Seborrheic Dermatitis with Acne Help

Hi! I have a client with what I am fairly sure is Seborrheic Dermatitis on the cheeks, eyes and creases of her nose, but she also has a some breakout activity and a ton of what I think are closed comedones all over her cheeks. Her dermatologist said she had acne and gave her antibiotics and told her to use products with salicylic acid. She said that neither has made a difference so she went off the antibiotics and gave up for a while. I really think she was misdiagnosed and was wondering what the best treatment and regimen would be for her if it is seborrheic dermatitis. I know Zinc is great for it. Has anyone successfully treated anyone with this issue?

Tags: dermatitis, seborrheic

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Permalink Reply by Erin J. Wooding on December 21, 2012 at 1:20pm

I have seen a ton of Seborrheic Dermatitis clients and had it for about 12 years myself. My Dermatologist had me use Head & Shoulders Intensive Treatment Shampoo. The active ingredient is Selenium Sulfide. I used it in my hair as I had quite a bit in the temple area and literally used it on my face. Not as a wash but as a treatment. I left it on for 5 minutes in the affected areas (dabbed it on). I would do that daily until it was under control then treat as needed when I would see starting again. Yes, we are not able to diagnose, but I tell my clients of my experience and that if they wanted to try it they should check with their doctor first. I no longer have flairs of it -not sure why. Hope that helps. And, yes, I do understand the fine line we walk with diagnosing clients and our ultimate desire to help our clients. It can be a tough line to walk. It is frustrating when the physicians are not doing their part and we know what is going on with their skin better than they do.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Kligman on December 30, 2012 at 6:54pm

Thanks so much Erin! This was something I used years ago when I couldn't get rid of white bumps on my chin and it worked very well. I am glad to see that it is still a good cure!