Coconut oil & seborrheic dermatitis
 

Okay....I truly believe it's official now 'cuz my scalp has been completely free and clear of ANY signs of seborrhea for 7 months now!

Here's my story: At 13 (puberty for most of us females), I suddenly developed thick white patches on my scalp that would not go away no matter what I did or used (i.e. dandruff shampoos, etc.) It has been a great source of misery and embarrassment for me my entire life since then! (When DH & I were first dating, the wind blew my hair, he saw it and said, "What's that? The MANGE!!" - ok, so I still married him cuz he apologized PROFUSELY & sweetly) I did finally see a dermatologist (for a different reason) and he diagnosed me with "seborriasis" cuz it looked like seborrhea but migrated to different parts of my head like psoriasis would do, gave me some medicated gel but I didn't use it cuz it made my hair look greasy & oily (I'm not a vain person but in an office......)

Last October (and 30+ yrs after the seborriasis first started), after 6 months on Atkins and a few months on this forum, I started researching coconut oil. My hair had been doing the falling out thing for a few months and I was getting desperate - didn't want to be bald w/ white patches all over the place! :eek:

So, I took some coconut oil, warmed it a bit in the microwave, and slathered it all over my scalp & hair, put on a shower cap, then a towel, sat around for about an hour, then hopped in the shower and washed my hair. I did that twice a week for 3 weeks - after the first 3 times, my scalp was COMPLETELY CLEAR - but I did it 3 more times just to make sure! ;) That was 7 months ago...I haven't used the coconut oil on my scalp since...and it's STILL completely clear! I have been able to wear dark colored tops all winter long without worrying once about flaking onto my shirts! (Just breathing before would send a cascade of flakes before!) My scalp is pink & healthy looking, my hair has been coming back in (of course, that could be just the normal cycle of things now that my body has adjusted to LCing), and I'm no longer frantic on windy days!

This is just my experience but wanted to share in case anyone else was having the same problem - I even had my son use it on my granddaughter's scalp for her cradle cap!

Just one more thing that coconut oil has done for me!

Ellen :)

I put up with it for 15 years too. Until recently, then I tried new Head and Boulders selenium sulfide flavour in the dark blue bottle. That seemed to clear it up, whereas shampoos using zinc pyrithione, coal tar, salicylic acid and ketoconazole had failed. Which is odd because I don't remember having any luck with Selsun Blue. I also have it around the folds of my nose. For that I find el-cheapo hydrocortisone lotion twice a week does the trick. There are cortisone shampoos I guess but they still require a prescription here, and I could never get one out of my MD, Dr. No.

Hey Hoser...I'm glad you found something that (finally) worked for you! A lot of people just don't understand what people (like us) go through w/ this! Sometimes, the plaques on my scalp would be soooo thick, one could actually SEE them through my hair (even WITHOUT the wind a'blowin'! :eek: ) I have honestly tried every (stinky) "dandruff/seborrhea" shampoo on the market over the past 30+ yrs....so, you can imagine my absolute excitement over finding out that something as simple as coconut oil was MY cure! Seriously, I STILL have an absolutely clear scalp!

I sincerely hope that you continue to have great results w/ the Head & Shoulders! If not, you can always give the 'ol coconut oil a try!

Ellen :)

Would coconut oil work on snd around the nose? Anyone try this?

Hey Ginga! From one "original" (now transplanted) Minnesotan to another, I'm not exactly sure what "snd" is? seborrheic "nasal" dermatitis???!! My guess is that it can't hurt to TRY it.....possibly at night so you're not running around w/ a shiny nose. I've tried putting it on my eczema by my ears (NOT a good thing since I wear a headset all day!) but so far, nada w/ that! I'm going to try using my Oregano Oil drops next -- good thing DH works nights! Now I just have to worry about the dog trying to lick my ears....:lol:

Good luck and let me know what happens!

Ellen :)

Sorry Ellen, that was supposed to be "and". I get dermatitis around my nose every once in a while. My doctor always gives me doxycycline but I hate taking it. So if there's something else that would be great! I'll try it next time it happens.

I've had sebhoreic dermatitis for about 42 years now -- it used to get so bad (when I was in my 20's) that my scalp and face would be a bloody mess -- I now go regularly to a dermatologist who prescribes various lotions and creams for the condition (I think they're all cortisone-based). The one that works best (a liquid to apply to my scalp) always comes with the warning to NOT apply it to the face or ears, it "thins" the skin. Doesn't sound all that healthy...

I am going to try the coconut oil, that would sure beat the strong medications! My scalp is so darned oily, I wouldn't have thought to do that (I'm almost 60 years old and I STILL have to wear oil-reducing foundations and mosturizers).

Thanks for the information, everyone.

