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 a special fat that the body needs to maintain the skin in a normal state and protect it from environmental influences. If failures occur that occur for various reasons, the amount of fat released can increase or decrease several times, which can lead to a deterioration in the condition of the skin and a significant amount of hair loss. This phenomenon is called seborrhea of the scalp and with timely treatment is easily eliminated.
Reasons
As a result of the disease, not only the amount of sebum changes, but also its composition, which often leads to blockage of the sebaceous glands and disruption of normal metabolism.
Among the possible causes of this unpleasant phenomenon are:
- hormonal disorders;
- deterioration of 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;
- Incorrectly selected hygiene products.
Symptoms of seborrhea of the scalp
As a result of changes in normal metabolism, the skin loses its natural protection. This leads to increased reproduction of pathogens on its surface and the appearance of unpleasant sensations, such as:
- redness and constant itching;
- appearance of crusts;
- appearance of dandruff in the form of large or small scales;
- feeling of tightness of the skin on the head;
- greasy and messy-looking hair.
Diagnosis
The following procedures are used in making a diagnosis:
- careful examination by a doctor;
- blood and hormone tests;
- conducting a study of the level of the condition of hair and skin;
- in some cases, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland is prescribed.
Diagnostic examination and follow-up tests lead to the correct diagnosis, which is the first step on the road to recovery.
Oily seborrhea
Small nodules of yellowishshades may indicate the initial stage of this disease. Over time, barely noticeable formations can collect in large foci, accompanied by severe itching, forcing the sick person to comb the area of \u200b\u200bdermatitis until crusts form. Left untreated, plaques can spread to the face, neck, and 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 comb and clothes;
- greasy hair that requires frequent washing;
- excessive hair loss.
Dry seborrhea
Unlike the oily type, dry seborrhea of the scalp is caused by a decrease in the amount of separable fat. 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 cracks;
- exfoliation of epithelial particles;
- constant itching;
- hair gets dry and falls out badly.
Sometimes there are mixed forms of this disease, when the patient is disturbed by 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 up and flakes.
Seborrhea in infants
This disease occurs not onlyin adults. Infantile seborrheic dermatitis is common in children during their first year of life. This is due to the still not quite strong immune system. Among the reasons are 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, the symptoms disappear 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's hard not to agree that this disease looks frightening, however, it is not capable of being transmitted from person to person. Any specialist on the question of whether it is possible to get infected from a friend or just by driving in public transport will give an exclusively negative answer. The causes leading to the disease should be looked for only in your body and lifestyle.
What to treat?
First of all, it is necessary to determine how long ago the disease began. Depending on the neglect of the patient's condition, an individually selected course of medications is prescribed.
Competent treatment of seborrhea of the scalp begins with the elimination of disorders in the body:
- appointment of a diet in order to restore the body's immune functions;
- normalization of workgastrointestinal tract in patients with digestive disorders;
- a course of sedatives for severe stress;
- taking vitamins or dietary supplements to enhance the skin's natural defenses.
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.
Shampoos containing ketoconazole are considered the main enemies of fungi that cause diseases such as seborrhea. For example, shampoos "Elf" and "Perhotal" quickly destroy the fungus and at the same time contain moisturizing and caring ingredients.
Among inexpensive shampoos for seborrhea of the scalp, "Tar" is popular, based on natural ingredients. Thanks to the tar it contains, this product inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi, relieves itching and helps to cope with excess sebum.
During the acute course of the disease, daily use is recommendedshampoos for a month or until the symptoms disappear. After that, you can use shampoo as a preventive measure, two or three times a month.
Ointments
It is recommended to treat seborrhea of the scalp in a complex way, so the use of external medications is mandatory. If you can cope with mild forms of the disease with shampoo, then with more severe and neglected ones, additional rubbing of a 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:
- restoring the normal functioning of the sebaceous glands and the level of sebum;
- combat pathogens and prevent re-infection;
- reducing the amount of detachable skin particles;
- increasing the level of both general and local immunity.
The following remedies for seborrhea of the scalp have proven themselves well: Zinocap, Randevite, Eplan. However, they only work when the disease has just begun to manifest itself. In chronic course and frequent relapses, external preparations containing hormones are prescribed. This is "Diprosalik", an ointment for seborrhea of the scalp with hydrocortisone, "Elok" and many others.
If there is a large amount of dried crusts, it is recommended to remove them with emollient oils, which will allow the preparations to act aspossible deeper. Usually treatment continues for a month. In especially severe cases, anti-fungal tablets may be prescribed as internal therapy.
Diet
Compliance with the rules of a he althy 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 environment for the reproduction of fungi.
- Spicy and s alty food. 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 flavor substitutes, which negatively affects the condition of the body and, most importantly, the skin.
- Alcoholic drinks. Drinking alcohol affects the liver, the main organ in the body responsible for removing toxins, which can slow down regeneration after illness.
The best thing to do is to create your own meal plan during 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 amount of vegetables and fruits in the diet saturates the body with vitamins, which is important for accelerating the recovery process after an illness.
- Lean meat products. It is recommended to use only boiled orsteamed meat.
- Water. Drinking plenty of plain water every day is recommended to help kick start your metabolism.
People's advice
Another way to treat seborrhea of the scalp? Together with the use of medicines, you can use the tools that our grandmothers used:
- Bow. You should pour the husk with water and boil for 30 minutes, then let the resulting broth brew. This infusion can be applied to the scalp until the symptoms disappear. Oak bark. To obtain an infusion, 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. For best results, apply at least once a week.
- Aloe juice. To obtain a tincture, the squeezed juice is mixed with alcohol and infused for several days. The resulting mixture is recommended to be rubbed into the hair roots for several months.
- Table or sea s alt. Rubbing grains of s alt helps get rid of dandruff and stimulates blood circulation on the head. You need to massage gently, not allowing solid particles to severely injure the skin.
Hair restoration
The longer and harder the seborrhea of the scalp lasted, the less hair could remain on the head of a person. Hair restoration questionssolved by a visit to 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. Women may use oral contraceptives.
- Surgical intervention. In case of large lesions, skin grafting is performed with normally functioning hair follicles.
After undergoing treatment or surgery, regular treatments are required to keep the hair in good condition. This can be a 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:
- necessary regular intake of vitamins that have a beneficial effect on hair growth and the condition of the sebaceous glands;
- you need to use properly selected and high-quality cosmetics to wash your scalp;
- should try not to bring the body to a state of stress;
- you need to improve blood circulation in problem areas with massage, cryotherapy, ultraviolet irradiation;
- 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.
