Seborrheic Dermatitis

Hi,
   I've had seborrheic dermatitis for the last few months. Ketoconazole shampoo did not work. It sure looked like it was snowing from my head. Recently I tried a Selenium sulphide shampoo, which is offering me some relief, along with the Head & Shoulders shampoo.
   But in that period, my hair has thinned out markedly. Does seborrheic dermatitis cause significant hair loss? In about 6 months, i've lost half the hair on my head. I'm 22 years old and i've had great hair all my life, now my head looks like an old mop! Could this hair loss be reversible? Are there any drugs to speed up the hair growth if possible? Thanks!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Seborrhea and psoriasis don't cause hair loss, Jason, no matter how severe the scaling they cause gets.  If you've lost that much hair, you should be evaluated to see whether it's just galloping genetics (the most likely cause) or something else.  Once you know what's going on, you can look into treatment for both seborrhea and hair loss.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[addy396]

A related discussion, seobohrea was started.