The skin on the head, as well as on the entire surface of the body, consists of a large number of sebaceous glands, which regularly produce the special fat necessary for the body to maintain normal skin condition and protect it from environmental influences. If malfunctions occur for various reasons, the amount of released fat can increase or decrease several times, which can lead to a deterioration of the skin condition and loss of a significant amount of hair. This phenomenon is called seborrhea of the scalp and with timely treatment is easily eliminated.
Causes
As a result of the disease, not only the amount of sebum is changed, but also its composition, which often leads to clogging of the sebaceous glands and impaired normal metabolism.
Among the possible causes of this unpleasant phenomenon can be identified:
- hormonal disorders;
- deterioration in the normal functioning of the thyroid gland;
- constant fatigue and chronic lack of sleep;
- diseases of the nervous system or gastrointestinal tract;
- excess fatty and sweet during meals;
- lack of vitamins;
- improper hygiene products.
Symptoms of scalp seborrhea
As a result of changes in the normal metabolism, the skin loses its natural defense. This leads to increased reproduction of pathogens on its surface and the appearance of unpleasant sensations, such as:
- redness and constant sensation of itching;
- the appearance of crusts;
- the occurrence of dandruff in the form of large or small scales;
- a feeling of tightness of the skin on the head;
- greasy and unkempt looking hair.
Diagnostics
When making a diagnosis, the following procedures are used:
- careful examination by a doctor;
- blood and hormone tests;
- conducting a study of the level of hair and skin;
- in some cases, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland is prescribed.
Carrying out a diagnostic examination and subsequent tests allows you to make the correct diagnosis, which is the first step on the road to recovery.
Fat Seborrhea
Small nodules appearing on the head of a yellowish hue may indicate the initial stage of this disease. Over time, barely noticeable formations can collect in large foci, accompanied by severe itching, forcing the patient to comb the area of the onset of dermatitis before the formation of crusts. In the absence of timely treatment, plaques can spread to the face, neck and area behind the ears.
Signs indicating oily seborrhea of the scalp:
- excessively oily skin with a large amount of sebum secretion;
- severe itching;
- dandruff remaining on the comb and clothes;
- oily hair that requires frequent washing;
- profuse hair loss.
Dry seborrhea
Unlike the fatty type, dry seborrhea of the scalp is caused by a decrease in the amount of fat released. It becomes more viscous and practically unable to pass through the ducts.
All this inevitably leads to the following symptoms:
- thinning of the skin, leading to the appearance of cracks;
- exfoliation of epithelial particles;
- persistent itching;
- the hair becomes dry and falls out badly.
Sometimes there are mixed forms of this disease, when the patient is worried about all of the above symptoms at the same time: the skin on the face becomes oily, and on the surface of the head, on the contrary, it dries and peels.
Seborrhea in infants
This disease is found not only in adults. Infant seborrheic dermatitis is a common occurrence in children during their first year of life. This is due to the not yet fully strengthened immune system. Among the reasons are the poor nutrition of the mother with a lot of sweet and fatty foods, excessive sweating as a result of improperly selected clothes for the child. It is manifested by the appearance of crusts and scales on the scalp or any part of the body as a result of an increased amount of secreted skin secretion.
Most often, symptoms go away with age and do not require special treatment. To get rid of dried skin particles, use baby oil, which is applied to the head before bathing. After water procedures, the crusts are easily removed with a comb.
Is it contagious?
Of course, it is difficult not to agree that this disease looks intimidating, however, it is not able to be transmitted from person to person. Any specialist when asked whether it is possible to get infected from a friend or simply by passing in public transport will give an extremely negative answer. The causes of the disease should be sought only in your body and lifestyle.
What to treat?
First of all, it is necessary to determine how long the disease began. Depending on the neglect of the patient's condition, an individually selected course of drugs is prescribed.
Competent treatment of seborrhea of the scalp begins with the elimination of violations in the body:
- the appointment of a diet in order to restore the body's immune functions;
- normalization of the gastrointestinal tract in patients with disorders of the digestive system;
- a course of sedatives for severe stress;
- intake of vitamins or biological additives to enhance the natural level of protection of the skin.
At the same time, creams or shampoos are used to combat unpleasant symptoms on the scalp.
Shampoos
When choosing the right shampoo, you need to pay attention to its composition, which should contain substances with antiseptic, antifungal and healing properties.
Hair products are divided into the following types:
- have an exfoliating effect based on salicylic acid;
- antifungal, high in ketoconazole;
- with antibacterial properties due to the presence of zinc in the composition.
Shampoos containing ketoconazole are considered the main enemies of fungi that cause diseases such as seborrhea. For example, Elf and Perhotal shampoos quickly destroy the fungus and at the same time contain moisturizing and caring ingredients.
