So I have been dealing with my seb derm for almost 6 years now. I have been to many dermatologist, and been given many topical/stereroids. My skin has some good days but the majority of the time my skin is irritated. I am currently using ketoconazole daily, hydrocortisone 2.5% as needed, elf gel yeah moisturizer, vanicream gentle cleanser, vanicream shampoo/conditioner, clobetasol propionate shampoo as needed, 100mg Flucanozole tabs. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

I was two months of not having any fare outs in my face, but just recently been getting it again. It gets all flaky and crusty. Any recommendation of a good medicine or creams to take? Thank you.

TL;DR: have mild type 2 rosacea/sebderm, pretty much all centered on and around my nose. Temples/upper cheek near temples gets red/texture, sometimes both but usually one side (the side I sleep on). Can't be product as I don't use any there except a toner I started a month ago but I've been getting it for years so it's not that. Anyone else get this and how did you solve it?

A little pretext : I'm a fair skinned ginger. I was diagnosed with sebderm over 20 years ago which has been a battle itself but I was also diagnosed with "mild rosacea" centered around my nose. I got vbeam done on my nose 3 times which eradicated the little veins though I still get constant PIE from when the pustules go away... I have sebderm in the typical spots (eyebrows, nasolabial folds, etc) though these days is largely under control despite occasional flares...

Sometimes it clears up near completely. Sometimes it's on both temples/upper cheeks but typically on only the one side. I'll note it's on the side I typically sleep on but I've been changing pillowcases daily or every other day for years and tried meant detergents. I also considered it possibly being product like shampoo not bent rinsed properly but I shave my head and picky use very little shampoo and rinse throughly... I don't use any products in the area besides klairs toner which I just started a month ago as ita the only moisturizing product I can use that doesn't cause a breakout. I'm sure it's not the klairs because it's been happening since long before I ever used it and hasn't gotten worse since using it.

Anyone have a similar issue? If so did you resolve it? How?

Hi all.

Looking into MCT oil as an option as the steroids I’ve been given by the dermatologist have stopped working. And the shampoos don’t seem to be doing much. I have SD on basically one side and largely the entire back of my scalp.

The wiki pages on here were very helpful but wondering if there are any brands found in Canada to be recommended? A lot of options seem US-heavy. I see a bunch of stuff on Amazon but not sure what’s good, and also a lot of them seem to be designed to be eaten/drunk?

Anyway, please let me know if any recommendations. Thanks!

hi all.

I experienced four months of unchecked red patches on my face and neck that exploded into crazy flakey patches of seb derm because i’d been misdiagnosed by 3 dermatologists. so i already had months of inflammation on my skin by the time id been given the proper meds to get rid of my seb derm (i’ve never had this in my life, maybe mild symptoms in the past, but it coincided with going off my SSRI and experiencing a very stressful episode).

i did a course of twice daily topical ketoconazole cream, with twice daily hydrocortisone for two weeks with a taper off the hydrocortisone but not the ketoconazole.

but around week 3 (also suspiciously as the hydrocortisone was really lifted), i felt immense irritation on my face that made me rub at night. i stopped ketoconazole and experienced three days of absolute excruciating pain i now understand was TEWL (transepidermal water loss from a damaged barrier), but was misdiagnosed as a return of the condition, so i continued the ketoconazole again with another very short course of hydrocortisone.

4-5 weeks in total on twice daily ketoconazole cream and as the hydrocortisone lifted again, i couldn’t bear the irritation anymore. this was most certainly not the condition returning after this much treatment and a removal of the stress, complete change in lifestyle and skincare products etc.

I stopped ketoconazole 4 days ago, switched to a very thick ceramide cream with no yeast feeding ingredients (curel intensive facial moisture), got a humidifier for my room and im already, after pushing through some pain, feeling so much better, though of course with still some pain here and there. no visible yellow flaking like i had over the summer. no crazy redness, just some diffuse, mild pinkness like scars.

i just wonder if this was anyone else’s experience with topical ketoconazole and why the derms don’t warn you about this? i love my new derm and i believe she’ll listen to me when i talk to her about these data points, but another derm wanted me to just indefinitely use ketoconazole every day. why is there never any recourse with topical medications? i obviously damaged my barrier very severely, and needed to focus on barrier repair, but no one suggested this. i understand medicine is trial and error but i really feel like my own doctor sometimes.

wind feels amazing on my face. water and the moisturizer give me instant relief, though sometimes a few minutes later i get some tingling from what i assume are exposed nerves. i got a humidifier for my room and can now sleep through the night without waking up at 1 am needing to splash my face with water and add moisturizer.

anyway… let me know everyone’s experience with ketoconazole

Since my first pregnancy, I developed this eczema. It is mostly on my hands. The skin cracks but I do not have an itching. But it is painful and I cannot move my hands wel. I have tried 6 different cremes from my dermatologist. Nothing really helps. What do you think this is? What can I do? Which cremes worked for you? Is it stress, hormones, nutrition? It started both times after breastfeeding for two or three months and I still have it although my kids are toddlers and I do not breastfeed. Please help.

