Seborrheic Dermatitis and Hair Loss

Seborrheic Dermatitis, an advanced form of seborrhea, is a non-contagious skin disease that causes excessive oiliness of the skin, most commonly in the scalp, caused by overproduction of sebum, the substance produced by the body to lubricate the skin where hair follicles are present. Seborrhea is the form of the disease where oiliness only occurs without redness and scaling.

The disease commonly occurs in infants, middle-aged people, and the elderly, and is commonly known in infants as cradle cap. The disease has no cure, yet in infants it usually disappears in time. With adults the condition may persist with varying degrees of severity. Flaking, scaling and redness often are symptoms of this disease.

Seborrhea and seborrheic dermatitis are both easily treated and controlled, and should be, because left untreated they can contribute to hair loss. In fact, a group of Japanese scientists have linked the overproduction of sebum to hair loss. This is because the sebaceous glands in areas of the scalp where hair is thinning or bald are enlarged, and are thought to cause the clogging of pores and several other problems that promote hair loss.

Seborrheic dermatitis is easily treated with topical solutions found in creams containing corticosteroids and shampoos containing pine tar, selenium sulfide or salicylic acid.