Seborrheic dermatitis is a common inflammatory condition of the skin. A dry, flaky scalp is typical of mild cases of seborrheic dermatitis. More severe cases have itching, burning, greasy scales overlying red patches on the scalp. The seborrheic dermatitis is a dermatitis that frequently occurs on areas with a high sebum secretion, such as the scalp, the forehead and the armpit, and is also called seborrheic eczema. It causes much reddening and fine scale (dandruff) and often appears in persons in the 20-40 age group. Unlike common eczema, it is a disease resulting from abnormal constitution or sebum secretion, and is characterized in that it causes the skin to be sensitive to sunlight or heat, grows worse mainly in spring and autumn and tends to recur. Seborrheic dermatitis may be confused with severe dandruff. Seborrheic dermatitis may be found on the eyebrows, eyelids, forehead, ears, chest, armpits, groin, and the skin folds beneath the breasts or between the buttocks.
Experience has shown that dandruff is often persistent and returns after weekly shampoos and regular hair grooming and is the result of a dermatitis, mainly seborrheic dermatitis, but also in some cases seborrhea sicca capitis orpityriasis capitis. Medications most commonly used to combat dandruff include sulfur, resorcinol, mercury, chrysarobin and coal tar. These have been found to have only limited value and are frequently accompanied by series disadvantages. Sulfur is unsightly and may itself cause serious dermatitis. Resorcinol discolours hair and causes light and red hair to become greenish. Mercury is apt to be absorbed and is toxic. Chrysarobin is capable of producing renal irritation when applied to large area or conjunctivitis if used adjacent the eyes. Coal tar is messy and potentially carcinogenic.
Nutritional Supplements
Injections of vitamin B12 were reported to improve in 86% of adults with seborrheic dermatitis in some trials.
Plants and Herbs
A crude extract of Aloe vera may help seborrheic dermatitis when applied topically. In one study, people with seborrheic dermatitis applied a 30% crude aloe emulsion for 4 to 6 weeks and 62% reported improvements in scaling and itching.
Other plants used for treatment seborrheic dermatitis include birch (Betula species),Heartsease (Viola tricolor), Henna (Lawsonia inermis), Mountain grape (Mahonia aquifolium), Oats (Avena sativa), Peanut (Arachis hypogatea), Quillaja (Quillaja saponaria), Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica).
A water or organic solvent extract of Anemarrhena asphodeloides and
Aralia elata has the effect of treating inflammatory skin diseases, such as seborrheic dermatitis, acne, atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis. The water or organic solvent extract of Anemarrhena asphodeloides and Ar alia elata can be prepared in the form of a cosmetic composition and a food composition (teas, juices and drinks for dirnking, or granulated, capsulized and powdered for ingestion).
Hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) and similar species (A. kolomikta, A. polygama or and the same genus plant) extract reduces blood DHT level, and inhibits the falling out of hair and seborrheic skin disease. The extract of hardy kiwifruit can be added to food and beverage for the prevention and improvement of baldness disorder and seborrheic skin disease. More than 30 species belonged to Actinidiaceae have been reported. Among them, the fruit of Actinidia chinensis or A. delicious have been named as a kiwi and Actinidia arguta, and other identical genus fruit have been used as materials of Chinese medicine named as 'mihudo', to treat liver disease, gastrointestinal disease and urogenital lithiasis without toxicity. It is also used as liver-protective and anticancer fruit in Chinese and Korean medicine.
The topical administration of a composition comprising Telmesteine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as the active ingredient, provides an effective therapeutical or preventive treatment for a variety of dermatological diseases and disorders.