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Aswad -> RE: Why does Seborrheic dermititis hurt an itch so bad? (7/13/2011 8:53:21 AM)
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Apart from the treatments, there are a few unconventional approaches that sometimes help.
Fresh air on the scalp seems to be useful up here, but its colder in Scandinavia. There are violet light sources which help if your hair is short enough.
If it's really bad, you could always try probiotic treatment. That is, killing off the native flora in a problem area, and applying fresh dandruff from someone who isn't in the household and doesn't have the problem. There are over a dozen strains of the yeast which normally causes the problem, and only a handful of those strains are troublesome in humans. I can't claim familiarity with the results, and it will never be researched, but replacing "bad" strains of ubiquitous organisms with "good" strains of the same organisms has been successful in many other conditions. If able to live with the discoloration, there are dyes that will kill off the yeast, but without reseeding, there is nothing to stop it from coming back (everyone has at least one strain, usually a "good" one, unless in the same household).
Assuming I recall correctly, the problem arises when growth conditions (e.g. due to heat) allows the hyaline phase to grow faster than the skin is being shed, prompting an immune response. The organism is not viable inside our bodies when we are healthy, but it can still cause inflammation and itching. From this, the minor points of strategy present themselves. Keep the hair short if you can. Wipe excess sweat and sebum from the scalp with a non-abrasive cloth. Get rid of any dandruff before going to bed or otherwise resting your head in some place. Rinse with cold water after showering to close off pores and temporarily retard growth. Apply a fresh towel to your pillow each night, and remove it the following morning. Reduce intake of sugar and increase water intake. Replace antiperspirant with deodorant to improve natural cooling, and use wicking fabrics for the innermost layer of clothing. Keep the house cooler, especially at night. If you don't have an A/C unit, look into simple cooling techniques, like hanging a dark wet cloth in front of a fan that directs the air out of the house ("evaporative cooling").
Your body has ample mechanisms to keep such things in check, but often they need a boost, and sometimes you need a supplement (e.g. selenium disulfide).
Personally, I am quite fond of selenium disulfide as a solution, though it should be used at least a few times a week, and not stopped, even when the symptoms abate. And if you want to be particularly successful, especially in a period of hot weather, you will want the rest of the household to undergo a short course of the same treatment, as that improves your own outcome. With a bit of attention to the need for adequate duration and indefinite maintenance, even hot weather isn't a major problem. After a couple of months, you can significantly reduce the dose, mixing it in your regular (mild) shampoo. But don't take it out completely, since there is no realistic way to avoid recolonization after stopping.
Like with a lot of other problems, it has significant relapse rates as a direct function of lack of discipline (noncompliance).
Best of luck, in any case.
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