Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Image showing seborrheic dermatitis on the face Seborrheic dermatitis on the face

Seborrheic dermatitis (seb-o-REE-ik der-muh-TI-tis) is a common skin disorder that mainly affects your scalp, causing scaly, itchy, red skin and stubborn dandruff. In infants, seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp is known as cradle cap. Seborrheic dermatitis can also affect your face, upper chest, back and other areas of your body that have many oil (sebaceous) glands.

Seborrheic dermatitis doesn't affect your overall health, but it can be uncomfortable and cause embarrassment when it develops on visible parts of your body. It isn't contagious, and it's not a sign of poor personal hygiene. Seborrheic dermatitis tends to recur, but you may be able to manage flare-ups by recognizing its signs and symptoms and by using a combination of self-care steps and over-the-counter (nonprescription) medications.

Symptoms
References
  1. Berger TG. Dermatologic disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2010. 50th ed. New York City, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=747. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  2. Datner A. Complementary and alternative medicine in dermatology. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3005766. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  3. Plewig G, et al. Seborrheic dermatitis. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2951940. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  4. Naldi L, et al. Seborrheic dermatitis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:387.
  5. Stefanaki I, et al. Therapeutic update on seborrheic dermatitis. Skin Therapy Letter. 2010;15:e1. http://www.skintherapyletter.com/2010/15.5/1.html. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  6. Morelli V, et al. Alternative therapies for common dermatologic disorders, part 1. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2010;37:269. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/article/body/238184569-2/jorg=journal&source=&sp=23315271&sid=0/N/747943/1.html?issn=0095-4543. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  7. Weston WL, et al. Overview of dermatitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  8. Dattner AM. Seborrheic dermatitis. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier. 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-2/0/1494/0.html. Accessed April 2, 2011.
  9. Public health advisory: Elidel (pimecrolimus) cream and Protopic (tacrolimus) cream. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/PublicHealthAdvisories/UCM051760. Accessed April 1, 2011.
  10. Pielop JA. Benign skin and scalp lesions in the newborn and young infant. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 1, 2011.
  11. Fish oil. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed April 3, 2011.
DS00984 June 16, 2011

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger