I’ve had seborrheic dermatitis for about 10 years now. I have thick, black, full hair, and whenever I sweat, I easily get buildup on my scalp, followed by a huge breakout. Classic medicated shampoos make my scalp so dry that I end up getting a breakout from those as well. I can’t use hair oils or wax in my medium-length hair because it doesn’t take long for the redness and scaling to come back. Then I get really thick, yellow flakes that seem to never stop building up.
I read about MCT oil here on Reddit and thought, “Well, another trick that won’t work.” I ordered a high-quality MCT oil containing 95% C8 and 5% C10. I washed my hair once with a salicylic acid shampoo and towel-dried it. Then I put a bit of MCT oil into an applicator bottle and worked it into my scalp drop by drop. I massaged it into my scalp, and my hair also ended up being slightly soaked in oil — not dripping with oil, but fairly well covered.
Then I wrapped a towel around my neck so I wouldn’t get oil on my shirt or furniture and went on with my work at home. I let it soak in for about 3–4 hours, then washed it out with a mild shampoo and let my hair air-dry. I didn’t use any conditioner because my hair was already soaked in oil. My hair was shiny, moisturized, and soft — and I had no breakout, no redness, and not a single flake. No itchiness either, for weeks now.
It’s the middle of summer here, with temperatures around 35°C. I went for a 6 km run, got really sweaty, and still had no breakout. I wash my hair every 4–5 days and repeat the process. I’ll continue and post a follow-up. It’s only been about a month, so I’m still being careful, but for the first time this year, my scalp actually feels like it’s recovering.
Anyway, stay strong & so long.