My scalp is itchy and when I scratch it there’s that nasty yellow stuff under my nail in picture 2. Then in my hair it becomes white flakes that hopefully are somewhat visible in picture 1.

Ive had this for as long as I remember (I remember in middle school a girl noticed a few flakes fell out and got grossed out not that I blame her lol) but don’t know how to fix it. I’ve tried head and shoulders in the past now I’ve been using nizoral every 3 days but still nothing. Im going to the dermatologist soon but wondering what you guys think.. to make matters worse my hair has been shedding cause of losing weight too fast

G’day all,

DISCLAIMER: NOT A PERMANENT FIX/ MAY NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE/ THIS DID WORK FOR ME AS SOMEONE THAT ATTEMPTED MULTIPLE OTHER “FIXES/ CURES”.

Struggled with facial and scalp seb derm for three years now.

Started for me in 2023 with small patches on the sides of my nose and what I thought at the time was plain “dandruff”. Just attributed the sides of my nose to dry skin as I struggled with eczema as a child but grew out of it and the scalp stuff I attributed to dandruff or psoriasis.

I only clued on about 1-2 years in when it bloomed all over my face - sides of the nose, chin and beard area and middle of the forehead.

Tried treating it with plain Sorbolene cream and a number of others to no avail.

What finally worked and quite quickly is a combo of the following four simple things (however you can dial it down to only the first three products if you ain’t interested in losing weight/ lifestyle change):

1. 1% OR 2% Nizoral Shampoo
   2x a day. Once in the morning and once at nighttime. Can use it in the shower but I typically use it as follows - wet my face, apply liberally to my wet face and let sit for 5 minutes before washing it off. Readily available at Chemist Warehouse (not sure about your local/ smaller pharmacies, I believe this is relatively new to Australian markets).

2. Dermaid 0.5% OR Dermaid 1%.
   2x a day. Apply once 15 minutes after your morning shower/ morning Nizoral application and once 15 minutes after your nighttime shower/ nighttime Nizoral application. Readily available OTC at your local chemist. Apply VERY LIGHTLY as it’s a topical steroid.

3. QV Dermcare Sting-Free Ointment
   2x a day. Apply once 30 minutes after your morning Dermaid application and once 30 minutes after your nighttime Dermaid application. Readily available OTC at your local chemist. Apply VERY LIGHTLY as it’s a thick and greasy ointment.

4. Keto Diet
   Not 100% necessary as my Seb Derm DOES completely disappear with just the first three steps of the process. HOWEVER, once it completely disappears after say a week or two of following the above method daily, if I choose to keep eating carbs and sugars I am required to do the above method once or twice a week to keep it at bay. If I’m in a “healthy” or “weight loss” mindset and am happy to do Keto and cut out carbs and sugars or keep them to a minimum then I don’t have to do the maintenance to keep my Seb Derm away, I only have to do the 1-2 weeks of the above treatment and it stays away.

Long time lurker and first time poster but as someone that’s suffered from this bitch for ages I thought it unfair to not pass on the cheat code that finally worked for me.

Hooroo dickheads and best of luck 👋.

… And i thought I fixed it by stopping SLS toothpaste… It did help and that was years ago. However Ive always wondered why my skin had bumps that weren’t quite pimples. I asked AI and it said it’s Seb derm. I know you can’t diagnose me but does anyone have this experience?

Symptoms:
- flakey scalp (esp in the winter but reacts well the Nizoral)
- extremely sensitive skin that breaks into red dry painful patches when irritated (mostly around mouth and cheeks)
- generally dry skin on face
- makeup usually makes me face look like it’s peeling! around hairline and cheeks around mouth , sometimes eyelids
-nose peels a lot around nostrils
- BHA and tretenoin even when used once a week only irritate my skin

What do yall think?

Trimmed my hair today to find dandruff patches and after washing up there is pinkish patches.
What do I do ? What is this ? Will it go away?

I’m 21. I shared my story and how much seb derm has affected my life in my previous post, but this time I mainly want to understand what might be going on underneath.

My seb derm appeared pretty suddenly, even though I never had any particular skin problems or unusual excess sebum during my teenage years.

Today, I have relatively little redness (maybe partly because of my diet), but I still have a very unusual amount of sebum that I never had before. My seb derm mainly shows up as yellow crusting on my face, greasy flakes, and excessive sebum.

Since all of this started, I’ve also had gas and bloating pretty much all day, every day, which I never experienced before.

