Today, skin diseases are very common in medicine. One of them is seborrhea on the face, which is usually observed in adolescence. Most often, it appears during the period of hormonal changes in the body. The disease manifests itself in the form of rashes on the face, which constantly itch. They deliver a lot of discomfort to a person. This disease is associated with a dysfunction of the sebaceous glands. The glands begin to work intensely, provoking the appearance of a greasy film on the skin, on which redness is further observed. Doctors say that seborrhea of the skin of the face is a chronic pathology that affects those people whose skin has a large number of sebaceous glands.
Description and characteristic of the disease
Seborrhea of the skin of the face is a disease provoked by a malfunction of the sebaceous glands. It is expressed in redness of the skin of the face, the appearance of acne on the forehead, around the nose, above the lip and in the eyebrow area. This disease is serious, it has rather unpleasant symptoms. Seborrhea can occur not only on the face, but also on other parts of the body, too. It all depends on the amount of sebaceous glands.
Most often, the disease is observed in adolescent children during puberty. In 20% of cases, the pathology becomes chronic. In some cases, seborrhea on the face also appears in older men. This disease is diagnosed in only 8% of people worldwide.
When the sebaceous glands begin to produce a large amount of fat, the skin of the face is covered with a greasy film. This is due to the fact that there is a change in the microflora of the skin. Usually the disease begins to appear in the autumn season.
Varieties of pathology
Sebaceous glands can function in two directions - producing excessive or insufficient amounts of fat. Depending on this, it is customary to distinguish several types of disease:
In the latter case, the disease is considered to be the most dangerous and common type of dermatitis. With such a disease, a greasy film covers the forehead, nose and chin, and the cheeks and temples begin to peel and exfoliate. These phenomena give a person discomfort and a lot of discomfort.
Fat Seborrhea
This pathology mainly affects people with dark skin. Most often, this type of disease is observed in adolescents. After the teenager has passed puberty, oily seborrhea of the facial skin may not disappear on its own, but continue to disturb the person for many more years.
Pathology has several features:
- Oily hair even after washing. They begin to stick together, large pieces of oily dandruff appear near the roots , which stick to the surface of the hair.
- Comedones (blackheads), which are black dots formed due to obstruction of the follicles. The skin is irritated, resulting in accumulations of fat, skin flakes and dirt.
- Abscesses appearing as a result of inflammation of the skin.
- Atheromas, which are cysts that form at the locations of abscesses due to the accumulation of fat in the layers of the epidermis.
Dry seborrhea
Dry seborrhea on the face can be observed in people of different age groups. Very often, pathology is diagnosed in young children and in people of advanced age.
The disease has the following features:
- Dry skin due to decreased production of sebum. In case of violation of the function of the sebaceous glands, the skin of the face is not covered with a protective fat film. Dry seborrhea of the scalp and face develops.
- Peeling of the skin due to drying out of the epidermis. It begins to burst, forming dandruff.
- Dandruff is on the scalp, which is small. It can crumble from hair to shoulders.
Causes of the disease
Seborrhea on the face, reviews of which are only negative, can be triggered by the following reasons:
- A violation of the immune system as a result of a lack of vitamins and hemoglobin in the blood.
- Disorder of the hormonal system during puberty.
- Violation of the gastrointestinal tract, as a result of which the body absorbs useful substances and vitamins in insufficient quantities, toxins are also excreted from the body in insufficient quantities. All this contributes to the development of dermatitis.
- Diseases of the liver and endocrine system.
- Mental disorders due to prolonged stress and depression.
- Obesity, in which the internal organs begin to function more slowly, the products of the breakdown of amino acids accumulate in the body.
- Inadequate facial skin care, the use of inappropriate cosmetics.
- Harmful working conditions, such as high humidity or dust.
- Genetic and hereditary predisposition.
Seborrhea of the skin of the face, the treatment of which is not always necessary, usually occurs between the ages of 12 and 24 years, when an increase in testosterone production and a decrease in estrogen levels are observed in the body. This disease has physiological prerequisites, so the signs of seborrhea must pass on their own. In some cases, the pathology does not go away, then a person needs to consult a dermatologist for an examination.
Also, the causes of seborrhea can be:
- genetic predisposition;
- Parkinson's syndrome;
- epilepsy;
- schizophrenia.
Provoking factors are:
- eating salty foods;
- malfunctioning hormones;
- lack of hygiene;
- chemotherapy treatment;
- lactation period.
Many scientists claim that seborrhea on the face develops as a result of the influence of one of the species Pityrosporum, which lives in the fatty glands and hair follicles. This fungus is present in 90% of healthy people around the world, but is in a passive state.
Signs of Oily Seborrhea
Symptoms of seborrhea of the face are as follows:
- The appearance on the face of the so-called lemon peel, when the pores significantly increase in diameter.
- Constant sweating in the upper extremities, which may indicate a disorder of the central nervous system.
- Permanently oily skin. A greasy film is formed even after its removal with special drying agents.
- The appearance of blackheads and comedones as a result of clogging of the follicles with pus. In the absence of therapy, the disease takes on a neglected form. It is no longer treatable with creams and other products that are applied superficially.
- The appearance of scars in the area of the blackheads, they leave scars that are difficult to get rid of.
- The growth of scar tissue, which acquires a solid structure and white plaque.
