Weak activity of the sebaceous glands leads to a disease called dry scalp seborrhea. According to WHO, it affects about 8% of the female population of economically developed countries and 4% of the male. This disease will inevitably lead to cosmetic defects: bald patches, alopecia, untidy appearance of hair, flaky scalp. Treatment measures and competent prevention can quickly negate the manifestations of this unpleasant ailment.
Disease or cosmetic defect?
Of course, the manifestations of seborrhea are unsightly. But first of all, it is a disease, not a cosmetic defect. This condition requires examination and consultation of a specialist.
The occurrence of seborrhea is provoked by the following yeast-like fungi:
- Malassezia Furfur.
- Pityrosporum Ovale.
They have long been studied, and both modern and traditional medicine offer a rich arsenal of tools and methods to combat this scourge. Photos of dry seborrhea of the scalp confirm that this is a visually unpleasant ailment.
Differences between dry and oily seborrhea
The main distinguishing features of the oily form:
- the skin resembles a citrus peel in appearance: the pores are expanded to the maximum, hair follicles stick out from some (bags, from which each hair originates);
- the abundance of produced sebum, which can be of different consistencies - both thick and rather liquid;
- flakes of dandruff are also a clear symptom of oily seborrhea. Its presence is due to the fact that dead skin of the scalp is glued together due to increased secretion of pore fat.
- the hair roots get oily very quickly, and none of the advertised shampoos and lotions helps.
Dry seborrhea occurs with much less sebum production. Therefore, it has the name "dry." Women of Balzac and old age are most prone to her appearance. The lack of sebum production leads to drying of the skin on the scalp and its death (as a result of which small dry dandruff forms ).
Unlike the hair of people suffering from the form of oily seborrhea, patients' hair is problematic: brittle, dry and prone to section at the ends.
Dry seborrhea is also characterized by the appearance of so-called seboroids. They appear in places with the most thinned dry skin. They cause a lot of inconvenience and pain to the patient. Hair roots that originate from seboroids often hurt.
Which doctor treats seborrhea?
If you suspect the development of seborrhea or other fungal diseases of the scalp, you need to make an appointment with a dermatologist. Most often, he carries out an appointment in the city skin and venereologic dispensary, but sometimes doctors of this profile are also in ordinary district polyclinics.
Most likely, a dermatologist will prescribe the following tests:
- scraping for demodicosis;
- general biochemical blood test to determine the causes of seborrhea;
- trichogramma of hair - a research method necessary for alopecia;
- A phototrichogram is also necessary for progressive baldness.
Causes of dry seborrhea in adolescents
The exact causes of this ailment are still not known to medicine. Photos of dry seborrhea demonstrate that the disease can affect the skin of very young children.
A variety of problems with the scalp, characteristic of young men and women, develops due to a sharp powerful jump in sex hormones. Such processes are characteristic of puberty. Dry seborrhea resulting from hormonal changes usually disappears on its own, even without proper treatment.
Causes of the disease in adult patients
More complicated is the case with the manifestations of the disease in adults. The most common causes, and more often it is a combination of several factors, are as follows:
- Genetic predisposition to disruption of the sebaceous glands. It often happens that the patient has relatives with the same problem.
- Hormonal factor (more often inherent in female patients): deficiency or excess of thyroid stimulating hormone, triiodotrionin, estradiol, androgen, dehydrotestosterone. In this case, you can not do without consulting an endocrinologist. In the case of hormonal disruptions, seborrhea does not appear alone - many more concomitant chronic diseases develop.
- Neoplasms (both malignant and benign) are also often the cause of alopecia and dry seborrhea. Be sure to pass an analysis on the main tumor markers.
- Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, organic brain damage often lead to the development of dry seborrhea and trichotillomania.
- Taking hormonal pills on an ongoing basis is a common cause of scalp problems. Oral anabolic steroids, birth control pills, thyroid medications are all serious and dangerous drugs, with a high degree of probability they can cause problems with the scalp and hair.
Drug treatment
Treatment of a dry form of seborrhea involves the use of the following medicines:
- hormonal preparations - if the patient has a deficiency or excess of thyroid stimulating hormone, triiodotrionin, estradiol, androgens, dehydrotestosterone;
- sulfur-based preparations and antifungal ointments - if scraping of the scalp showed infection with fungi;
- zinc-based preparations - help to relieve itching, reduce pain in the presence of seboroids;
- antibacterial agents - if chronic inflammatory processes of internal organs are detected during the examination of the patient.
The duration of drug treatment is discussed with the treating dermatologist or endocrinologist. Self-administration of drugs to yourself will not lead to positive consequences.
Therapeutic treatment
Physiotherapy has shown excellent results. Mesotherapy with special therapeutic compounds, cryotherapy, ozone therapy of the scalp - all these methods are effective both in the treatment of dry seboria and its oily form.