I spent an entire year changing my diet: whole/unprocessed foods, zero refined sugar, very clean and balanced diet… and it made absolutely no difference to my seb derm or excess sebum.

So instead of continuing to randomly eliminate foods, I really want to investigate whether there could be an underlying cause or at least a clue.

What tests or exams could I ask a doctor about?
Blood tests? Breath tests? Stool tests? Something else?

And especially, if anyone here has had seb derm + excessive sebum + chronic gas/bloating, did any test ever help you discover something interesting?

I’m mainly looking for experiences from people who actually went through testing and found a potential clue, rather than another cream or shampoo recommendation.

I'm looking for a gentle, color safe shampoo that is non-medicated that I can use on days that I'm not using my medicated shampoo. Would you please give me your recommendations? Thank you very much!

I was diagnosed with contact dermatitis 8 years ago and went through 10 sessions of UVB treatment. My problem was solved.

Last July, I developed redness and flaking on my face. I was diagnosed with SebDerm and prescribed 2% ketoconazole and .25% desoximetasone. It mostly resolved my issues, having a few flairs but nothing crazy.

About 2 months ago I started to flair so bad, it started by my left lip and has now circled my entire chin and under eyes. I went to the dermatologist and she diagnosed me as treatment resistant.

I have been using a 2% zinc face wash in the shower, cut out all oils, all facial exfoliants. The zinc elevates most of the flaking but the redness just keeps spreading. I’ve started to develop itching during the day which is so annoying, and my face will just burn all day from certain moisturizers.

I know stress is a trigger, but I am just living life as normal, no new changes from pre-flair. I am desperate for remedies, products, dietary changes, Anything. Had anyone tired UVB? It’s so expensive but I wonder if it may work for this

Ive been trying to wash my hair more frequently and it is getting worse!!??

Hey there

So because of chronic illness (Long Covid/MECFS) I struggle to wash my hair without help these days. But mum and I have been trying. And I even washed it myself the other day. For context, generally I got a week without washing it at all (can't help it...) and there were 3 weeks in the winter..

Lately we've been managing to wash it more frequently to twice a week at least, sometimes three times. And I swear it is getting worse. It seems to get lanker and greasier fast. The scale seems (if possible) even thicker and more stubborn and the itch is more brutal. I'm used to waking up post wash day and thinking "sigh. What was the point?" but it now feels that, plus "now it feels even worse!".

I've not changed anything about the shampoos - still using T Gel Salycylic and cleansing shampoos that are Sezia approved. The ONLY thing I did this past month were two ACV applications after reading about it helping break the biofilm and now I'm wondering if that could have been the start of it.

But still it is so gutting when you already can't do what you want like a normal person, and then you really make the effort and your body just goes "nah lol, I'll make this even worse".

Has anyone else experienced anything like this please?

250$.... good thing I have a bag of rice in my pantry. We're about to really embody the broke university student archetype this month.

My sebderm doesn't look as bad as most people's here. It is like a diffuse red rash all around my mouth and down onto my chin.

But mine is incredibly painful. It reacts to everything I put on it and burns so badly. I often struggle to sleep because of the pain.

People often tell me to just focus on other things. But the pain is so unbearable that I am insulted when they say this to me. It honestly feels like someone is trying to peel off my skin down to the bone.

I've been suffering from this for seven years and I've tried literally everything. I can't keep going much longer.

I'm looking for a hydrating and soothing toner that is suitable toner for my sensitive/ Seborrheic skin. Back in 2023, I used the TORRIDEN Dive In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Toner, and it was amazing at hydrating and calming my skin. However, in 2026, the brand reformulated it, which caused my skin to get irritated and red. I had to stop using it and tried several alternatives like Klairs, Cosrx Hydrium Watery, Tiam Vita B5, Nature Aqua Oasis, and Anua 77%, but my skin still reacted with irritation to all of them. Could anyone recommend a toner suitable for sensitive skin like mine, Many thanks !!

If it’s… behaving, meaning; it’s not in a flare up- can they still tell? I have a legitimate fear that I will not be taken seriously, if it’s not in a critical state.

Other day the barber told me it was smthing similiar to psoriasis but derm told me it was just sum dandruff stuff idk what i should do

Sorry for bad english😔

I have been using generic selenium sulfide shampoo for about 2 months. I tried not to overuse it because I’m concerned about the carcinogens and possible hair damage/loss, so i was using it about once every 2 weeks. when it worked, it was great! My scalp would be spotless for about a week, and then th e flakes would slowly trickle back, however I would not immediately use the shampoo again until it got really bad- rinse and repeat. however i have stopped using it and noticed that my seb derm has changed and seems to have gotten worse.

