RELIFE S.r.l.