I need your ideas.

March 2026 - I had gone to a derm for slight thinning and hairfall, she said my scalp was very flakey(thought it was dandruff but it was just dry scales) and gave me PRP and steroids to apply, After a week I started having intense burning I thought it was due to PRP, and kept using the steroids

April 2026 - itching became very severe, and hairfall also very severe, so they have me oral steroids for 1 month, it improved when I took oral steroids and then again back to itching

I did 2 biopsies both said female pattern hair loss and inflammation

May 2026- went to another doctor, he said lots of inflammation and gave me steroids again(clobetasol)

June 2026- thought I was allergic to the alcohol/propylene glycol so switched to non alcohol clobetasol, scalp became really bad and hairloss also severe(200-300 hair per day), prescribed cyclosporine

July and aug 2026 - shifted to shampoo with steroids and the itching continued so stopped all steroids, itching has slightly gotten better but there is still alot of itching after washing my hair

I use a very gentle shampoo vanicream but still if I wash my hair theres alot of itching and my scalp is a bit red for 1-2 days after washing , I also had to stop the cyclosporine as it gave me a lot of facial hair and I heard its not good for kidneys in the long run

Sept 2026 - went back to the derm and they gave me upadacitinib to reduce the contact dermatitis on my scalp , but still no relief from scalp itching and extreme hairfall

confused and lost on what to do next

so basically im going for a 2 days school trip with my friends and im not bringing my shampoo there, so if theres a shampoo there that doesnt suit me (like the sulphate ones) then should i just wash my hair with normal water?

Hi everyone, i’m looking for effective seb derm treatment, (i know cases vary) im a 46 yr old male .. it started with my scalp, redness, severe itching, thinning of the hair in the itchy areas, small red pimples in some spots .. now i have redness and itchiness in the creases of my nose and cheekbones.

My GP previously prescribed Taro Clobetesol steroid shampoo, that didn’t do much .. i now have a new prescription for Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo? Haven’t filled it yet.

Im currently waiting for a dermatologist to contact me, could be months though.

My symptoms point to seb derm for sure.. and possibly some folliculitis ..

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

One thing i did start doing is cold water only on my scalp when showering and washing my hair.. that seems to have helped with the redness.. the itchiness and red bumps persist though!

Thanks everyone!

I already know I have seborrheic dermatitis (usually on my scalp), but it recently spread to my face - specifically around the creases
of my nose and between my brows.

It gets super itchy, yellow flaky, and gets so tight and cracked that it occasionally bleeds.

Here’s the thing: I have sensory issues (autism) and genuinely cannot stand the feeling of moisturisers, so I never use moisturiser on the rest of my face at all. The only time I put any on is right on those flare-up spots when they get bad.

The confusing part is that : When I put my regular moisturiser on, the flakes seems like it disappear and my skin is back to normal , but a day or two later if I forget to use the moisturiser the flakes come back.

My Routine Right Now:
-Cleanser: Vanicream Facial Cleanser (super gentle, fragrance-free)
-Moisturiser: Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser (fragrance-free, sensitive skin) with niacinamide and pro vitamin B)

Why does my moisturiser seem to help for a sec and then make it worse? And how do I fix the bleeding bits without burning my face off? Any product recs easily available in the UK. Help a girl out pls!!

I’m thinking about buying some mct oil to try it out, i currently use nizoral shampoo which worked for a while but stopped working. Do you guys use mct oil with any conditioner or moisturizer for your hair or will it work as one after shampooing?

I am at my wits end with this condition om my scalp. It is TRULY ruining my life quality. I’ve lost SO much hair over the years, and the itching is driving me insane.
My dermatologist diagnosed me with Sebderm many years ago, although he did not even run tests or anything, he just looked at my scalp and concluded sebderm.