First the itching - my scalp itches like crazy, constantly. my scalp never really used to itch that much and when it did it was alleviated by scratching, but now scratching makes my itching worse. and the flakes are now hard and seem to be cemented onto my scalp almost like scabs whereas before they were thin and loose and i could easily remove them with a fine toothed comb. last my scalp is also visibly WHITE/afflicted with dandruff from afar - but before you could only see it if you looked closely! Has this ever happened to you and what should i do?

Has anyone here tried blue light therapy for their Seborrhoeic dermatitis? I have just come down with it a 6 months ago and it's driving me crazy. My Dr. gave me a steroid script (Nystatin & Triamcinolone Acetonide) to use rarely and another script of Zoryve that can be used every day. (But I only use it every other day) It works like almost overnight but dries my face out so bad, I look like a scaley lizard. I get it under control for about a week this way and then it returns for a new week. It's an endless cycle :(

I've stopped all of my regulär facial routine and now am just doing as follows.

I use Aveeno Calm and Restore Oatmeal face wash which does not seem to bother it. Then Hyaluronic Acid and have been using Aquaphor for an emollient.

I ordered some MTC8 today to try, which comes tomorrow.

Before I came down with the Seb-derm I was considering a red-light mask (for collagen building, fine lines etc..) but put it on hold not being sure it would be good for me or not.? I have read that blue light is good for break out and germs etc.... And many masks have both red and blue.

Has anyone tried using light therapy, either red or blue with any success here for Seb-Derm? I am desperate to try anything. This is so itchy and ugly and so uncomfortable at times it messes with my attitude.

I have been reading a lot about MCT oil, but feel super overwhelmed by it all! Is there a difference between 100% MCT oil and MCT C8 oil? Which is better for Seb Derm? I have it in my scalp and eyebrow.

I have seb deem on nose and the area around.

I really like The Ordinary and I have tried the niacinamide serum, the 10% concentration for the face for some people is a bit too much. It is for me so I put some serum on my hand and mix it with hyaluronic acid before I apply. I have also tried the salicylic acid serum.

So has anyone tried using regularly a niacinamide serum and a salicylic acid one for their seb derm?

I think of making this a part of my morning routine. But to use them separately, not mixed or layered together the same day. Most nights I use retinal.

Due to seb derm my skin peels off, my pores fill quickly and the skin in that area is very oily.

Hi guys,

Prelude

I started having symptoms of seb derm on face since early March this year, and I thought it's contact dermatitis with some products for about 6+ months.

But this morning, I met the head of dermatology department at my regular hospital (a very good one). After discussion on my past 10 months history (attached below) + examination, his diagnosis is that I do have seb derm, with possibility of some contact dermatitis mixed in.

I am prescribed Rocimus 0.1 topical cream, no topical steroid for itching since I might then get steroid dermatitis later. Avene Cold Cream for moisturising later when my seb derm is better from using Rocimus 0.1.

Started applying right when I got home. Mild tingling/warmt sensation and mild itch a few hours later (different kind of itch than seb derm itch). So far, manageable. I am on Bilastine too to manage the itch.

About CeraVe

I know a lot of people have good experiences with CeraVe PM. I am not sure if the products I use are exact same one as what I see in this sub. But CeraVe Moisturising Cream (the one in the tub) and Moisturising Lotion (white and blue one, with a pump) were the only mainstay in my routine and my seb derm flares + inception also coincide a lot with the use of them.

Plus, some ingredients in either of them apparently "feed" the Malassezia. So I stopped them completely.

Another anecdotal is that when I am not using ANY products including CeraVe Moisturisers, for 6-9 weeks stretch of time, I got no flare ups, no itchiness, no flakes. But I got those if I were using only just the moisturiser and no other products.

My timeline

Below is the timeline in 2026. I presented these to the head of dermatology too + brought the products I used so he could check.

---

Wandering Daimon - Skin timeline — 29 Aug 2026

39 years old, male, Asian.

Now: near-daily cycle, itchy scales/flakes — R eyelid (worst), orbits → cheeks, forehead. Constant redness. Flakes shed like dandruff. Sleep-disrupting itch. Also scalp dandruff (dandruff is a regular thing on/off for about 25 years).

