Good exfoliator for seborrheic dermatitis?

Hey everyone, I am suffering from acne and seborrheic dermatitis and I was wondering if anyone knew of a good exfoliating product that would help me with the seborrheic dermatitis. At the moment, I have just been rubbing off the flakes with my finger. The flakes come off fairly easily sometimes, but I have to spend almost an hour in the bathroom rubbing them off. I think it would be far easier and more convenient to just find a scrub that will get rid of the flakes for me. I am just afraid to try anything new because I also have acne, and I'm scared that if I try something new, it will make my seborrheic dermatitis or acne worse. I have already tried St. Ives apricot scrub in the past, but it broke me out VERY badly. I have also tried Biore pore unclogging scrub; it didn't exfoliate at all, and it also made my acne worse. Can anyone recommend a good scrub that will get rid of my flakes, and not cause me to break out? I'm 17 years old and I have very sensitive skin. Thanks in advance!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Please do not use exfoliates or hard scrubbings for the facial skin for seborrheic dermatitis because it will aggravate the redness. Topical antifungals and mild steroids are the usual treatment and combination of the two can be used to treat stubborn patches. Oral antifungal drugs and immunomodulators such as tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are used in very severe cases. My sincere advice would be to consult a dermatologist.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.