Growing Beard / Scalp Hair Triggers Seborrheic Dermatitis

OP
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I had a similar issue years ago and this got me into the process of researching health because doctors weren't much of a help.

I'm not 100% if it's exact same but similar; flaky skin across my hairline, eyebrows, and facial hair area. But at a point got really bad and spread to my cheeks and forehead due to excessive itching, scratching and applying anything or everything I'd be recommended to use.

Was recommended steroid creams, but they were just band-aid solutions, and immediate stopped when finding out about their cancer risk. At the time this was a big eye opener for me about medical industry, one of the creams recommended by the doctors had to legally label a warning of cancer risk because of the lawsuits they received.

This condition would spread easily from touch/itching it or try rubbing flakes off, just gets worse, so best if you can, not to touch or itch at all unless your applying something light.

I've applied "natural" herbal creams, like claendua helped sooth and conceal but didn't really solve the underlying flare up condition.

These were found to be the big main triggers;
- Eating anything that irritates my gut or is difficult to digest; wheat, beans, emulsifier additives. Most likely causing "leaky gut" and inflammation.
- Skipping a day from wash my face+hair with just water in showers. Something secreting in combination with sebum that is irritating/inflaming the surface of the skin and needs to be washed off daily.

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the issues exacerbated from PUFA intake, even though I was in my early twenties.

So currently my skin is a lot better now. Actually best it's been in years, even better than when I was in high school.

Things that help:
- Liver, vitamin A, overall proper nutrition, avoid pufa.
- Avoiding wheat, beans, gar-gum anything hard on the gut or to digest.
- Avoid itching.
- Avoid irritating shampoos with additives
- Washing face+hair with just water. Baking+AVC once in a while for the hair.

Thank you for your contribution.

My skin is actually in perfect form and constantly glowing, clean, soft like a baby's skin. The problems occur when I grow out long hair whether it is scalp hair or beard hair. The only thing that I could take from your list that might be needed to change for me, is a higher Vitamin A intake.
 

InChristAlone

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yes, seriously. When I feel high functioning, all of my hair is very soft and fine, and my beard grows at a snail's pace; head hair grows normally.

At least until I become stressed again, and the coarse dark hair starts coming out.

Also, what he describes as his "metabolism being very fast" could easily be the hyperactive sympathetic state, which definitely coincides with the coarse hair from what I've seen.
But you are n=1, do you think this applies to all males? I thought being able to grow a thick beard was a sign of a man's masculinity. I can see the argument though as many young men struggle to grow beards and only after they hit about 25 does it come in thick.
 

lvysaur

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But you are n=1, do you think this applies to all males?

I think it probably does, more or less. The associations with this hair are not just n=1, but known to science (for example, the association between beards and baldness)

Many things are "masculine". Beards, muscle, violence, being in prison, selling drugs, being a CEO, etc.

I've had a thick beard since my late teens, and I've noticed without fail that when it starts growing in soft and thin, I always feel better.
 

rawmeat

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I think it probably does, more or less. The associations with this hair are not just n=1, but known to science (for example, the association between beards and baldness)

Many things are "masculine". Beards, muscle, violence, being in prison, selling drugs, being a CEO, etc.

I've had a thick beard since my late teens, and I've noticed without fail that when it starts growing in soft and thin, I always feel better.


I second this. When my body is functioning well, my beard hair grows very slow and fine. When I am in a high stress state, it grows coarse and quick.
 
OP
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Hey guys.

As far as I interpreted from studies in the past, the androgen DHT determines how fast and how long a beard grows while testosterone regulates its thickness.

Whenever I was stressed and ate PUFA, my beard wouldn't grow at all. I would get a bit chubbier and end up with chronic fatigue.

Since following Ray's advices, I have been able to easily reach 10 % body fat and to put on easily excessive muscles everywhere. I'm full with energy which also always causes a thicker and a faster growing beard for me. Health wise, I feel like I'm in the best state of my life right now. So your comments really confuse me.

I'm open minded though. Perhaps you're right. Sadly I don't know then what to change to fix my issue. I'd love to get rid off this disease or underlying condition.

Thanks everyone for your contribution.
 
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EIRE24

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Thank you for your contribution.

