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Seborrheic dermatitis

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In short

Dandruff is usually a symptom of seborrheic dermatitis, or seborrhea. It is a skin condition that can also cause redness and irritation of the skin.

What it is1

  • Seborrheic dermatitis is a long-lasting condition that mostly affects oily areas such as the scalp, face and upper chest. It causes poorly defined red patches with greasy or yellowish scales.

    Navarro Triviño FJ

Worth knowing5

  • Itching is the most common symptom.

    Navarro Triviño FJ
  • It is chronic and recurrent, which means it tends to come back after it clears.

    Navarro Triviño FJ
  • Dandruff is not caused by poor hygiene, although it may be more obvious if you do not wash your hair regularly.

    NHS website
  • It may be caused by different things, including a type of yeast that naturally lives on your skin, and skin conditions such as eczema.

    NHS website
  • Stress and cold weather may also make dandruff worse.

    NHS website

What helps4

  • Use an anti-dandruff shampoo to treat dandruff.

    NHS website
  • Look for a shampoo that contains 1, or more, of these ingredients: ketoconazole; coal tar; salicylic acid.

    NHS website
  • Use the shampoo for up to 4 weeks to see if your dandruff gets better.

    NHS website
  • Most of the time, using a dandruff shampoo can help control your dandruff.

    MedlinePlus

See a provider if1

  • See a health care provider if you still have dandruff symptoms after using anti-dandruff shampoo for at least 4 weeks; your dandruff is bad or your scalp is very itchy; your scalp is red or swollen; you have flaky, itchy patches on your face or other parts of your body.

    NHS website

Sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

These pages describe what the sources say. They cannot say what is going on with your skin.

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