Seborrheic dermatitis is a red, itchy, flakey skin rash in regions of high sebaceous glands mainly on the face, scalp, centre of chest and back.
It is observed that there is an increase in the level of Malassezia which is a normal yeast that lives on the scalp. This yeast produces increased levels of Oleic acid on the scalp and this together with the immune response is thought to cause seborrheic dermatitis.
Hair shedding (Telogen effluvium) can be caused by severe sebhorreic dermatitis and anti-fungal shampoos are prescribed to treat it. Flareups often occur during the winter.
A study was published in The Journal of Investigative Dermatology in 2018 that showed a link between diet and flare up of the condition. There were 4379 participants investigated and the conclusion was that a diet rich in fruits had a 25% reduction of seborrheic dermatitis when compared with a western diet.
However, surprisingly, this had a more pronounced effect on females compared to men.