Seborrhea of the scalp in adults and children: causes and treatment

Seborrhea (seborrheic dermatitis) is a skin disease that develops as a result of a malfunction of the sebaceous glands and consists of excessive or insufficient secretion of fatty secretions. Traditionally, this disease affects the scalp, as a result of which the hair takes on an unattractive, unhealthy appearance.

Seborrhea of the scalp is often observed not only in adults, but also in children, and in infants aged 3-4 months, manifestations of this disease are detected in 90% of cases. Although seborrheic dermatitis very rarely causes serious complications, it causes significant aesthetic discomfort and can lead to the development of infectious diseases.

Causes of seborrhea of the scalp in adults

Human skin is the first protective barrier against adverse external influences. Therefore, disturbances in the functioning of the sebaceous glands can be the result of both internal malfunctions in the functioning of organs and systems, and external factors - unfavorable environmental conditions, employment in enterprises with hazardous working conditions, improper care of hair and scalp.

The most common causes of seborrhea in adults are:

hormonal changes;
hormonal imbalances;
hereditary predisposition;
immunodeficiency states;
mental disorders;
chronic fatigue, poor nutrition and vitamin deficiency;
long-term use of hormonal or anabolic drugs.

Causes

The causes of seborrhea in children of different ages are related to the developmental characteristics of their body. In schoolchildren, the disease is caused by incorrectly selected shampoos or some disturbances in the functioning of the body. In teenagers, this is due to hormonal imbalance.

The main causes of seborrhea in children are:

hormonal disbalance;
improper scalp care;
constant stress;
mental illness;
long-term use of certain drugs (steroids, testosterones);
genetic predisposition;
various diseases of the body.

What can cause seborrhea of the scalp in children

Seborrhea in newborns is considered a natural physiological process, caused by increased activity of the sebaceous glands. But, if bleeding, redness and itching of the skin occurs or if the disease lasts for a long time (more than 14 months), you should immediately consult a doctor.

Seborrhea of the scalp in children over one year old can be caused by:

improper nutrition of the mother (if the child is breastfed) or the child;
unfavorable temperature conditions - if the room is too hot or the child is dressed too warmly;
allergies to food or hygiene products;
failure to comply with hygiene rules;
taking antibiotics or other medications;
metabolic disorders;
decreased immunity and hypovitaminosis;
stress;
hormonal disorders;
diseases of the endocrine system.

Clinical form

Not all parents recognize the disease in time and often confuse seborrhea with ordinary dandruff. This leads to various complications and delays treatment for many months.

It is quite easy to recognize the disease by the following signs:

thickening of the stratum corneum of the skin;
shine of the skin;
peeling and redness;
itchy skin;
hair loss;
a lot of dandruff.

Depending on the age of the children, seborrheic dermatitis has a different clinical picture. For example, in infants up to 3 months it is completely safe and goes away on its own. In older children, improper functioning of the sebaceous glands is associated with disturbances in the functioning of the body. Here it is necessary to exclude the main cause of the disease.

According to the classification, seborrhea is divided into three main types:

fat;
dry;
mixed.

Fat

The main causes of oily seborrhea are hormonal changes in the child’s body and vegetative neurosis. When the fatty form of the disease occurs, the following signs appear:

blackheads and acne;
oily shine on the face;
hair loss.

Dry

The causes of dry seborrhea are poor nutrition, low immunity, excessive emotional stress and intense exercise. Characteristic symptoms of dry seborrhea are:

peeling on the face;
dry and brittle hair;
dandruff on the head.

Mixed form

With a mixed form of seborrhea, dry and oily symptoms are observed. If the disease is caused by a malfunction of the sebaceous glands, doctors make a diagnosis of seborrheic dermatitis.

Attention: in case of oily and mixed forms of seborrhea, the hair should be washed rarely, despite the rapid contamination of the hair.

Seborrheic dermatitis on the face

In young children, seborrheic dermatitis on the face is rare. Most often, teenagers suffer from it. Dermatitis appears when the sebaceous glands do not work properly. In a healthy body they are in an inactive state. And under provoking factors (hormonal imbalance, constant stress), the sebaceous glands become activated and begin to produce excess sebum. You can get rid of the disease only by completely eliminating the provoking factor.

Forms of seborrhea

Taking into account the external manifestations of the disease and the specificity of the disorders, three forms of seborrhea of the scalp are distinguished:

fat;
dry;
mixed.

Oily seborrheic dermatitis is observed with excessive production of fatty secretions and is characterized by high oiliness of the dermis and hair, yellowish or red spots on the skin, profuse oily dandruff, thinning and hair loss. Moderate manifestations of the fatty form of the disease are quite common in adolescents and, with proper care, after normalization of hormone levels, do not require special therapeutic effects.

With dry seborrhea, the fatty secretion is produced in insufficient quantities, resulting in a feeling of skin tightness, dryness, severe itching and burning, and dandruff in the form of small dry scales. The hair becomes very thin, becomes dull, brittle and begins to fall out profusely.

