What Is Scalp Eczema? Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and More

Scalp Eczema (Seborrheic Dermatitis) Symptoms

The symptom of scalp eczema is skin patches that occur on your head. They may be:

• Red and scaly
• Flaky
• Greasy or waxy
• Very itchy or feel like it’s burning
• Oozing or have “weeping” lesions
• Causing a discharge from the ear if eczema continues from the scalp into the ear canal
• Causing changes in skin color after healing (2,3)

Other skin conditions — such as psoriasis, allergic contact dermatitis (inflammation caused by an allergic reaction to a certain substance), atopic dermatitis (which often occurs in those with asthma or seasonal allergies), and folliculitis — may cause symptoms similar to those of scalp eczema. (4) People commonly confuse psoriasis and scalp eczema — but know that psoriasis usually has a whiter scale compared with scalp eczema, and psoriasis leads to sensitive skin patches that easily bleed when scratched. In some cases, scalp eczema and psoriasis can happen together. (5)

What Causes Scalp Eczema?

Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory condition caused by the overproduction of sebum, the natural oils secreted by sebaceous glands in the scalp. It is not contagious.

Because seborrheic dermatitis is a condition related to the sebaceous glands, it can also appear in other oily areas of the skin, including the face (eyebrows, eyelids, and center of the face), ears, upper chest, upper back, armpits, and genitals. (3)

There is a strong association between seborrheic dermatitis and yeast of the genus Malassezia, which are normally present in the skin but often overgrown in people with the skin condition.

Scientists don’t fully understand the exact connection between the yeast and eczema symptoms, but research suggests that a nonspecific immune reaction may be to blame. That is, some interaction between Malassezia, their metabolites (substances produced during metabolism), and skin and immune cells results in an inflammatory reaction. (4,6)

Importantly, once someone becomes sensitized to Malassezia, the yeast will always cause an immune reaction. (7)

The Top Medications for Treating Eczema on Your Scalp

There is no cure for scalp eczema or seborrheic dermatitis, but medications can help reduce and prevent symptoms.

For example, you can usually treat irritation and an itchy scalp with a medicated, over-the-counter dandruff shampoo.

The chemical ingredients in these shampoos can help ease the inflammation and get rid of flaky, scaly skin when used two or three times a week. Look for these items:

• salicylic acid
• coal tar
• zinc
• resorcinol (Resinol)
• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• selenium sulfide

Topical creams, ointments, or sprays made from these ingredients can also be applied to help calm the irritation and stop the flaking.

If you have severe scalp eczema, your doctor may prescribe products containing stronger doses of the aforementioned medicines or medicines containing other ingredients, such as corticosteroids, ciclopirox, sulfacetamide sodium, tacrolimus topical (Protopic), or pimecrolimus topical (Elidel). (2,9)

How to Help Prevent Scalp Eczema Flare-Ups

The severity of seborrheic dermatitis may be lessened by controlling risk factors and triggers, and taking care of the skin.

To manage scalp eczema and help prevent flare-ups, do your best to follow these recommendations:

• Avoid exposure to any suspected irritants and allergens.
• Clean your scalp thoroughly, but avoid drying it out by using only a quarter-sized dollop of a gentle shampoo and warm, never hot, water.
• Manage stress well.
• Shampoo your hair after sweating heavily, such as after a workout, since perspiration can be a trigger.

More on Understanding Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)

Why Eczema Isn’t a Contagious Skin Disease

Scalp eczema often responds to treatment, but it also often returns. For some people, exposure to the sun may improve symptoms.

Be on the lookout for signs of a flare-up and start treatment right away. (2,8,9)

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Eczema, its types and causes. Treatment of eczema

Intake

Eczema is a polymorphic relapsing skin disease. It can be acute or chronic in form. This disease is characterized by the appearance of bubbles of various shapes and sizes, skin irritation, peeling, itching. Eczema can occur in a person of any age and accounts for about 40 percent of all skin diseases.

What can cause eczema?

Eczema can appear anywhere on the body, but most commonly it affects the face, neck, décolleté, elbows, wrists and ankles. Symptoms of eczema: dry skin, with peeling on the surface, cracks and crusts.

There are many causes of eczema, the disease can develop due to internal and external factors. Among external factors:

• physical damage: cuts, injuries,
• chemical damage: allergies to various chemicals, bacterial allergies.