Among the inexpensive shampoos for seborrhea of the scalp is popular "Tar", obtained on the basis of natural components. Due to the tar contained in the composition, this agent suppresses the growth of bacteria and fungi, relieves itching and helps to cope with excess sebum.
During the acute course of the disease, daily use of shampoos is recommended for a month or until the symptoms disappear. Then you can use the shampoo for preventive purposes, two or three times a month.
Ointments
It is recommended to treat seborrhea of the scalp in a comprehensive manner, so the use of external medications is mandatory. If with mild forms of the disease you can cope with shampoo, then with more severe and neglected, additional rubbing of cream or ointment is the key to a quick recovery.
Creams and ointments containing zinc, tar, salicylic or sulfuric acid are most often used, due to their abilities:
- restoration of normal functioning of the sebaceous glands and the level of sebum;
- the fight against pathogenic organisms and the prevention of reinfection;
- reduction in the number of detachable particles of skin;
- increase in the level of both general and local immunity.
The following remedies for seborrhea of the scalp are well proven: Tsinokap, Rendezvous, Eplan. However, they only work when the disease has just begun to manifest itself. In chronic course and frequent relapses, external preparations with hormones are prescribed. This is "Diprosalik", an ointment for seborrhea of the scalp with hydrocortisone, "Elok" and many others.
In the presence of a large number of dried crusts, it is recommended to remove them with softening oils, which will allow the drugs to act as deep as possible. Usually, treatment lasts for a month. In severe cases, anti-fungal tablets may be prescribed as internal therapy.
Diet
Compliance with the rules of a healthy diet allows you to get rid of the symptoms of seborrhea faster. Most often, a strict diet is prescribed, completely excluding from the diet:
- Sweets and fast carbohydrates. Since the use of these products creates a favorable atmosphere for the propagation of fungi.
- Spicy and salty foods. All this can affect the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, thereby reducing the number of beneficial bacteria.
- Fast food. Such food, as a rule, is saturated with additives and taste substitutes, which negatively affects the state of the body and, most importantly, the skin.
- Alcoholic drinks. Alcohol use affects the liver, the main organ in the body responsible for eliminating toxins, which can slow down regeneration after an illness.
The best thing is to draw up your own nutrition plan for the duration of treatment, which will include:
- Dairy products. Yoghurts and kefir contain a large number of beneficial microorganisms that improve the functioning of the digestive tract.
- Vegetables and fruits. A large number of fruits and vegetables in the diet saturates the body with vitamins, which is important to speed up the recovery process after an illness.
- Lean meat products. It is recommended to eat only boiled or steamed meat.
- Water. It is recommended that you drink a large amount of plain water daily, which helps to start the metabolic process.
People's councils
What else to treat seborrhea of the scalp? Together with the use of medicines, you can use the tools that our grandmothers used:
- Bow. Pour the husk with water and boil for 30 minutes, then let the resulting broth infuse. This infusion can be applied to the scalp until the symptoms disappear. Oak bark. To get the infusion, you need to pour 15-20 grams of oak bark with water and boil, then cool. The resulting mixture can be applied daily to the hair roots with rubbing movements.
- Honey. In the treatment of seborrhea, a mask of onion juice, honey and castor oil is used. To do this, mix the above ingredients and apply on the scalp for a couple of hours. To get good results, you must apply at least once a week.
- Aloe juice. To obtain tinctures, squeezed juice is mixed with alcohol and insisted for several days. The resulting mixture is recommended to be rubbed into the hair roots for several months.
- Salt or sea salt. Rubbing grains of salt helps get rid of dandruff and stimulate blood circulation on the head. Massage should be done carefully, not allowing hard particles to severely injure the skin.
Hair restoration
The longer and harder the seborrhea of the scalp lasted, the less hair could remain on a person’s head. Hair restoration issues are resolved by visiting a hair specialist who will select an individual treatment.
Depending on the condition of the hair, their restoration is possible using two methods:
- Prescribing hormonal drugs. For women, the use of oral contraceptives is possible.
- Surgical intervention. In the presence of large areas of damage, skin is grafted with normally functioning hair follicles.
After undergoing treatment or surgery, regular procedures are required to keep the hair in good condition. It can be massage, the use of oils and special masks.
How to prevent?
If you do not want to get sick, you should pay attention to how and what you eat, and in addition, follow these tips:
- you need regular use of vitamins that have a beneficial effect on hair growth and the condition of the sebaceous glands;
- you need to use correctly selected and high-quality cosmetics for washing the scalp;
- you should try not to bring the body to a state of stress;
- it is necessary to improve blood circulation in problem areas with the help of massage, cryotherapy, ultraviolet radiation;
- it is required to periodically take tests for hormone levels.
If you follow the preventive measures presented, then with a high degree of probability, you can avoid a disease such as seborrhea of the scalp.