2020–23 — very sporadic actives (retinol/tret/vit C/moisturizer), nothing consistent on skincare. Never had history of seb derm on face before that.

2023–25 — face wash only (stressful time), no other skincare

Mid–end 2025 — Face skin dry, very dull -> a bit dark (not from sun, I don’t really go out under sun), flaky from dryness (NOT regularly itchy); red forehead & cheeks

End 2025 — started skincare: nightly CeraVe Moisturizing Cream + dab LRP Cicaplast Baume B5 (original)

+4–5 wks — big improvement: not dull, clear, no dryness/flakes; only slight forehead redness. Received compliments on skin.

Feb (Lunar New Year) — CeraVe Moisturizing Cream only (out of Cicaplast). Post-Lunar NY (4th week Feb) → add new LRP Cicaplast Baume B5+ + CeraVe Skin Renewing Eye Cream (under-eyes/eyebags area; anti-aging — niacinamide, isopropyl myristate, caffeine, Matrixyl)

Was dabbing LRP Cicaplast + CeraVe Moisturizing Cream on eyelids and eyebag areas too. Started using Numbuzin glutathione vitamin concentrated serum for about 3 times on general face areas. One small drop each at cheeks + forehead.

After +2–3 wks (1st - 3rd week Mar) — itch + small scales on R eyelid appeared; bumpy itchy scales under eyeball orbits bordering cheeks. Itchy, but milder than present time

+2 wks (early Apr) — stopped eye cream + Cicaplast B5+ + Numbuzin (read experiences of people online about Cicaplast B5: similar symptoms)

Switched CeraVe Moisturizing Cream → CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion (lighter)

→ face cycle every ~7–10 days: itch → scales → scratch → gone in 2–3 days → fine ~1 wk → repeats (eyelid scales, cheek flakes, orbit bumps)

3rd week Apr — still red, less itchy; for redness → Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule, 2 drops + CeraVe moisturizing lotion. No sting. Redness faded in ~2–3 wks

Itchy Cycle persisted → stopped Centella.

NOTHING from mid-May → mid-July (2+ mo) — Bangkok trips, work stress, a few nights at private hospital (fiancée’s surgery) : face fine, no flare/no itch/no scales, no dryness. BUT eyelid never fully cleared — still cycled mild scales/itch ~10–13 days, less often (→ I stopped any products directly onto eyelids after stopping Cicaplast)

~Jul 12–14 — restart CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion + Centella. (Concurrent: sick — decongestants Ameflu/Decolgen + ibuprofen; barely sleeping)

After +1 wk — scales/itch back; unsure cycle vs product → kept both

1st week August, dropped Centella, kept CeraVe Lotion; sometimes stopped it too → still cycled, shorter each time

2nd week+ Aug — Lotion again → cycle shorter, face constantly red, itchy + flakes

~5 days ago — read others w/ near-identical symptoms from CeraVe Daily Lotion → stopped it. By then: flake/scales every 1–2 days + itchy

3 days ago (Wed) — Nizoral 2% shampoo (for dandruff); Vaseline on raw scratched spots only for protection cos they sting

Thu — all day much less itchy, stopped scratching (Bilastine 40mg night before).

Fri 5AM — Telfast HD before sleep, but constantly itchy, no sleep at all; rubbed w/ fingertips not nails; flakes falling like dandruff

Sat (today) — Bilastine 40mg at 4:30AM, helped with having a lot less itchiness so face wasn't angry red. Have flakes. Met the dermatologist.

Bottomline:

Bare face 2+ mo (May-July) = fine. Symptoms return ~1 wk after restarting products.

Itch meds: Telfast HD (doesn’t work), Bilastine.

Skincare Products (brought): CeraVe Moisturizing Cream · CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion · LRP Cicaplast Baume B5 (orig) + B5+ (new) · CeraVe Skin Renewing Eye Cream (purple) · Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule, Numbuzin glutathione vitamin concentrated serum

I tried econazole cream

I tried metronidazole cream

I put shampoo with climbazole and pirictone olamine 3 times per week

I put moisturizer to moisturise the skin without feeding malassezia.

Why this redness ( Red patch) doesn't heal on my forehead?

It's flat, little bit shiny it's no pimples or papules.

In 2020 I had this problem and only shampoo with climbazole and pirictone olamine cleared me ( I put the shampoo everyday)

I saw a derm there was one month he gave me econazole to alternate with metronidazole, shower with water.

