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A red, itchy, scaly rash, flakes of dandruff, and hair thinning might be a sign you have seborrheic dermatitis. You might be wondering, is seborrheic dermatitis hair loss a potential symptom?
Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin condition that affects millions of people. This chronic form of eczema is one of the most common skin disorders in the world, affecting up to 70 percent of infants and approximately 11.6 percent of the general population.
While it can impact scalp health, it’s not a direct cause of hair loss. Still, the condition can lead to temporary hair loss.
Below, we explore whether the condition causes hair loss. We also outline the causes, symptoms, and treatments for seborrheic dermatitis and related hair loss.
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Seborrheic dermatitis doesn’t directly cause hair loss. it has no known effect on the most common type of hair loss, male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia).
A couple of things you should know about male pattern baldness:
It’s a hereditary form of hair loss that typically comes on gradually.
It can cause you to lose hair in a specific pattern, such as a receding hairline or baldness around your crown (the top of your scalp).
It’s permanent, so it’s crucial to respond as soon as you notice thinning.
Seborrheic dermatitis can cause temporary hair loss if your skin becomes extremely irritated or you frequently itch your scalp.
Excessive scratching can damage your hair follicles — the tiny structures inside the skin from which hairs grow. When these follicles are injured, they may stop producing new hairs, making your scalp look overly thin or causing patchy hair loss.
Seborrheic dermatitis can also put you at higher risk for fungal infections of the skin, which can lead to hair loss. Skin affected by seborrheic dermatitis tends to have high levels of sebum — an oil produced by the skin. When your sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, fungi and other pathogens can multiply easily.
One common fungi genus called Malassezia can grow on your scalp and cause you to shed hair. Hair loss caused by Malassezia yeast isn’t usually permanent. However, it can have a noticeable impact on your appearance, especially when left untreated.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin disease that might result from:
Genetics
Immune system issues
Fungal infection
In children and infants, seborrheic dermatitis is called cradle cap.
In areas of skin affected by seborrheic dermatitis, you might feel burning or an itchy scalp. This can cause a scaly, red-colored, greasy, and swollen rash to develop on your skin.
Seborrheic dermatitis symptoms can vary depending on age and other factors. But the most common symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis include:
Scaly patches on the skin
A red skin rash
Yellow and white-colored flaking
Over time, the scaly patches may become dry and flaky, causing flakes to break off when you touch or rub your skin.
Seborrheic dermatitis tends to develop on oily skin, and, most often, on the scalp, around the ears, and inside the ear canal.
You can also develop seborrheic dermatitis in the following areas:
Face
Eyelids
Eyebrows
Chest, back and armpits
Genitals
Experts don’t know exactly what triggers this skin disorder.
However, some research suggests genetics, climate, stress levels, and certain types of yeast all play a role.
Evidence also shows that factors such as allergies and hygiene don’t appear to play a role in the development of seborrheic dermatitis.
Although seborrheic dermatitis can affect anyone, it’s most common in infants three months or younger and adults between 30 and 60.
You may also have a higher risk of developing seborrheic dermatitis if you have a medical condition or use certain types of medication.
Medical conditions that may increase your risk of seborrheic dermatitis include:
Skin and scalp conditions, such as acne, psoriasis, and rosacea
Parkinson’s disease
Eating disorders
Depression
Alcoholism
HIV
Some medical conditions can increase your risk of developing severe symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis.
For example, people with Parkinson’s disease or HIV are often affected by severe, widespread scaling and skin irritation due to the condition. Those with suppressed immune systems might also experience more severe dermatitis. In these cases, it can spread to other parts of the body and is often harder to treat.
Some medications can also increase your risk of developing seborrheic dermatitis. These include:
Interferon
Psoralen
Lithium
While there’s no cure for seborrheic dermatitis, numerous treatments can help relieve your symptoms, clear skin of scales, and control flare-ups.
Whether your seborrheic dermatitis includes signs of hair loss or not, your first step should be to make an appointment with your primary care provider or a dermatologist to confirm a diagnosis.
A dermatology specialist can also tell you if there’s a connection between your eczema and hair loss, or if something else is causing your hair and scalp issues.
If there’s something else going on, you’ll want to treat that along with your seborrheic dermatitis.