My skin is actually in perfect form and constantly glowing, clean, soft like a baby's skin. The problems occur when I grow out long hair whether it is scalp hair or beard hair. The only thing that I could take from your list that might be needed to change for me, is a higher Vitamin A intake.
Just for comparison to previous posters, vitamin A and liver make the issue worse for me. It's as if it accelerates the dead skin and flaking.
 
OP
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Just for comparison to previous posters, vitamin A and liver make the issue worse for me. It's as if it accelerates the dead skin and flaking.

Good to know.

These are the theories that I collected so far:

1) Our metabolism is too fast, so the cells shed too quickly in a process called turn over. Someone in the forum suggested to eat 4000 calories a day which apparently fixed his seborrheic dermatitis problem. His explanation is that the fast metabolism wouldn't affect the skin anymore but be busy with metabolizing the extra energy. I can't confirm his theory but I might try it.

2) We might have hyperandrogenism.

"Seborrhoea is recognized as an androgen-sensitive condition – that is, it is caused or aggravated by androgen sex hormones such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone – and is a common symptom of hyperandrogenism (e.g., that seen in polycystic ovary syndrome). In addition, seborrhoea, as well as acne, are commonly associated with puberty due to the steep increase of androgen levels at that time."

3) Third but not least, there are theories that we have too much histamine and antihistamines could help to relieve that problem.
 

Motif

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In my case it's 3).
Histamine. But what's the cause of histamine intolerance?
 

InChristAlone

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None of those theories talked about the yeast. They have found a yeast that thrives on sebum. When you hit puberty you create lots of sebum. I had a patch on my eye lid that cleared up with Nystatin I had it for 8 months.

So my husband has a full head of hair and a thick beard. Strangely he has lost a lot of leg hair!
 
OP
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None of those theories talked about the yeast. They have found a yeast that thrives on sebum. When you hit puberty you create lots of sebum. I had a patch on my eye lid that cleared up with Nystatin I had it for 8 months.

So my husband has a full head of hair and a thick beard. Strangely he has lost a lot of leg hair!

Why I haven't considered yeast is because it only occurs when the hair is long.
 
OP
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OK, I noticed that the seborrheic dermatitis now persists after the trim too. It's getting more lately. It has thinned out the beard follicles on my chin significantly and it is getting really depressing.
 

yerrag

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Hey Ray community.

Whenever I grow out my scalp hair or my beard, my body starts to build up a yellow crust (seborrheic dermatitis) which then causes severe hair loss (on beard and scalp).

I lost most of my scalp hair due to that which never returned. My father still has full hair with 72 but never had this disease. I'm certain that I lost some beard hair as well because I hadn't noticed the yellow crust for a while under the beard and those places got lighter. I uploaded some pictures for clarity.

A few days ago, I had to trim my beard down again after losing too many hair. The yellow crust got trimmed along with it and didn't reappear since then which is expected as it has always happened to me when I let my hair grow out.

I have noticed this disease the first time with 16 (I am way older now). I would be so so grateful if someone can tell me what is going on and how to cure this. After so many years, realizing now that it could affect my beard hair as well was a huge shock for me which I had never expected before.
I had this problem for close to 20 years. I had given up and then it went away. It had to do with what I was taking to lower my blood pressure. And I believe it was therapeutic supplementation with magnesium primarily, with increased potassium from food. It probably took 2 months before I noticed the change.
 
OP
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I had this problem for close to 20 years. I had given up and then it went away. It had to do with what I was taking to lower my blood pressure. And I believe it was therapeutic supplementation with magnesium primarily, with increased potassium from food. It probably took 2 months before I noticed the change.

At the moment, I am using nothing currently. Thank you for your feedback though.
 
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I get this exact same thing and the ONLY thing I've noticed that gets rid of it is sunlight. A second option I would reccomend is urea. I'm not sure what else cures it. I also struggle with this daily and it causes acne in my case.
THIS^

@ OP Cholesterol and sulfur sources please...?
 
OP
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I've been under high UV for the last 2 months and haven't noticed any improvement. I literally changed my environment. I went from a cold country to a tropical country. It's constantly 40°C here.
 

Motif

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What helps my Seborrhoic eczema and dermatitis is

-uv comb, but I have to use it pretty long

-zinc and copper in high doses (got a deficiency in both and it never stays up even with supplements)

- working on my neck and back tensions.

Blood flow seems to be super important
 

nostalgic

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What works for me is a mix of apple cider vinegar and glycerin, 50-50 and apply it daily.
 

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