Bonnie

Hi Bonnie! Plz let me know your results, if you would....and good luck to you!

I've got my 14-YO son now using it....just can't get him to don the shower cap for an hour b4 shampooing (even tho he sits in his room the whole time so no one can see him - lol) He's only been using it for a week now (i.e. twice), so I'll check in w/ him after the next time and see what he has to say!

My DH works in a foundry and used to get a prickly heat rash type of thing on his chest from sweating.....he started using the coconut oil after his showers and his rash has completely cleared up! (He jokingly tells the kids that it's "Mom's Cure for Everything" :lol:)

Ellen :)

okay my little girl who is ten has this stuff severe. She has been to her dermatologist for awhile and prescribes some stuff thats 120 a bottle and looks like mousse. It seems to help a little but then she says it itches and she scratches till her head is just bleeding. So I started the coconut oil, have done it twice, is there anything you all know of to help the itching? She shampoos every day with some prescribed shampoo, but says her head still just itches. Please help she has extremely long dark dark brown hair and she is very worried about her schoolmates seeing this stuff.

Oh my...I can SOOOO relate! When I first developed this at age 13, I would literally put baby oil on a Q-Tip and dab it on my part so that the white patches wouldn't show. Did it help w/ the itching? No - just made my hair look greasy! (okay...I was young and didn't understand what was going on at that time - and yes, I had/have long dark brown hair, too!)

Seriously, the first thing I would do is to NOT have her wash her hair every day - I know, sounds terrible, but she's essentially washing away all the natural oils off her scalp, therefore drying her scalp out TOO much and causing the itching. The itching COULD also be a sign that her scalp is starting to heal - it's not going to be easy, but she really does have to try to NOT SCRATCH. It took three treatments before my scalp was clear and all itching was gone.

I battled w/ this stuff for over 30 years before I tried the coconut oil - and my scalp is STILL clear! I'm really anxious to hear if it works for your daughter as well - please keep me posted, 'k?

wow thanks for this thread :thup: my poor 17yr old daughter has had terrrible scalp for just over a yr tryin all the stuff from the docs, yesterday she fi nally gets to see a dermatoligist who dosnt know what it is :help: her hair is balding at the front,thining and her head bleeds and becomes infected!!! n really stinks!! poor kid !! i had heard something about coconut oil, and have just bout leave in conditioner!! i WILL show her this thread and buy some coconut OIL funny i used to sunbath in that in the 80s :lol: , ill let you know how it goes, many many thanks take care lv sa xx

Ellen4621 should I just have her wash it every other day or something after using the coconut oil? Her head is just red and inflamed, is that something that will also go away with the healing? I used to have some dry scalp but since changing to lowcarb I have nothing of the sort. Actually now I have enough hair for like 5 people and it grows so fast Im having to have it color weaved every 5 to 6 weeks to keep the roots colored. Do you think if I can get her to watch her carbs, of course not as low as we go on induction that would help also?

2brickie - I really honestly don't know about having your dgtr watch her carbs..and I know you would never bring them down to induction level for her...she's a growing girl and still needs her balanced nutrition. Sorry, I can't help you there. However, as for only washing her hair every other day....now that may help. Like I said, every time we wash our hair, we are shampooing out not only the daily dirt and oil from hair itself, but also removing the oils from the scalp.....which do form a natural "protection barrier" on the scalp....and if she's scratching, well, that may just make things worse.

Lord knows, I used to actually pick the plaques off my head, then those areas would ooze and crust over, and then the cycle would begin again - not pretty, I know, but I'm being honest here. I'd give it a try for a week or two - have her wash her hair every other day - do the coconut oil treatments a couple times a week and then wait a full day before she washes her hair again. Also, I don't know how strong the medicated shampoo is that was prescribed for her....and I most certainly am no medical expert - I'm just going with my guts here.....

My heart goes out to your dgtr - this may seem like such a minor thing to a lot of people but believe me, it's NOT - please keep me posted, 'k?

sara36 - let me know how it goes w/ your dgtr, too, 'k? Even though - believe it or not - I have worked in the medical field for going on 25 yrs now (definitely NOT a physician or medical expert in any way shape or form!), I have always looked into finding as many all-natural remedies for things - I like to keep things SIMPLE!

Oh, and how I KNOW about the stinky scalp! As for her hair thinning, that I can't answer - sorry - I, too, have several patches of extremely thin hair BUT (and this is a HUGE BUT) I also used to pick at the plaques for years and have most likely damaged my scalp...but that's just me....remember I had this for over 30 yrs before I finally found something that worked for me....but if your dgtr can be spared all of that....then I say go for it - try the coconut oil... I'd be really interested to know if it helps - even a little....

:wave: off to buy the coconut oil :thup: today ill keep you posted many thanks have a wonderful weekend lv always sa xx