Among internal factors:

• metabolic disorders,
• allergies, hormonal problems,
• diseases of the nervous system and internal organs,
• genetic predisposition.

Varieties of eczema

Specialists distinguish several types of eczema, divided depending on the cause and localization.

• idiopathic or true eczema. This is an inflammatory disease characterized by multiple variegated rashes, most often on the palms and soles of the feet. Bubbles open with the formation of weeping areas, crusts and scales, itching begins. As new blisters continue to appear, the lesion grows in size, trapping skin on other parts of the body.
• with microbial eczema, the skin of the legs, the back of the hands and the scalp are usually affected. The causative agent of the disease is a yeast pyococcal fungus, a person develops greenish-yellow rashes, serous-purulent crusts and erosion. With an exacerbation, bleeding of the affected areas may appear and itching intensifies.
• with occupational eczema, exposed areas of the body are affected by chemical reagents, it occurs in people working in industries, if they have allergic dermatitis.
• children may experience childhood eczema associated with heredity or exacerbation of diathesis. The disease is localized on the face, on the scalp, gradually spreading and increasing in size. Abundant red rashes, peeling appear on the child’s skin, he is worried about burning, itching.
• with seborrheic eczema, the skin on the head, chest, in the interscapular region is affected. This type of eczema is characterized by yellowish-pink rashes, an abundance of yellowish layered crusts, scales.

The disease is long-term, it can subside or worsen without any obvious reasons.

Diagnosis and treatment of eczema in the clinic “Doctor”

During the initial consultation, our specialist dermatologist carefully collects an anamnesis. The doctor will help to deal with the possible causes of the disease, conducts differential diagnostics (scrapings, samples, etc. ). Effective treatment of the disease requires the elimination of irritants that led to its appearance. The results of the research become the basis for the preparation of a treatment program.

The treatment program includes both symptomatic and etiotropic treatment. Immunomodulators and vitamins increase the body’s resistance, itching and an allergic condition are eliminated by antihistamines. Physiotherapy may be used in treatment.

The treatment program for each patient is selected by us strictly individually, taking into account the indications and contraindications identified during the diagnostic study. Eczema should be taken very seriously and see a doctor at the first sign of symptoms. Otherwise, there is a high probability that the disease will turn into a chronic relapsing form.

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Treatment of eczema | Dobromed

What is eczema? ”, and is an excellent description of one of the symptoms of this disease – a rash that resembles bubbles of boiling water.

Symptoms of eczema

Eczema is characterized by sudden exacerbations and remissions. Today, for example, she can suddenly and in every sense clearly declare herself, and in a few weeks her symptoms will completely and completely disappear. In children, eczema can appear on the face, chin or chest. In adults, it is more often seen on the neck, elbows, inside of the palms and under the knees. At the same time, eczema is very capricious and can manifest itself anywhere and anytime. It is not at all necessary that, having appeared once, say, on the elbow, it will continue to affect this part of the body. Despite the fact that the typical manifestations of eczema are redness and a rash that causes burning and itching, this disease is very diverse and can manifest itself with a variety of symptoms. Here are just a few of them: painful reddening of the skin with characteristic itching; a blistering rash that can get “wet” and peel off; mild to moderate itching, which in some cases can turn into severe inflammation of the skin; dry, cracked, scaly or keratinized skin; yellow scales on the eyebrows and scalp. When diagnosing eczema, it is important to remember that its symptoms are very individual, each person will have their own. You may have one symptom of this disease, or all together. And it is not at all necessary that the same type of eczema will have the same manifestation pattern in two different patients. The only way to know for sure if your skin problems are eczema is to make an appointment with a dermatologist.

Types of eczema

Today it is difficult to identify a single classification of eczema. Its forms are usually determined depending on the location, nature and nature of occurrence. There are 5 most common forms of this disease.

Atopic dermatitis

The terms “eczema” and “atopic dermatitis” are often used interchangeably, but this is not entirely correct. Atopic dermatitis is a severe, chronic and often relapsing form of eczema that is most often caused by a genetic predisposition. Atopic dermatitis is characterized by dry, cracked, scaly skin accompanied by redness and itching. This type of eczema most often appears on the folds of the arms, legs, neck, and also in the chest area. The reasons for its appearance can be very different, from changing seasons to allergies to powder and soap. Stress and food allergies can also trigger this ailment.

Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is a type of eczema that appears as a red dry rash that makes the skin slightly swollen and causes unbearable itching. As a rule, a rash occurs when the skin comes into contact with an irritant or substance, which, due to the individual characteristics of each person, can cause an allergic reaction. From the moment of contact with the allergen and before the onset of symptoms, it can take a matter of minutes or days. The most common triggers for allergic contact dermatitis are shower gels, shampoos, soaps, laundry detergents, cosmetics, and even jewelry. This list also includes detergents, bleaches, disinfectants, as well as various fertilizers and pesticides.

True eczema

True or, as it is also called, idiomatic, eczema is a classic form of manifestation of the disease. It is rather difficult to establish the specific cause of its occurrence. It occurs sporadically and for no apparent reason. Most often, this eczema manifests itself in the form of small nodules of a rash filled with a clear liquid. Subsequently, they can turn into weeping erosions, overgrow with crusts, scales and be accompanied by unpleasant sensations of burning and itching. If all of these eczema symptoms appear at the same time, doctors diagnose true eczema. In addition, this type of eczema is characterized by a symmetrical rash. If rashes, say, appeared on one arm, they often occur on the second.

Seborrheic eczema

Seborrheic eczema tends to occur in areas of the skin rich in sebaceous glands. Although seborrheic eczema most commonly affects the scalp, it can appear in and around the ears, on the eyebrows, nose, back, between the shoulder blades, and on the upper chest. This type of eczema appears as greasy yellow or white scales. Although seborrheic eczema is a chronic condition, long-term remission can be achieved with adequate treatment.

Microbial eczema

Microbial eczema is an allergic reaction of the body that occurs against the background of a weakened immune system when the skin is chronically infected with bacteria, most often staphylococci or streptococci. As a rule, microbial eczema occurs in places of cuts, abrasions and wounds that do not heal for a long time and manifests itself in the form of large inflamed areas covered with scaly skin, purulent crusts or weeping erosion. Despite the fact that microbial eczema can occur on any part of the skin, even on the head, it still most often appears on the hands and feet.

Causes of eczema

Contrary to popular belief, eczema is not a contagious disease and therefore cannot be contracted. Although the exact cause of eczema is unknown, it is believed that it may be caused by an overly sensitive immune system to certain external stimuli, which manifests itself in inflammation of the skin in the form of redness, rashes and itching. Research also suggests that some people with eczema have a mutation in the gene responsible for making filaggrin, a protein that helps maintain a healthy protective barrier of the epidermis. Without enough filaggrin, the skin begins to lose moisture, dry out and crack, thereby opening the gate for bacteria and viruses. As a result, many people with eczema have very dry skin that is prone to frequent infections. Most experts agree that eczema is caused by a combination of internal and external causes – an oversensitive immune system and triggers, which may include, but are not limited to, the following factors: genetic predisposition; disruption of the endocrine system of the body; disruption of the gastrointestinal tract; an allergic reaction to pathogens of fungal and bacterial infections; allergic reaction to the use of household chemicals; taking certain medications; an allergic reaction to a number of foods; house dust mite; stress; hypothermia, overheating and the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation. © vostock-photo

Treatment and prevention of eczema

Since eczema is a chronic disease, it is impossible to get rid of it once and for all. The key to maintaining health lies in relieving and preventing symptoms. Specific treatments for each patient are selected individually, based on the symptoms and type of eczema. As a rule, dermatologists recommend using moisturizing creams, antihistamines, and, if necessary, topical corticosteroids to eliminate symptoms that have already appeared. In some cases, light therapy can be a good helper in the treatment of eczema. To prevent eczema, it is necessary, if possible, to identify and eliminate external triggers that initially provoked its appearance. However, do not forget that for each person eczema manifests itself in its own way, respectively, and the external processes that trigger its appearance are different for everyone. When trying to identify the trigger of eczema, remember that sometimes it appears only after a while after external exposure, and tracking it can sometimes be problematic. Therefore, in order to minimize the risk of eczema, you need to make some adjustments to your lifestyle. People prone to inflammation of the epidermis are not recommended to overdry the skin, they should drink plenty of water, do not abuse the hot bath and shower, and use household chemicals with caution.