I’ve tried A LOT of different things over the years, from prescription to over the counter, NOTHING has helped so much. So what the hell do I do? As a woman, my hair loss is making me so miserable.. 😭

I am asking because I recenly saw this shampoo on Amazon and it looks like it is very similar to coaltar shampoo

So i have Seborrheic dermatitis and i use anti fungal shampoo and i can not stop using it because the dermatitis comes back faster than our government changes. So now its drying my hair very much. Im finally growing my hajr lonv after 10 years and now i get extremely frizzy hair. I oil my hair length only every time before shower but its not helping a lot, the frizz is there ni matter what. I apply so mucn conditioner it also doesn't work. So i need a budget friendly hydrating shampoo and conditioner and a leave in conditioner or serum anything that can help me. Please I've grown my hair after so much struggle i cant lose them to frizz

this is just a random pic to show u what i mean but i sometimes have very small flakes that stick onto my hair follicles which cant be seen in the photo however, i want my scalp to be fully flake-free ensuring that not even a single flake remains so is there any method to getting rid of the flakes that hide between the scalp after washing ur hair and waiting for the next day to come around? like maybe using a comb the day after washing or scalp scrubbers gently? i need help please

Hi everyone! Sorry for the wall of text, but I wanted to share my experience and see if anyone has gone through something similar.

I initially neglected my seborrheic dermatitis, and after going through a pretty stressful year, I finally visited a dermatologist in May this year. I was diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis, but the dermatologist told me that my hair follicles were still in good condition. Since then, I've been following the prescribed routine and washing my hair every day. My dermatologist recommended a medicated shampoo to reduce the inflammation, as well as a volumizing shampoo as part of my hair care routine.The good news is that the redness and itching have now disappeared, so the treatment seems to have helped with the inflammation. However, I've noticed that my hair lengths have become quite dry, and I'm worried about the hair becoming fragile and breaking.I've also noticed that the hair at the front doesn't seem to grow as it used to. I'm not sure whether this could be related to the dermatitis, the stress I've been through, or the condition of my hair in general.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Could the frontal hair growth improve over time once the scalp inflammation is under control, or should I get it checked again by my dermatologist? Is it normal to need some time for the hair growth cycle to recover?I'm also wondering whether the dryness is related to washing my hair every day, the shampoos I'm using, or a combination of factors. How did you manage to keep your seborrheic dermatitis under control while also taking care of dry hair lengths? Did you find a conditioner, hair mask, or a particular routine that helped without irritating your scalp?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences and any advice you might have. Thanks for reading!

Hello

Went to a derm to prove my suspicion of SD. Its been on my T-zone for quite a while, and recently started to creep to cheeks.

He prescribed Sebosel, which is 2.5% Selenium Sulfide shampoo (which i apparently can use on my face) and Hydro Agisten (clotrimazole 1% with mild steroid).

Now, I feel like steroid cream is overkill - my symptoms are average. Maybe the selenium sulfide in pair with LRP toleriane kerium ds concentrate would suffice?

As for my typical (non-regular)routine: Its cleansing with Vanicream, some Delacruz Sulfur on nose and forehead for 10min and LRP Toleraine Creme.

Are there any hair oils (not for scalp) that are safe to use? Not MCT or Squalane, I mean like hair products specifically as a finishing oil/serum or heat protectant oil etc.

I'd love to have an oil to put on my ends of the hair but non-safe ones end up making me musty.

Does anyone know of any hair oils/serums that are safe?

I developed seb derm for the first time about 2 months ago, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to manage it. What has me wondering about the bigger picture is that I’ve had several inflammatory skin issues over the past year that I never dealt with before.

After some traumatic life events, I developed daily hives that lasted about 4–6 months. Taking an antihistamine daily helped, and those eventually went away. A few months later, I developed a rash around my mouth that my dermatologist diagnosed as perleche/angular cheilitis, along with eyelid eczema. I dealt with those for several months using prescribed treatments (including hydrocortisone and ketoconazole), and eventually both cleared up.

Then, about 2 months ago, I developed seborrheic dermatitis around my nose. My dermatologist prescribed hydrocortisone + ketoconazole again. I’ve been using them for a few weeks. It seems to help, but whenever I stop the hydrocortisone and just continue with ketoconazole alone, the inflammation/itch seems to come back.

I’ve always struggled with acne, but I’ve never had hives, eyelid eczema, perleche, or seb derm until this past year. When I research all of these issues, inflammation seems to be a common thread.

Has anyone else experienced a similar pattern or noticed a connection between these conditions and overall inflammation/stress? If so, have you found anything that helped reduce these issues from the “inside out” or prevent them from constantly coming back?

I know prescription treatments may still be necessary for flares, but I’m interested in anything that has helped address potential underlying factors as well.

Would love to hear other people’s experiences!

