Seborrheic Dermatitis

A friend of mine wrote this post that focuses on the root of the
problem. Not a band aid treatment. This is basically how I treated
myself. I did add a few things like fish oil etc. You don’t need
to buy the specific supplements listed here…there are other
options as well. Some people in here might need addtionial steps to
treat themselves. That is why it is important to ask questions. If
you have any questions post and I’ll try to answer.

Ronnie

Seborrheic dermatitis is a type of eczema where the oil glands of
the skin are affected. In skin, there are two types of glands: sweat
glands and oil glands. The sweat glands release sweat as a
temperature regulator for the body, and also releases toxic waste.
The oil glands, which open up into the hair follicles, produces an

oily substance for moisturization of the skin and to keep the hair
smooth and silky. The oil glands are also called sebaceous glands.
Another derivative of that word is Seborrhea, which means "flow of
oil". Thus, when you hear the term Seborrheic dermatitis, you know
that the oil glands; as opposed to the sweat glands, are directly
involved.

The sub-classifications of these different types of eczema are for
the purpose of identifying the eczema more specifically. Seborrheic
dermatitis is still eczema. It still represents a toxic release. It
still signals an overwhelmed immune system due to the toxic
activity. The flareup is still being caused or promoted by the
toxins overwhelming the system; and therefore, identification of the
toxins promoting the flareup is necessary.

The sub-classifications of the different types of eczema help in the
identification process (identification of the allergen/irritant).
For example; in contact allergic eczema, you know that an external
substance making contact with the skin promoted the flareup. Poison
ivy contact is an example of an external substance that would
promote this type of dermatitis or eczema. With seborrheic
dermatitis, you can begin to pinpoint the culprit of the irritation
to that of an internal source, usually brought about by diet. With
seborrheic dermatitis sufferers, a diet that favors saturated fats,
processed sugars, and junk food is a major contributor to the
imbalance. That diet promotes candida growth, which increases
histamine activity and causes an eczema flareup. Candida yeast will
travel to the most vulnerable areas of a persons body and promote
the irritation. The weak points in an individual varies from
individual to individual. With sebhorrheic dermatitis, the sebaceous
glands or oil glands seem to be the most vulnerable points of
attack. The most abundant areas of the oil glands in a human body
are the scalp, sides of the nose, behind the ears, and the center of
the chest. This is why your flareups are in the areas you’ve
mentioned.

When diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis, your physician should
definitely address the need to consume a diet rich in fiber. Fiber
helps to eliminate candida overgrowth. In addition, the physician
should also mention the need to replenish your essential fatty acids
and vitamin E levels through diet; due to the fact that these
essential nutrients help the skin/skin cells to retain moisture. In
addition, that physician should definitely address the overabundance
of saturated fats and processed sugars in the diet of seborrheic
dermatitis sufferers; especially since they have established that
this is a common denominator amongst sufferers of seborrheic
dermatitis.

With seborrheic dermatitis, the oily substance that is normally
released for moisture replenishment is consequently being released
as a yellowish/pusslike substance. This type of release indicates
the overactive immune activity, (as a result of battling germs or
toxins), that’s taking place. When toxins or germs enter the body,
the white blood cells go to battle against them. The pusslike
substance is the consequence of such a battle. The fact that the oil
glands of seborrheic dermatitis sufferers releases a yellowish or
pusslike substance gives the indication that a battle, in that area,
has taken place. It can also reveal candida overgrowth. In addition,
the seborrheic dermatitis reaction also indicates the deficiencies
that are evident; and therefore, are in need of replenishing.

Regarding your skin care, you want natural skin care products that
will replenish the deficient nutrients to promote the healing. Those
things that you will want to look for in your products are essential
fatty acid sources like borage oil or safflower oil for moisture
replenishment, vitamin E for moisture replenishment & regulation of
the exfoliation process, vitamin C for anti-oxidant & natural anti-
histamine functions, and beta carotene sources, (like carrots or
apricots), for their immune boosting properties. Burt’s Bees
products have a good line of skin care. Shikai is another brand of
skin care that you can choose. With both of these product lines, you
should consider the shampoos and conditioners in the process as
well. In addition, there is a skin care line called Forever Spring
that carries a face cream, (called Ginseng Facial Feed & Vitamin C
complex?). I may be a little off on the name, (I’ll have to check
back with you on that); however, it contains a good combination of
the essential nutrients listed above in its ingredients. There are a
multitude of natural products available; but because each individual
is different, you will need to find your right fit. I provide you
with a variety of options; not so that you will go out and purchase
everything I’ve mentioned, but so that you can examine them for
yourself and make a decision according to your own peace.

If you’ve read my postings, you may be familiar with the 3 word
phrase I coined to help direct people in healing eczema: internal,
external, and foreign. Internal refers to restoration of the immune
health through healthy diet and internal cleansing. External refers
to rehydration of the skin through natural skin care. And finally,
foreign refers to identification and removal of the allergen
irritant. In seborrheic dermatitis sufferers, 1 & 3 (internal &
foreign) are addressed simultaneously when the internal is
addressed. To explain, since the internal factors (unhealthy diet
leaning heavily toward processed sugars and fats that promote
candida overgrowth) are promoting the flareups, by addressing your
dietary needs, you’ve also addressed the foreign cause of the
discomfort.

Another thing that you will need to address is your household water
system. If chlorine or fluoride is a part of your system, you will
need to filter out those chemicals; so that they don’t further
irritate your skin. What often happens with eczema is that a domino
effect can occur. An initial cause of the effect of eczema can
perpetuate an atmosphere for other causative agents, simply because
the first cause has made a person vulnerable to additional flareups
due to the weakened state of the immune health in certain areas. For
example, and in your case, your first cause of the effect of eczema
could be diet (promoting seborrheic dermatitis); which would then
promote a second causative agent like chlorine or fluoride
(promoting contact allergic dermatitis) to be an additional foreign
instigator as a result of those toxins making contact with an
already vulnerable weak point. They are both still eczema reactions:
one describes more of an internal cause; whereas, the other
describes a direct external cause.

The biggest help for me in understanding how to heal the skin of
eczema was to understand the skin and how it worked. I found out
what was deficient and worked to replenish those deficiencies
through whole food sources and plenty of water. Many times the
solution has been much more simple to fix than doctors would have
you believe. To use an automobile analogy; it may be that the wrong
fuel in your gas tank is promoting the frequent breakdowns. Diesel
fuel in an unleaded gas tank will cause the car to break down. The
solution is to simply add the right fuel to the tank. In other
words, replenish what is deficient and watch the car go. A lot of
times with the human body, regarding disease, too much of the wrong
fuel (food) is being placed in the body, promoting deficiencies in
the right nutrients and promoting the body to break down. In those
cases, the most important thing that is needed is not a medication
to suppress the symptoms; but rather, what is needed is the right
food to replenish the deficient nutrients and promote the healing.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 30th, 2006 at 7:36 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.