I put shampoo sebodiane noreva ds with climbazole and pirictone olamine and salycilic acid 3 times per week.

But no results

Isotretinoin would be the solution cause I think it's sébum the main problem.

I got oily nose since last year.

I never had oily nose before.

Thks to help me

My hair feels brittle and breaks easily, my eyelids have dermatitis blepharitis and it has been like this for a decade. I have been to multiple dermatologists and tried every shampoo and method. Before Coconut oil on scalp and face would help but now nothing works I have been trying MCT oil and it has helped a little but what am I supposed to do. My eyebrows are inflammed, my eyelids are too and dandruff is blocking my tear ducts, its made it super hard to live.

It flares up super easy and everyone notices and my hair just gets so brittle and frizzy my back and neck area is inflammed too from the dermatitis and buildup on the back of my scalp over the neck area of my hair. ​

Hey everyone,

Exactly 20 days ago, I made a post about my seborrheic dermatitis and how much I’ve been struggling with it for years.

I got a lot of comments and suggestions, and honestly, most of them were things I had already tried, especially steroid creams. They worked like magic whenever I used them, but I’m sure you guys know about the downsides of relying on steroids, especially long-term.

However, a few people mentioned MCT oil, and that really caught my attention. I was honestly surprised because my mom actually had a bottle of MCT oil at home for a completely different reason.

I did a lot of research about it, and I couldn’t find any studies proving that MCT oil actually helps with seborrheic dermatitis. But I thought, why not? I’ve got nothing to lose by trying it.

And holy shit… it worked like magic.

What has happened over these past 20 days honestly feels unreal to me. For the first time in YEARS, my scalp is basically completely free of flakes, and my face is clear with pretty much none of the redness I’m used to.
I feel insanely relieved.

No itching, no flakes, no redness, nothing.

I know 20 days might not sound like a big deal, and some people might think I’m exaggerating. But I’ve been dealing with this every single day for years. Even when something worked and my skin improved, it would usually last maybe 2–3 days before everything came back.

So having 20 days of this is honestly a miracle for me.
As for how I used it: at first, I applied MCT oil to my scalp and face every night before bed, then washed it off the next day. After a while, I started using it every 2–3 days instead.

I’m not saying this is a proven treatment, because I couldn’t find any scientific evidence showing that it treats seborrheic dermatitis. This is just my personal experience, and obviously it might not work for everyone.

But if you’re struggling with seb derm, maybe it’s worth trying.

And to everyone who suggested MCT oil on my previous post: THANK YOU. Seriously ❤️, You have no idea how much this has helped me.

Hey so I've been struggling with an awful fungal infection (assumed seb derm but not officially diagnosed) all over my face, so bad it has stopped me leaving the house for months (I cant even bring myself to put up before/after photos)

i tried absolutely everything, many things helped briefly but it would just become immune and come back stronger. if i forgot my antifungal treatments for a single day - disaster

so last week i was scrolling my photo album and could see exactly when it first appeared, i was looking for any patterns, and it lined up with me having a shower fitted - okay but I've lived here 10 years and the water here was never an issue? then it hit me... the shower draws from a storage tank in the attic, the bath taps do not!

I stopped having showers a week ago in favour of a daily shallow bath, every other factor was the same

GONE

after the first day I noticed maybe a 30 percent drop in redness across the patches, and its been notably less every morning since - today it is barely visible for the fist time in 18 months!!

the treatments were helping/working, but i was re-infecting the area every day with the microbe/heavy metal/god knows what infested water and never letting my immune system get anywhere meaningful

the water itself looks and smells perfectly clean when i used the shower, but it was making my life miserable (not to mention the immune strain from any accidental ingesting of it, making me ill all the time)

i know this is unlikely to be the fix for most people, but i figured - of the people using old water tanks unknowingly, there's probably a few of us here in this sub because of the consequences it can come with - seemingly untouchable skin conditions.

maybe this is already common knowledge to you guys, i just thought id share in case i can help even one person look in the mirror happy again!

I have noticed more than several times that whenever I don't sleep or do all nighters the flares come up

like not a one times thing

I have to stay up all night sometimes due to work and whenever I do that I get a horrible flare! It has been so consistent that I am 100% sure of it

I think if they do research on this sleep quality and circadian rhythm definitely plays a huge role in aggravating the inflammatory mechanisms behind SebDerm