My seborrheic dermatitis story.

by Elomo Mokwe Jemea

Thiscondition stolethebestparts of my teenage years; the constant bullying, lack of confidence and very low self- esteem. The condition seemed to go and come periodically and since I had absolutelynounderstandingofit,Ijust continued to live my life regardless.

So what exactly is seborrheic dermatitis? According to Mayo Clinic; Seborrheic (seb-o-REE-ik) dermatitis is a common skin condition that mainly affects your scalp. It causes scaly patches, red skin and stubborn dandruff. Seborrheic dermatitis can also affect oily areas of the body, such as the face, sides of the nose, eyebrows, ears, eyelids and chest.

To put in other terms, our bodies produce sebum on these parts on a regular basis, but with seborrheic dermatitis, the body over produces the sebum which meets with the bacteria on your skin. There is a reaction and it causes inflammation on these parts of the skin referred to as seborrheic dermatitis.

People always say that beauty lies beneath the skin. That could be true, but suffering from a skin condition can have a huge negative impact on your self-esteem. When I was younger, I tried every topical ointment to no avail. At the time, It wasn’t as severe therefore going to see a doctor wasn’t of utmost importance but as I grew older the need to see a doctor for my ‘mystery’ skin condition also grew. Before I go further let me elaborate more on my symptoms and how I have been able to manage them throughout the years.

First of all I had a very dry scalp, dandruff as you may call it. But this wasn’t ordinary dandruff. It was excessive. Itchy and sometimes left me with sores. It doesn't matter if I wash my hair every two days, my scalp will still be extra dry with lots of scaly flakes. I could hardly have my hair braided foroveraweekandyoumightask, why not put some hair oil? Well I did, but it only made it worse. Relaxing my hair was never fun as the sores I got from the itching made the chemical on my hair a thousand times more painful than usual. Every hair salon I visited knew my wailing and crying, I even remember one hair dresser told me she wasn’t sure if I would beabletogothroughlabortohave a baby as she considered my crying exaggerated. Looking back now, I don’t blame them. With my condition, I had no business down to my face, ears and some other parts of my body. If I am very honest, I had more problems with the ones on my face. I could cover the other parts of my skin including my scalp, but my face was left open to the states and insults of the world. Just like me, they didn’t know my condition and many associated it with being dirty.

Seborrheic dermatitis can start at any time in life and it affects men, women and even babies. In babies, it is called the cradle cap and found on the scalp of the baby. The exact cause of this condition is not yet known; it ranges from mild to severe.

Gettingmydiagnosisreallyhelped me 2 make informed decisions in reducing my symptoms thus increasing my quality of life. This has put me in a better place to share my story so that other people suffering from this condition can put a name to it and from my experience, they can learn to manage their symptoms. Seek medical attention if you have any of the symptoms mentioned.

Starting with my diet, I realized that certain foods such as gluten found in wheat and sugar make my symptoms worse. It is not always easy to cut out certain foods from your diet that you have been eating almost all your life. However difficult, I stay away from these foods as much as I can. Reducing my stress levels also helps my symptoms. With mindful meditations and physical exercises, I keep my stress level to a minimum as much as I can.

Staying away from chemicals on my hair has also improved my symptoms as I don’t get to make my scalp go through so much. Luckily for me, there are tons of natural hair products that can be used to carter for my hair.

I also do take my supplements like vitamin D religiously and probiotics which have also helped to balance up my gut bacteria. Please make sure you consult with your physician before taking any supplements.

Using antifungal shampoo has also helped me reduce itchiness and inflammation on my scalp.

Constant exposure to sunlight has also helped to clear up my face especially during the cold winter months where symptoms turn to be severe. Remember to always wear your sunscreen to avoid sunburn.

Be kind to yourself, your skin condition doesn’t define you. Take your symptoms seriously and visit adermatologistassoonaspossible to get a diagnosis which will help you manage your symptoms.