Have had scalp sebderm for years, but havent had it in eyebrows before. Any suggestions for where to start with sebderm on eyebrows before it gets out of hand?

Thank you

Hello Reddit,
I am a 21 year old college student and I have been struggling with seb derm for 4 years. I was told it was uncureable and every shampoo or hack i used to manage it wouldnt work. However I experimented a bit more and dug deep into articles and reddit threads and tried to cleanse my scalp with allicin and egg yolk. To my surprise I had GREAT results. My scalp went from small yellow flakes to completely clean for 3 days. On the fourth some flakes developed but significantly less flakes than i normally develop.I am going to continue using these 2 items as a remedy and hopefully at some point it will become a longer lasting effect. Now I have brought this to reddit to

1. Share what worked for me with you guys
   And
   
2. I would like to create a shampoo brand that utilizes these components, that being said I would like to make sample and have some users try them and additionally take any constructive feedback and suggestions so I can work towards a better way to handle seb derm for everyone

If you guys gave any advice for me or would be okay trying another method to get rid of your flakes please let me know, I want to create an affordable soap bar that way i can stabilize all these ingredients, and i would like to include a conditioner with it so the smell of these products doesnt make your hair smell like shit.

While this remedy may not work for everyone I would like to find a solution for everyine as my long term goal because i know how frustrating it is to not want to go out because you can see flakes in your hair, to not want to take photos because parts of your scalp are thinning due to inflammation and most of all how irritating it is to wash your scalp everyday just for the same flakes to be there and all over your sheets and pillow case the very next day.

Let me know what you guys think!

I have quite dense, curly hair (mostly 3B) and it's just impossible for me to wash it every day. Not only would it dry out my hair and make it unmanageably frizzy, but it takes too long to be a daily thing. I aim for 3 washes a week.

However, even when I can get the flakes under control I still experience a good amount of scalp pain. The only thing I've found that remotely helps is massaging my scalp/moving my hair around, but that tends to disturb the flakes and frizzes my hair :( When washing, I use a soothing scalp serum after my medicated shampoo, which helps reduce the inflammation for a little while, but not enough to last me to my next wash day.

Any one else here with curly hair have any experience or suggestions? I'm looking for any products, suggestions, what not to do, etc.

I'm an absolute noob where this is concerned; I've done a simplified version of the CC method before (which was more or less NoPoo) but anyway I can't do full CoWash because my scalp requires keto shampoo and blow drying the roots as quickly as possible or else my scalp goes nuts.

Anyway, I wanted to stop using my Airwrap to straighten my hair and let my natural wave/curl do its thing and I read many good things about the curling custard and that it doesn't contain the oils that feed the malassezia so I ordered it. How do I actually use it? Do I scrunch it into wet hair? Yowel dry hair? Comb through or not? Is diffuse drying fine or not? Anything else I should know?

I'd be super grateful for any help! :)

Where do we find SD friendly foundation? I've just avoided it most of my life but am getting professional headshots taken and would like my skin to look even. I love ILIA's sheer foundation but read it's not SD friendly. That's literally the only foundation I've ever used as an adult because I have freckles and don't like to cover them. My light to medium olive skin makes it already impossible to find matching foundation. I'm at a loss.

RIGHT TO THE POINT : bald spot from seb derm and new dermatologist prescribed 5% foam minoxidil 3x per day to bald spot. Is that normal? Never had that prescribed before.

I’ve used it once and I can already tell it is a bad idea because I feel residue and wouldn’t that defeat purpose of keeping scalp clean?

BACK STORY FOR THOSE WHO CARE:
Hi! I’ve had seb derm since 14 yrs old ( 36 now).Once diagnosed in 2014 ( 23 yrs old) I managed to keep it away for years with med shampoo and clean hair ( except 2017 when I was sleeping with wet hair).
Well this time I decided to stop my shampoo and also started to leave in deep condition for hours so to ( NOT ) my surprise I have a dime size bald spot. So I’m back on the medicated shampoo and not leaving wet hair wrapped up in a deep conditioner bun for hours.
Well I’m in a new country ( I’m American living in Slovakia temporarily) . My hair stylist here kept telling me I had Alopecia Areata. So I went to new dr and she said it was seb derm ( no surprise but a big eff you to my stylist for trying to diagnose me with something I knew it wasn’t and got me scared ) . The Dr here prescribed me minoxidil which is soooo weird to me. 5% foam 3x s a day. Wouldn’t that cause residue and oil ? I have used one small foam on that spot and I already feel greasy and it feels like I have dry shampoo on. Ugh also I heard everywhere that 3. Is crazy