Natural remedies for Seborrheic Dermatitis (Dandruff)

We have seen so many times ugly flakes on black robe of some people; maybe lot of us have it too. This could be very unpleasant and embarrassing problem for some people. That is why it is clear we need to learn more about problem called seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. We all need to know is there successful treatment or the best if there is some workable natural remedies for this kind of a problem.

What is seborrheic dermatitis?

Seborrhea comes from the word sebum. This is the natural oil, produced in the sebaceous glands, which flow into the hair follicle. Seborrheic dermatitis has been called a more extensive and severe form of dandruff. The reason is that there is no clear division between the two. Flaking, redness, and itching are more severe and can appear on the scalp, in the eyebrows, around the nose and on the cheeks. It could also appear behind the ears, even on the chest and around the groin. It may interfere with the nutrition of the hair, resulting in partial baldness in severe cases. Some cases of dandruff are developing because of disease. Sebum may also accumulate in the ducts of the glands, causing the glands to distend with un-discharged sebum. Then it possible to form a small hard body called a whitehead. When the sebum in the mouth of the duct oxidize it darkens when exposed to air, this is condition known as a blackhead or comedo. The treatment for seborrheic dermatitis is similar to dandruff. However, a shampoo of coal tar seems to have a better effect on the scalp. If the problem is very severe, you should seek medical advice as a course on steroids may be required to clear it up. Seborrheic appears to be heredity, if some relative has it the chances are that is what you may have it too. Although you might be angry for these entire problems, if dandruff is the only thing standing between you and a closet full of basic black, you have to know that you are not alone. At any one time, millions of Americans have this chronic scalp disorder, appearing as itching and excessive flaking of the scalp.

Signs and symptoms for dandruff

For most people, the symptoms of dandruff are unmistakable. Those are white, oily-looking flakes of dead skin, which dot your hair and shoulders and an itchy, scaling scalp. However, it is not quite that simple to diagnose it, because many conditions cause excessive skin scaling.

• Dry skin, the kind you get in winter when the air is cold and overheated rooms is by far the most common cause of itchy, flaking skin. However, flakes from dry skin are generally smaller and less oily than dandruff flakes.
• Seborrheic dermatitis is a frequent cause of dandruff. Symptoms are red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales. Seborrheic dermatitis affects not only your scalp but also other areas rich in oil glands. Those are eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone, your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.
• Psoriasis is skin disorder causes an accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick silvery scales. In severe cases, skin cracks, bleeds and may be quite painful. Psoriasis commonly occurs on knees, elbows and trunk. It can also extend from your scalp onto your forehead and neck.
• Cradle cap as seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp causes a scaling, crusty scalp. It is most common in newborns, but it can occur anytime during infancy. That is why it can be alarming for parents. However, cradle cap is not dangerous and usually clears up on its own by the time a baby is a year old.
• Scalp ringworm or tinea capitis is highly contagious fungal infection that occurs primarily in children younger than age 10. Ringworm starts as a red sore around a hair shaft usually on the scalp. However, in some cases it could affect areas around eyebrows or eyelashes. Within a few days, the sore turns scaly and spreads outward in the ring pattern that gives the infection its name of ringworm. The hair in the affected area usually breaks off just above the surface causing red, inflamed scalp as well as hair loss.
• Contact dermatitis is sometimes sensitivities to certain hair-care products or hair dyes can cause a red, itchy, scaling scalp.

Causes of dandruff

At one time or another, we were thinking dandruff only appear on dry skin, oily skin, shampooing too often or not often enough. We were also thinking a poor diet, stress, and the use of too many fancy styling products causing dandruff problem. Although some of these factors may exacerbate or contribute to scalp flaking, the real culprit may be a fat-eating or yeast-like fungus called malassezia. When Malassezia sometimes grows out of control, it is feeding on the oils secreted by your hair follicles and causing irritation that leads to increased cell turnover. All skin cells die and are replaced by new cells so the outermost layer, where they die and scale off in flakes. On scalps where malassezia thrives, the whole process can take as little as 11 days, so the result is a large number of dead skin cells. As the cells fall off, they tend to clump together with oil from your hair and scalp. This is making them appear white, flaky and all too visible. Exactly we do not know what causes an overgrowth of these organisms. It could be increased oil production, hormonal fluctuations, stress, illness, neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, a suppressed immune system. Some people have problem because of infrequent shampooing, extra sensitivity to the malassezia fungus and even heredity.

Natural remedies for seborrheic dermatitis

• You could first try Aloe Vera dandruff cure, product with Aloe Vera gel. About 10-15 minutes before you wash your hair, rub a lot of Aloe Vera gel into your scalp. Leave it on for 10 minutes, and shampoo your hair as you regularly do. If you do this everyday, the dandruff will stay away.
• Using lime-juice to wash hair could also help you in seborrheic dermatitis treatment.
• You could soak 2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds in water overnight. In the morning, grind into a fine paste, and apply all over scalp and leave for ½ an hour. Wash with mild shampoo. Ingredients are olive oil and almond oil. Mix the olive oil with the almond oil, let it on, and about 5 minutes after it starts to burn. Rinse well to clear your dandruff.
• You could also massage your hair with warm coconut oil and apply the juice of two lemons. Steam your hair and leave the oil on for about 2 hours. Shampoo with a mild shampoo and repeat it two to three times a week.
• Boil a handful of neem leaves in four teacups of water, so after cooling and filtering, use for rinsing hair.

Herbs for seborrheic dermatitis:

• You could use an infusion of chaparral or thyme as a hair rinse.
• Those with dandruff problem can benefit from taking dandelion, goldenseal, and red clover. However, you must take care not to take goldenseal on a daily basis for more than one week at a time, and do not use it during pregnancy. If you have a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or glaucoma, use it only under doctor’s supervision.
• You can use white oak bark tea as a rinse for treating dandruff, and stopping hair loss.
• Hop root decoction is good for treating dandruff as well. You could make this by boiling 2 tbsp of hop roots to a pint of water and applied externally as a hair tonic.
  Make an ointment by boiling two parts of Jimson weed and 1 part hops, in lard. Try to apply it to the scalp for relief of skin irritation and itching skin.
  
• Black Indian hemp juice made from the fresh leaves is worth in dandruff treatment as well.
• Nettle water is an excellent wash used to clear up irritated skin as you might have. Boiling the entire plant in a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar makes a good hair lotion you should constantly use. Combing the hair with expressed nettle juice is supposed to stimulate hair growth as well.
• You could also make a decoction of an ounce dried burdock root to a pint and half of water and boil this down to 1 pint. Take a wine glassful dose 3 to 4 times daily to wash scaly skin disorders. You must continue the use of this remedy over a relatively long time for it to be effectual.
  
• An infusion of fresh rosemary made with boiling water and allowed to cool until warm, makes a good final rinse to help clear the scalp if you have some problems. One ounce each of rosemary and sage infused for 24 hours in a pint of water. It makes a pleasant hair tonic that works very well on dandruff. After infusion, strain the liquid and add a teaspoon of powdered borax.
• Try to soak 2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds in water overnight. In the morning, grind into a fine paste, then apply all over scalp, and leave for 1/2 hour. Wash with Shikakai or mild shampoo.
• You should also massage your hair with warm coconut oil and apply the juice of 2 lemons. Then steam your hair and leave on oil for about 2 hours, 2-3 times a week.
  
• Some other herbs that can be used for dandruff treatment are agave, butternut, chamomile, cleavers, English elm, maidenhair fern, figwort, grapevine root, English ivy, olive, peach tree leaves, periwinkle, sage, sanicle, soap bark, yucca, English walnut, and willow.