What is the treatment with mesotherapy? First you need to choose a mesococktail. It can be a drug based on sulfur, or just a vitamin cocktail. A cosmetologist using a special syringe injects half a milliliter of the composition into the scalp, at a distance of about 5 mm from the previous injection. As a result, the entire site of seborrhea is a punctured solution. This method is very good, but the minus is its rather high cost.
Alternative methods of treatment
Methods of treating dry seborrhea at home have as their goal the normalization of sebum production. Such methods will not completely cure the disease, but will help significantly reduce itching, burning and hair loss. Before choosing this or that recipe, make sure that there is no allergy to its components.
The main rule for the use of medicinal compounds: they must be rubbed with soft movements. Contrary to popular belief that burning and pressure will help stimulate blood circulation in the scalp, you only pull out more hair. A competent massage in this area can only be done by a certified specialist. Excessive zeal in this matter will only bring harm.
In the home treatment of dry seborrhea, the oil extracts of the following plants are very effective:
- garden parsley;
- burdock;
- garden chamomile;
- sea buckthorn.
You can prepare infusions on your own or buy at a pharmacy. It is advisable to mix them in equal proportions with castor or burdock oil. Gently blot the skin affected by seborrhea with the resulting composition.
Relief for itching and burning will bring wrapping the scalp with the application of the yolk mixture. to prepare it, you need to mix a couple of egg yolks with 100 ml of fat yogurt or fermented baked milk. Now you know how to effectively treat dry seborrhea at home.
Vitamins and dietary supplements from seborrhea
In most cases, treatment of scalp for fungus involves strengthening immunity. Fungal diseases will never appear in a person with a full immune status. To eliminate them, it is necessary to establish on an ongoing basis the intake of vitamins, micro - and macrocells, and essential amino acids into the body.
Nutrition plays an important role, at the same time you should not refuse to take therapeutic dietary supplements and complexes for the scalp.
"Pantovigar" was specially developed as a remedy for the scalp. It improves the appearance of hair, helps with any type of seborrhea, prevents premature hair loss, and helps to activate sleeping follicles.
"Alphabet Cosmetics" is actively prescribed by dermatologists to treat dry scalp seborrhea. It contains 12 vitamins and 8 microelements for the beauty and health of hair and scalp.
The special Merz Beauty tablet can also be used as a complex for healing the scalp. Contains brewer's yeast extract and cysteine.
"System 4" in the fight against seborrhea
Huge popularity in the fight against dry seborrhea was the Finnish "System 4". It represents three means, the use of which together make the scalp healthy:
- Exfoliating mask with menthol in the composition. It has an antifungal, anti-inflammatory effect. This is one of the best remedies for dry seborrhea. After the first application, the result will be noticeable. It is applied to the hair roots one hour before washing.
- Special shampoo - step number 2. With it, wash off the mask from the hair, rinse the hair thoroughly.
- Therapeutic lotion - apply parting on hair that is still wet after washing. It contains menthol, patients note a pleasant cooling of the scalp and relieve symptoms of burning, itching, pain.
Shampoos as a method to combat dry seborrhea
The choice of shampoo by the patient is very important.
It should contain a component that inhibits the growth of fungi (ketoconazole), birch tar or zinc. Shampoos with menthol, mint, and black pepper are also effective - irritating hair follicles and thereby have a stimulating effect on them.
From the assortment on the shelves of pharmacies, the Psorilom line products, which include hair balm, shampoo and dry seborrhea lotion, proved to be excellent. Reviews about Friderm Tar shampoo are also very enthusiastic - this remedy literally in one use smoothed out the unpleasant symptoms of itching, burning of the affected area of the skin.
Shampoos of the Fitoval series not only smooth out manifestations of dry seborrhea, but also have a healing effect and affect the general condition of the hair.
The impact of nutrition on the development of the disease
A very important stage of treatment is to establish proper nutrition. For many people, the condition of the skin is like a litmus test of the health of internal organs. Dry seborrhea is characteristic of people with problem gall bladder and liver. Therefore, in nutrition, you must adhere to the medical diet "Table No. 5". Treatment of dry seborrhea of the scalp proceeds more efficiently with proper nutrition.
The following dishes, drinks and products should be completely excluded from the diet:
- fatty meat (pork, lamb, venison);
- dairy products with fat content above 9%;
- alcoholic beverages (even beer and tonics);
- yeast dough, fresh pastries, chocolate, factory sweets;
- fried foods - instead, give preference to baked or boiled foods;
- fast food: fatty burgers and fries, pizza and donuts stuffed.
It is necessary to use salt and spices to a limited extent when preparing any dishes.
Possible complications
If you do not treat dry seborrhea and let the disease drift, the following consequences are possible:
- partial or complete baldness;
- infection under the skin;
- the spread of the fungus over much larger areas of the skin;
- transfer of the fungus to relatives and close people through personal hygiene products;
- increased symptoms of itching and burning, combing the skin with nails to ulcers.