Seborrheic Dermatitis// Questions on methods

[loveglam]

I was reading a couple posts on here about members that were diagnosed with Seborrheic Dermatitis. I was reading about Apple Cider Vinegar rinses and wanted to know how long you leave that on the hair for and do you mix it with something specific?

Also I just ordered Cassia Obovato from here http://www.mehandi.com/ . How exactly is that used?

I'm really desperate....it's been a year since I've been diagnosed. Around the same time, I had animals in my room, and had been getting rashes....as soon as they were out I never got those rashes again. I'm thinking this may have something to do with my scalp. (After reading about another member discovering they had ringworm.) Or just a fungal infection. My SD appeared during that same time. It has not gotten better with any shampoos/foams/etc. I'm about to tell my dermatologist my new "theories" and ask to get my scalp REALLY checked. (I hate when they just throw a new shampoo at me, they caused half my hair to fall out) I went from very thick hair to thin stringy hair. it's really sad because I have worked hard on growing it out for two years. I constantly think about cutting it now. :(

[Rocket22]

I just use TGEL and it works great. I have to use it maybe once a month when I get it under control. If I forget my scalp will let me know in due time. I had gone to my regular doctor once and told her I thought I had Psoriasis and she looked at me funny and said what made me think that? well she then prescribed some other shampoo for some other scalp problem and said "people that self diagnose". Anyways long story short my scalp became a massive mess in about 8 months and I kept using the shampoo she prescribed thinking she knows best. My scalp continued to get worse. I had such bad sores on it my hair was falling out... so back to TGel and no problems.

I don't know if you have tried that or not but if not it's for sure worth a try.

[loveglam]

I started using Tgel shampoo's about 2mths ago and it's honestly gotten way better than before but not good enough. I have only certain "spots" that are inflamed and itch. 6 in total. The exact spots every day. Other than the hair line. How about you? do people with Seborrheic Dermatitis usually itch throughout the entire head? I'm going to get re-diagnosed next week. I've added everything up and it sounds like ringworm.

there's also this foam i've used that's been great. i forget the name. by the way, thank you so much for replying to me.

[danacc]

When I do vinegar rinses, I dilute the vinegar with water. Never apply straight vinegar to your whole head. It's the last rinse I do, so I guess I leave it on "forever". See: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=56
(http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=56)

For cassia, read this thread, especially the FAQ link in the first post: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=406

[Kat]

I'm pretty sure I have it, though I've never been formally diagnosed.

Honestly, I just do nothing. I figure any shampoo or whatever I could use, would probably need to be used more often than the once a week my hair needs washing (and it's such a pain to wash that I am NOT doing it on a weeknight and waiting hours for my hair to dry, and then detangling it, and....). And I figure even if washing my hair that often doesn't make my dry/damaged hair exponentially worse, then whatever I use on it no doubt will wreck my hair.

If I ever cut my hair short, I'll look into using stuff for it, but in the meantime I just deal with the flakes and hope it's not painfully obvious to the whole world that I have massive dandruff issues.

(I have no idea what could be done for the flakes on my face. I've read stuff that seems to say there's not much in the way of treatment for SD.)

[BlazingHeart]

I probably have mild SD. So far, I do best with a shampoo bar (I have only tried Chagrin Valley Summer Sunshine and Chamomile-Citrus, both of which do well), VO5 condish, an ACV rinse (diluted one part vinegar to thirty parts water) which I rinse out quickly, and when I flare I add a chamomile tea rinse (2 tea bags to 2 cups of boiling water, leave them in until the water is cool and remove just before applying) which I leave on for 5-10 minutes then rinse out. The chamomile tea can cause lightening of the hair.

I also find that timing on washes is important. For me, no less than 4 days but no more than 8 days between washes is best.

~Blaze

[danacc]

For SD on your face, try dabbing on coconut oil. It works wonders!

[loveglam]

I am going to try all these different methods. Thank you girls. As of right now all I have though is jojoba(sp?) oil and some vitamin E. Either good for the itch? I woke up with a bald spot this morning for applying Aloe vera lotion :(. I've been wanting to get rid of these bangs but it looks like I am going to have them for a long while......I also just cut off 2 inches of my wispy ends.

My hair was so thick 2 years ago when I started growing it out from shoulder length that I had the hair dress thin out my hair. I think maybe that's why my ends were straggly looking and thin? The hair looks thicker now that I cut them off. I feel so sad though. I know it's just hair but it takes time to grow and I'm far from waist length.

[coffinhert]

The only thing that works for me is apple cider vinegar. Before shower, hair dry, I bend my head over the tub and carefully pour apple cider vinegar throughout my scalp. It's best to start from the back and work forward in sections, to make sure the whole scalp is wet. Then I gently scritch my fingers throughout the whole scalp to make sure it is in there. I tie a handtowel or tshirt around my neck so it doesn't drip. Then sometimes I sit for up to an hour. Sometimes I hop right in the shower. I try to sit for at least ten mins. Then I conditioner-only it out.

I never tried any of the prescription stuff for the dermatitis. Mine gets REALLY bad if I slack off on the vinegar, but when I do use the vinegar, it reduces it to just slightly annoying dandruff.

The most notable thing about the vinegar for me, was when I started using it, my hair immediately stopped falling out. I base this on hwo much hair was in th shower drain. Before vinegar: wayyyy too much. Next day after first vinegar, and ever after: regular amount.

Shampoo really messes with my scalp. I find conditioner only works much better for me.

There are long threads of seborrheic dermatitis support, do a search on here and read them if you haven't already.

Also, I used cassia and henna as treatment and the first time I used it, it made my s.d. go completely away for 3 months, but unfortuantely it doesn't work any more :( it barely reduces the severity. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this.

There are also dietary things that are supposed to help - reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates in the diet, or whatnot.

[coffinhert]

I'm pretty sure I have it, though I've never been formally diagnosed.

Honestly, I just do nothing. I figure any shampoo or whatever I could use, would probably need to be used more often than the once a week my hair needs washing (and it's such a pain to wash that I am NOT doing it on a weeknight and waiting hours for my hair to dry, and then detangling it, and....). And I figure even if washing my hair that often doesn't make my dry/damaged hair exponentially worse, then whatever I use on it no doubt will wreck my hair.

If I ever cut my hair short, I'll look into using stuff for it, but in the meantime I just deal with the flakes and hope it's not painfully obvious to the whole world that I have massive dandruff issues.

(I have no idea what could be done for the flakes on my face. I've read stuff that seems to say there's not much in the way of treatment for SD.)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if your scalp doesn't drive you insane with itchiness and hair loss in addition to the dandruff, you might not actually have SD.