17 replies to this topic

[dumbdumb]

Hi, thanks for reading.

My eyebrows are constantly red, itchy, and flaking, with lots of dead skin showing through the eyebrow hairs.
The irritation also seems to be causing a tendency for eyebrow hairs to be shed, making my eyebrow hair coverage more sparse and as a result making the dermatitis more visible.

I am currently taking two topical medications for the condition. One is a keta-something-or-other which serves to loosen and remove the dead skin.
The other is a topical steroid.

Neither has done anything to keep my problem in check very well. I can get a few days of relief at most, but at least half of every week finds me with the condition presenting in a visible and irritating manner.

Any suggestions?

Thanks very much.

[niner]

I am currently taking two topical medications for the condition. One is a keta-something-or-other which serves to loosen and remove the dead skin.
The other is a topical steroid.

Can you tell us enough of the name of each of these drugs that they can be identified? (Tradenames are fine; doesn't have to be a chemical name) There are lots of topical steroids ranging from too weak to do much to dangerously potent. Without knowing which one you're using, it's really hard to tell what's up.

[Fredrik]

Ketoconazole (antifungal, anti-inflammatory) + a steroid is the way to go. You´re using the right stuff. But do you leave the keto on for 5 minutes, 2-3 times a week? It´s supposed to be used on a regular basis. Just like when you use it for hair loss prevention or dandruff. Dermadoctor have a mild SD facewash with antifungal agents.

I just recently read that Seborrheic Dermatitis improved when vitamin D insufficiency was corrected. I would also be sure to get enough alpha-linoleic acid.

Edited by Fredrik, 17 October 2008 - 11:08 PM.

[Ben]

I have seb. derm. as well in many locations. On my head Ketoconazole (Nizoral if you're Australian) has worked as well as glycolic acid washes on my face of a 12% strength. You could also do a weak salicylic wash every now and then. Both of these acids inhibit the sebaceous glands (or something like that) which then reduces the severity of the dermatitis.

Edited by Ben - Aus, 18 October 2008 - 02:43 AM.

[dumbdumb]

Hi, thanks for the great replies!



The medications that I have now are:



Desoximetasone USP, 0.25%

Ketoconazole 2%





Whenever I apply either, typically I put one or the other (never both at once) on a few hours before I sleep, then leave on throughout the night and wash out in the morning as I shower. I apply the Keto once or twice a week and the Deso once every two weeks, as I don't want the steroids to cause any strange side effects on my skin.



Could either of these topical medications do further harm to my eyebrow hair/folicles, causing them to become even more sparse? I'm a guy, not a girl, so it's kind of an issue - they're beginning to look strange, and as a guy I naturally opt not to use makeup to "fix" them.



Thanks again, bye!

[niner]

Desoximetasone USP, 0.25%

Ketoconazole 2%

Whenever I apply either, typically I put one or the other (never both at once) on a few hours before I sleep, then leave on throughout the night and wash out in the morning as I shower. I apply the Keto once or twice a week and the Deso once every two weeks, as I don't want the steroids to cause any strange side effects on my skin.

Could either of these topical medications do further harm to my eyebrow hair/folicles, causing them to become even more sparse? I'm a guy, not a girl, so it's kind of an issue - they're beginning to look strange, and as a guy I naturally opt not to use makeup to "fix" them.

Desoximetasone 0.25% is a very potent steroid. I would be concerned about using it too often, as potent steroids can cause thinning of the skin. The problem is, using it only once every two weeks probably isn't often enough. I would be inclined to use a mid-range (lower potency) steroid like Synalar. (Fluocinolone Acetonide Cream USP 0.025%) You can use this frequently without having to worry about side effects. Once or twice a week is also somewhat infrequent for the ketoconazole. You can use it more freqently; like daily for a week then drop back to two or three times a week. I don't see any problem with combining the steroid and the antifungal either.

If you haven't already spoken with a dermatologist, that would be a good idea.

[frederickson]

as a fellow long-term seborrheic dermatitis sufferer i can commiserate with you.

the advice given here is the best the medical community has to offer and it may help suppress your symptoms temporarily. unfortunately, it amounts to f*ck all when it comes to curing the condition. in fact, within days of stopping your chronic ketoconazole and steroid application the condition will return, like clockwork. i have been dealing with this for about 5 years - bad seb derm on my face, chest, and other locations on my body.

hate to break it to you man, but the dermatologist is going to be completely useless in getting rid of the condition. after a while, you will tire of putting the same crap on your face realizing that within days of stopping it will return worse than ever. i wish i had an answer for you, as i have been attempting a dietary "get to the root cause" of my skin problems approach after also breaking out in severe acne all of a sudden this summer. let me add i'm in my 30's (strange time to begin acne???), in excellent health, eat a diet completely devoid of refined carbohydrates and rife with anti-inflammatory compounds. it simply makes no sense, and you can probably sense my frustration.

my feelings on the field of dermatology could not be worse. they are both completely clueless and seemingly disinterested in finding the root cause of skin problems. in fact, it would seem in their best financial interest NOT to cure your problems but keep you coming back for prescription refills. i may sound cynical, but after years of poor experiences i have had it with dermatology and am committed to finding a way to get to the root of both my acne and seb derm. it is now clear the mainstream medical community will be of no help in doing so.

Edited by frederickson, 23 October 2008 - 04:45 AM.