Depending on your symptoms and other factors, your provider will typically suggest one or more of the following treatment options:
Medicated shampoos. You can treat most cases of seborrheic dermatitis using over-the-counter dandruff shampoos designed to get rid of scale, prevent fungal growth, and reduce scalp inflammation. Your healthcare provider may recommend a dandruff shampoo containing one or more antifungal ingredients like ketoconazole, pyrithione zinc, selenium sulfide, chloroxine, and coal tar.
Antifungal creams. You may need to apply an antifungal cream to the affected areas of your skin. This type of medication works by preventing fungi growth that can irritate the skin. Topical antifungal medications that can help relieve symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis include ketoconazole, itraconazole, ciclopirox, and clotrimazole.
Oral antifungal medications. If you have severe seborrheic dermatitis, or you don’t experience any improvements from topical antifungal creams, your healthcare provider may prescribe an oral antifungal medication.
Corticosteroid creams. Your healthcare provider may prescribe a topical corticosteroid if you have inflamed skin. This treatment works by reducing inflammation and easing symptoms such as itchiness, redness, and discomfort. Corticosteroids that may help with seborrheic dermatitis-related inflammation include hydrocortisone and betamethasone. FYI: These medications can cause side effects, so they’re typically only prescribed for short-term use.
If a healthcare professional prescribes medication to treat seborrheic dermatitis, it’s critical to follow their instructions closely. Take your medication for the entire treatment period, even if you notice an improvement in your symptoms relatively early.
For optimal results, you may need to use a combination of medication and medicated shampoo to control your symptoms and clear your flaking skin.
Make sure to closely follow the instructions provided with your shampoo. Many shampoos need to be used daily at first. After that, you may be able to use them on an as-needed basis to control your symptoms.
The good news is that seborrheic dermatitis hair loss is temporary. Once your symptoms are under control, you should notice your hair gradually growing back.
To speed up regrowth, you might consider using minoxidil. This medication stimulates the hair growth cycle and may help improve regrowth in areas of your scalp with noticeable hair loss.
Some men who use minoxidil foam or a minoxidil solution may experience irritation and worsening seborrheic dermatitis symptoms. Because of this, it’s important to finish treating your seborrheic dermatitis before using minoxidil or any other topical products to stimulate hair growth.
See our guide to minoxidil side effects to learn more about this hair loss treatment.
Hair loss due to male pattern baldness is incurable, but it can be treated, stopped, or slowed.
In some cases, minoxidil can help with MPB-related hair loss. Another effective medication for this form of hair loss is finasteride. Finasteride treats male pattern hair loss by preventing the production of a male sex hormone associated with hair loss called DHT.
If you’re struggling with flaky scalp and hair loss, you might consider a topical finasteride and minoxidil spray combo, which offers the benefits of both medications in one package.
Although there’s no cure for seborrheic dermatitis, it’s possible to control your symptoms.
If flakes, itchiness, a red scalp, and hair loss, are plaguing your scalp, here’s what you need to know:
Seborrheic dermatitis is incurable but treatable. There is no cure for seborrheic dermatitis, but you can control your symptoms using medicated shampoo, medication, or both.
Hair loss from seborrheic dermatitis isn’t permanent. If you experience temporary hair loss from seborrheic dermatitis, the hair you lose should grow back once your symptoms are under control.
Hair loss medication may help. Minoxidil, a topical hair loss treatment, may help stimulate growth and speed up the hair regrowth process.
You can prevent temporary hair loss by dealing with oily skin and scalp fungus before they become problems. Medicated shampoos like our dandruff detox shampoo (with pyrithione zinc 1% and salicylic acid) and ketoconazole shampoo are great places to start.
Not sure whether recent hair thinning and scalp issues are something to be concerned about? Make an appointment with a hair loss specialist today to discuss your options moving forward.
Hims & Hers has strict sourcing guidelines to ensure our content is accurate and current. We rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We strive to use primary sources and refrain from using tertiary references. See a mistake? Let us know at [email protected]!
Dr. Knox Beasley is a board certified dermatologist specializing in hair loss. He completed his undergraduate studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and subsequently attended medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA.
Dr. Beasley first began doing telemedicine during his dermatology residency in 2013 with the military, helping to diagnose dermatologic conditions in soldiers all over the world.
Dr. Beasley is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Originally from Nashville, TN, Dr. Beasley currently lives in North Carolina and enjoys spending time outdoors (with sunscreen of course) with his wife and two children in his spare time.
Bachelor of Science, Life Sciences. United States Military Academy.
Doctor of Medicine. Tulane University School of Medicine
Dermatology Residency. San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium
Board Certified. American Board of Dermatology
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