Winter Woes – Is It Dry Skin or Seborrheic Dermatitis?

Winter Woes – Is It Dry Skin or Seborrheic Dermatitis?

By Annette Gomes

Hello there everyone!

This is my first post on IMBB and I would like to address a serious issue today.

Since winter is knocking at our doors, we start to include heavier moisturizers in our daily routine to protect ourselves from dryness. Sometimes I have noticed that no matter what I do, the T-zone area of my face is forever dry and stretchy. This always happens to me during the winter time. I have combination skin. I was being naïve and had dismissed it as dry skin. Heavy moisturisation did nothing. Later, I came to know that the problem was much bigger. I had googled my symptoms and had come to know that I had Seborrheic Dermatitis. At first, I was completely shocked. DERMATITIS ? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

I was really depressed and did not want to look at myself or even go out anywhere .You could say that whenever winter started to approach I would automatically go into depression. It was bad. Let me tell you some facts about Seborrheic Dermatitis:

• It is not a disease but a rash. Apparently, it is a very common rash. It is so common that everyone will have it at some point of their lives.
• Most people think that it is dry skin and dismiss it.
• It can appear on any part of the body.
• It really acts up when the weather turns cold (as in my case).
• Most people don’t know they have it, until they see a doctor.

What Exactly Is It?

Sometimes it’s also known as seborrheic eczema. Generally seen in young adults with a peak around the age of 40.Babies sometimes have it known as ’Cradle Cap.’ The exact cause of Seborrheic Dermatitis is unknown. A type of fungal germ called ‘Malassezia’ is said to be the cause. However, it’s not a simple skin infection and it’s not contagious. The germ thrives in the skin. In most people it does no harm. But some people may react to this yeast germ in some way which causes the skin inflammation.

NOTE: This does not happen due to a lack of cleanliness.

 

Causes and Symptoms:

• Condition mainly affects the more greasy areas of the skin such as the scalp, the forehead, face around the eyebrow area and on either side of the nose. Other affected areas are the chest, the armpits, under the breasts and the groin area.
• If the condition worsens, a rash develops. The rash is usually round/oval shaped and is red, scaly and greasy skin.
• Severe cases are unusual. If the condition becomes severe then a red rash covers a large area of skin.
• The condition tends to flare up and down from time to time. However, treatment can usually keep symptoms to a minimum.
• Acne.
• Diet: there is no special diet for Seborrheic Dermatitis. Bad eating habits are a huge culprit.You want to make sure to include plenty of fruits and vegetables that are rich sources of antioxidants and foods that fight inflammation. Olive oil or canola oil over vegetable oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids is a better choice. Eat more omega-3 fatty acids and not Omega-6 fatty acids. Examples of Omega-3 rich foods are cold-water fish, flax seed, hemp seed and walnuts( provided you do not have any allergies to these ).
• Parkinson’s disease
• Rosacea
• AIDS
• Psoriasis
• Depression
• Heart attack/ stroke recovery
• Alcoholism
• Epilepsy

Treatment:

• For hair, a normal anti-dandruff shampoo that contains zinc pyrithione or coal tar may clear dandruff in mild cases, if used regularly.
  An antifungal cream can be used to treat other areas. Apply the cream to affected areas once or twice daily, depending on the type of cream prescribed.
• It often takes 2-4 weeks to clear the dandruff or rash completely. One should avoid using soap or shaving creams on the face as they can add to the skin irritation. A non-greasy emollient soap substitute can be used. Cosmetic products that contain alcohol should also be avoided.
• Phototherapy (light treatment) with ultraviolet B is sometimes used in severe cases.
• Sunlight may stop the growth of the yeast organisms. Spend some time outdoors.
• Make some time for exercise. It boosts blood and oxygen flow = good for you.
• Sometimes, Seborrheic Dermatitis will clear up by itself. More often, it’s a lifelong issue that clears and flares. It can last for years at a time, but you can control it with good skin care. Products with these ingredients are useful and effective:
  • Coal tar
  • Ketoconazole
  • Salicylic acid ( I crush 2-3 asprin/disprin tablets and mix it with water and some drops of lemon and keep it on my face and affected areas for 15-20 minutes. I do this twice a week).
  • Selenium sulfide
  • Zinc pyrithione

Conclusion:

Since I did not want to aggravate my skin condition any further, I stopped using any commercial cleansers/face washes and switched to using oats. I take a small handful of oatmeal and run it under tap water. I slowly massage the oats onto my face and work with it for 2-3 minutes, pat dry and apply a green tea toner and moisturizing cream (and not lotion/gel) containing salicylic acid.

As mentioned earlier, I also use asprin/disprin mask twice a week.
At night, I follow up by washing my face but this time I add a little bit of curd (contains lactic acid to lighten skin).

These methods have been useful to me and I have seen results. It takes some time but it is worth the results.
Patience is key and one must give time for the skin to repair and heal.

Hope this was a helpful post. 🙂

 

Image Sources : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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