Doctors recommend not squeezing blackheads and abscesses on the face, as they can be provoked to spread to healthy skin areas in the future. And also in this case, a secondary infection may join the seborrhea. Secondary infections often join this type of disease: pustular, fungal. Often there are cases that seborrhea is "adjacent" to demodecosis caused by demodex (subcutaneous tick).
If any signs of the disease appear, it is recommended to visit a dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment.
Signs of Dry Seborrhea
In medicine, the following symptoms characteristic of dry seborrhea are distinguished:
- The appearance of small cracks on the skin, which provoke peeling of the skin and the formation of scales.
- The appearance of dandruff, hair loss. Dry seborrhea usually develops on the face and scalp. Insufficient moisture leads to brittle hair and hair loss.
- The formation of spots on the face of a red tint.
- The development of itching due to lack of moisture and drying out of the skin.
Dry seborrhea can also provoke the ingress of secondary infections through microcracks on the skin, which cause the development of an inflammatory process - seborrheic dermatitis.
Symptoms and signs of mixed seborrhea
The main signs of the disease include:
- the formation of pink spots on the face;
- pore enlargement;
- shine and peeling of the skin;
- persistent itching;
- the appearance of acne;
- crust formation in especially severe cases.
Mixed seborrhea is infrequent, it is characterized by an increase in facial oiliness and dry scalp. Moreover, the disease is very difficult to cure.
Diagnostic measures
With seborrhea of the head and face, treatment is prescribed only after an accurate diagnosis. This is usually not a problem for the doctor. At the initial examination, the dermatologist highlights the luster of the skin on the face, the expansion of the ducts of the glands, comedones. With a dry form of pathology, the skin is dry, it peels off, any irritations cause inflammatory reactions. The patient's shoulders may be covered with dandruff, which is a good environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria. These microorganisms, together with a large amount of fat on the skin, often provoke the development of seborrheic eczema. A dermatologist makes a diagnosis based on an external examination and a history of the disease. But it is also important to identify the causes of the disease in order to be able to eliminate them.
As an additional diagnosis, the doctor can prescribe laboratory blood tests, hormone tests, as well as serological research methods in the presence of concomitant infections. In addition, you may need to consult an endocrinologist or therapist.
Therapeutic measures
Treatment of seborrhea on the face is possible only after diagnosis. The effectiveness of therapy depends on the causes of the development of pathology and compliance with all prescriptions and recommendations of the attending physician. Seborrhea is well treated in adolescent children when it is caused by a change in the hormonal background of the teenager. In this case, the doctor recommends observing the daily regimen, eating properly, paying attention to facial hygiene, doing physical exercises, and eliminating bad habits. All these activities contribute to the strengthening of immunity. Thus, the symptoms of the disease will gradually fade away.
Treatment of seborrhea should be comprehensive, including the following points:
- Increased patient immunity. In this case, it is possible to use tinctures of echinacea or propolis, medications. For example, "Protopic" or "Elidela."
- Normalization of the vitamin-mineral balance in the body. The doctor can prescribe complexes of vitamins and minerals, trace elements.
- Taking sedatives, but only if necessary.
- Hormonal medicines, corticosteroids. They are prescribed for a short time, since it is possible to develop resistance to therapy.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs in case of purulent infection.
- Tinctures, lotions or ointments from seborrhea on the face. All these agents have a drying and anti-inflammatory effect, so they are well suited for the treatment of oily seborrhea.
Therapy of dry seborrhea
Treatment of dry seborrhea on the face is carried out with natural oils, which are endowed with an antiseptic effect, as well as antifungal creams. In this case, the doctor prescribes sage oil, cream "Nystatin", "Lamisil" and others. These products are applied to cleansed skin.
You can also use a solution of salicylic acid. A cotton swab is moistened in a solution and the affected areas are wiped. Sulsen cream has a good effect. You can relieve inflammation with an ointment based on furatsilin.
In some cases, a dermatologist may prescribe hormonal drugs that are used only under his supervision. Such medicines are used for about 7 days.
Treatment for oily seborrhea
Treatment of oily seborrhea on the face is carried out with drugs that include sulfur. The doctor may prescribe a wipe the skin with a solution of sodium thiosulfate. After the elimination of acute symptoms, the skin should be wiped with alcohol tincture of lily of the valley or valerian. It is possible to dust the skin with talcum powder, which includes zinc oxide.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are often used to treat the disease. This includes exposure to ultraviolet, cold or infrared radiation. Often used cryotherapy, in which a cotton swab with liquid nitrogen is applied to problem areas. Cryotherapy helps to cool the skin, relieve inflammation and eliminate pathogens.
Forecast and Prevention
The prognosis of the disease is usually favorable. Today, medicine has developed many ways to treat this disease. In advanced cases, the development of dermatitis and eczema is possible. It is important to prevent the transformation of the disease into a chronic form, since it is very difficult to treat.
Seborrhea usually manifests itself in the autumn or winter season, therefore, with the aim of its prevention, it is recommended to take vitamin and mineral complexes, adhere to the correct diet, and monitor personal hygiene. If all the recommendations are followed, the development of this pathology can be easily avoided. It is important not to self-medicate, since seborrhea is a serious disease of the sebaceous glands, requiring a special approach in therapy. Only a dermatologist can prescribe a course of treatment.