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Experiencing worsening flaky skin? It may not just be dry skin!

With the change of season upon us, you may be experiencing worsening dryness, flakiness and redness on your face and/or scalp. This may not just be dry skin, but seborrheic dermatitis, a very common skin condition that affects 1 to 5% of the general population and that our dermatologists near Boston see regularly .

Changes in season or weather, but also emotional and psychological stress are usual circumstances when seborrheic dermatitis rears its head. Common areas affected are the scalp (mild forms are seen as dandruff) as well as behind or inside the ears, along the eyebrows, by the nose, cheek, chin and chest area.

A clue that you may have seborrheic dermatitis is that despite how much moisturizer you use, areas on your face still look flaky and red.

A useful tip may already be sitting in your shower:

• Apply an anti-dandruff shampoo such as Head and Shoulders, Selsun Blue, or Nizoral, not just on your scalp but on your face, especially along the brow, corners of the nose, chin and even chest.
• Leave it on for five minutes and then wash it off.

This can help reduce flares and calm the redness and flakiness.

If that doesn’t clear it, a dermatologist can prescribe either an anti-inflammatory cream or even an anti-fungal cream. Seborrheic dermatitis may be aggravated by an overgrowth of yeast called Malassezia so a topical antifungal cream can sometimes help.

And don’t worry- it’s not contagious. But remember, unfortunately, this is not a condition that can be cured. It can recur. The good news is that with the proper tools, you can calm it down and manage it successfully.

If you have any concerns about dryness, flakiness and redness on your face and/or scalp, contact your dermatologist at SkinCare Physicians at (617) 731-1600.

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Photo source: Wikipedia and hardinmd.lib.uiowa.edu/dermnet/seborrheicdermatitis56.html

2 Responses to Experiencing worsening flaky skin? It may not just be dry skin!

• Jane says:

  November 3, 2017 at 2:37 pm

  Hi, can facials like dermaplaning help with seborrheic dermatitis? Thank you.

  Reply
  • Blog Admin says:

    November 6, 2017 at 9:18 am

    The best way to treat seborrheic dermatitis is with a topical anti-inflammatory creams or topical antifungal cream such as ketoconazole cream. Facials and dermaplaning can be very helpful for superficial exfoliation and for dry skin. Seborrheic dermatitis can sometimes be confused with dry skin, but recurs despite facials and dermaplaning. If you’re not sure, have a dermatologist look at your skin to see what would be the best approach.

    Reply