what is seborrhoeic dermatitis?

Answer 1

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a common, harmless, scaling rash affecting the face, scalp and other areas. It is most likely to occur where the skin is oily. The American spelling is ‘seborrheic’, and ‘dermatitis’ is sometimes called ‘eczema’;

Answer 2

The words ‘dermatitis’ and ‘eczema’ mean the same thing and are interchangeable. This leaflet could just as easily have been called ‘seborrhoeic eczema’. For simplicity the word ‘dermatitis’ will be used here.



‘Dermatitis’ means an inflammation of the skin: ‘seborrhoeic’ simply means that the rash commonly comes up in areas rich in sebaceous (grease) glands such as the side of the nose, forehead and scalp.



Seborrhoeic dermatitis is harmless and very common, affecting as many as 3% of people. Infants can have it; but then it usually clears up over the course of a few months. It is common in young adults, peaks at the age of forty, and is less common in old age.

Answer 3

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a skin disorder affecting the scalp, face and trunk causing scaly, flaky, itchy, red skin. It particularly affects the sebum-gland rich areas of skin.
It is thought to be caused by a fungal infection caused by the yeast Malassezia furfur (formerly known as Pityrosporum ovale) in individuals with decreased immunity and increased sebum production. In a normally-functioning individual, the fungus thrives without incident, but in those afflicted with seborrhoeic dermatitis, the body's epidermis responds unfavorably to the infection, becoming inflamed and shedding large scales of skin in a failed attempt to rid itself of the fungus.