The most problematic in terms of treatment is the mixed form of seborrheic dermatitis, in which fatty secretion is secreted in excess in some areas of the dermis, and in deficiency in others.

Clinical manifestations of seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is manifested by peeling and inflammation of the skin, and is also accompanied by itching. The classic variant of the development of pathology is the symmetrical involvement in the process of not only the skin of the scalp, the border of hair growth, but also the eyebrows, eyelashes and the area of the beard and mustache. Small flour-like white scales appear on the scalp, or peeling can take on a large-plate character.

Photo 3.

Seborrheic dermatitis due to androgenetic alopecia

Photo 4.

Seborrheic dermatitis, with signs of inflammation, profuse large-plate peeling against the background of seborrhea against the background of erythema (x60)

Often, seborrheic dermatitis begins to progress when patients reduce the frequency of hair washing. This leads to the fact that more and more areas of the skin are affected, and peeling becomes profuse. In more severe forms of seborrheic dermatitis, erythematous spots and plaques covered with mealy or sebaceous scales, and in some cases with scale-crusts and hemorrhagic crusts, can be observed on the patient’s head.

It is usually in this condition that patients turn to a dermatologist, although everything could have been corrected much earlier.

Methods for treating seborrhea in adults

Alopecia is considered to be a severe and unpleasant complication of seborrheic dermatitis - irreversible complete or focal hair loss. Although modern aesthetic medicine can solve the problem of baldness, it is better to diagnose this disease in a timely manner and begin its treatment.

To determine how to treat seborrhea of the scalp in adults, an examination is carried out, which necessarily includes a biochemical and clinical blood test, a stool test for dysbacteriosis, a hormone test and scraping of the dermis to identify fungus. After determining the cause and characteristics of the development of the disease, a treatment regimen is drawn up, which may consist of various therapeutic methods.

Treatment of seborrheic dermatitis of any form is comprehensive and usually includes:

antifungal therapy aimed at destroying pathogenic microorganisms;
measures to eliminate other concomitant diseases;
taking special vitamin complexes;
taking medications with a keratolytic (exfoliating) effect;
a diet that involves reducing or eliminating the consumption of solid fats, carbohydrates and salt, as well as including foods rich in fiber in the diet;
hygiene procedures with cosmetics that help combat various manifestations of the disease.

Often, when treating seborrhea in adults, trichologists prescribe sessions of physiotherapeutic procedures. They not only enhance the effect of taking medications, but also improve blood microcirculation, normalize metabolic processes in tissues, normalize the volume of fat secretion and stimulate hair growth. Darsonvalization, plasma lifting, cryomassage, mesotherapy and ozone therapy are highly effective in the comprehensive fight against this disease.

Features of the treatment of seborrhea of the scalp in children

One of the important factors determining the treatment methods for seborrhea in children is the age of the child. If in infants a slight manifestation of the disease is eliminated exclusively by supportive therapy - regular cleansing of the skin with special means and application of creams, then for the treatment of older children more drastic measures may be required.

In any case, before starting treatment for seborrhea in a child, you need to consult a specialist - a pediatrician, dermatologist or trichologist. Only a doctor can draw up an effective course of therapy that meets all the individual characteristics of the child’s body.

In general, seborrhea in children is treated in the same way as in adults - drug therapy is supplemented by the use of care products, diet and physiotherapeutic procedures. This comprehensive approach allows you to get rid of the disease in a relatively short time and avoid possible complications.

Measures to prevent seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrhea can cause a lot of trouble for both adults and children of all ages, so prevention is of great importance. Due to the fact that this disease usually develops against the background of general disorders of the body, to prevent it it is necessary:

observe the rules of personal hygiene - regularly clean and care for your skin, wash your hair with special, properly selected products;
lead a healthy lifestyle;
monitor your health and promptly seek help from specialists;
avoid stress, which often causes the development of various diseases, hormonal and neurological disorders;
consume plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Seborrhea is a disease that must be treated. Otherwise, there is a high risk of complete baldness and the development of more serious diseases, such as seborrheic eczema, getting rid of which will be a much more problematic task. Modern medicine and cosmetology offers a huge selection of drugs and procedures that can effectively combat any dermatological problems and maintain the beauty of the skin. Don’t let the problem go to chance - make an appointment with a trichologist if you have problems with the scalp.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of seborrhea in children, it is necessary to monitor the functioning of their sebaceous glands. First of all, your hair will need to be properly cared for. To strengthen the immune system, children are recommended to take courses of vitamin therapy.

Prevention of dandruff in children is:

competent choice of cosmetic products for scalp care;
proper nutrition;
proper health care.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that despite the fact that infantile seborrhea is not a dangerous disease, it still requires proper treatment. Therefore, it is much easier to prevent a disease than to treat it for several months later. To do this, learn to choose the right cosmetic care products, monitor your daily routine and proper nutrition. If a child does not have a hereditary predisposition to the disease, and he observes the rules of personal hygiene in early childhood, his skin will always be soft, delicate, and his hair silky and well-groomed.