[mpstat]

I know several cases when Castro oil helped with conditions similar to yours on eye brows and on lash line. As unsofisticated as it sounds. Castor oil was applied topically to eye brows before going to bed and left overnight daily until the condition disappeared. If you decide to try it get hexane free Castor oil.

Edited by mpstat, 26 October 2008 - 02:54 PM.

[BreeVanDeKamp]

I have the exact same condition and it sucks. I think filling in my eyebrows is actually what caused the problem in the first place, I think I was allergic to the make-up. I used Desonide for a little over a week and I've been using Elidel twice daily for almost three weeks, and then I'm going back to my dermatologist. This treatment has not been working for me, it seemed to work for a little while (a couple of days) but then all of a sudden it got worse. I'm thinking of an eyebrow transplant if my lost hairs don't grow back. This is a nightmare that I can't wake up from. I would love to hear any ideas that have worked. Some people online have suggested tea tree oil shampoo or apple cider vinegar (diluted 1:1). I haven't found anything that works. I'm hoping my eyebrow hairs grow back.

[St. Pauly Boy]

Here's something that works great for me. I'm in my 50's and have had the exact same condition, Seborrheic Dermatitis in eyebrows, nose and inner cheek area since I was in my 30's. I've seen dermatologists, tried many things with poor or no results, in fact by my late 40's I had lost much of my eyebrows. Here's the best thing I've found: I've been cleansing the area daily with ZNP Bar (Pyrithione Zinc 2%), then apply a small amount of Equate Face Lotion (with Alpha-Hydroxy Acid) for about two years now. Redness and itching/flaking is very rare now (skin looks great most of the time) and eyebrow hair is slowly thickening (very slowly, over two years, but hair loss has definitely been reversed). This is the only combination of products that has worked, and I've tried a multitude of things over 20 years. Hope this helps someone else.

Edited by St. Pauly Boy, 03 March 2009 - 03:42 AM.

[dumbdumb]

Hi SPB,

Thanks for the suggestions. I was able to find the ZNP Bar without any trouble, but the local super Wal-Mart showed no signs of stocking - now or ever before - the Equate Face Lotion, nor anything else easily recognizable as containing Alpha-Hydroxy-Acid. Have you found any analogous brands/treatments that I could search for instead?

Thanks again.

[zorba990]

Hi, thanks for reading.

My eyebrows are constantly red, itchy, and flaking, with lots of dead skin showing through the eyebrow hairs.
The irritation also seems to be causing a tendency for eyebrow hairs to be shed, making my eyebrow hair coverage more sparse and as a result making the dermatitis more visible.

I am currently taking two topical medications for the condition. One is a keta-something-or-other which serves to loosen and remove the dead skin.
The other is a topical steroid.

Neither has done anything to keep my problem in check very well. I can get a few days of relief at most, but at least half of every week finds me with the condition presenting in a visible and irritating manner.

Any suggestions?

Thanks very much.

I thought I replied to this already but I don't see it. Anyway,
this can be a sign of Biotin Deficiency. It takes a fairly hefty dose IME to
correct this. Something on the order of 5mg (5,000 mcg) a day for several months.
Dysbiosis can cause this. So internal antibiotic use can be a trigger as well as
eating lots of raw egg whites for that matter.

If its fungal then topical application of EM should help to restore the proper acidity to
the skin (but it will get worse for a week or two first) and introduce competing organisms.
(http://www.emamerica.com/) resolution ofter several weeks should be more or
less permanent. (Check environment for toxic molds).

[St. Pauly Boy]

Hi SPB,

Thanks for the suggestions. I was able to find the ZNP Bar without any trouble, but the local super Wal-Mart showed no signs of stocking - now or ever before - the Equate Face Lotion, nor anything else easily recognizable as containing Alpha-Hydroxy-Acid. Have you found any analogous brands/treatments that I could search for instead?

Thanks again.

I don't know where you're located geographically, but I've gone into several Walmarts throughout the county, and found the Equate product I use. It's Walmart's knock-off of the name brand product, and it will be located with the name brand lotion it's knocking off. The full name is "Equate Face Lotion: A multi-vitamin Facial Treatment with Alpha-Hydroxy Acid, SPF 15." It's a knock-off of Neutrogena Healthy skin face lotion. Go into another Walmart, you will find it. May the Force be with you!

[dumbdumb]

Hi,

Thanks again for the suggestions. I have got hold of both products you recommend: ZNP bar and Equate with Alpha Hydroxy. They both cause significant tingling/burning sensations, but do seem to help moderately with the condition.

[St. Pauly Boy]

Hi,

Thanks again for the suggestions. I have got hold of both products you recommend: ZNP bar and Equate with Alpha Hydroxy. They both cause significant tingling/burning sensations, but do seem to help moderately with the condition.

I've never had any burning or tingling sensations with either of these products. Are you using them in combination with other things you were already using? I really just use these two things and nothing else.

[fawnie]

Selsun Blue Shampoo works.

[NeverSayDie]

Sea buckthorn berry and seed oil is reportedly quite wonderful for this purpose.

"Steve P. had 'whatever it was' on his eyelids. Doc said to use steroid cream VERY sparingly. However I formulated a new sea buckthorn salve for him if he would try it. He said yes. He used this on the terrible itch, swelling and redness on his lids. It worked for him in 1 week. All the stuff on his eyes was gone, including behind his knees and his ears. He also used it on the dishydrotic eczema on his feet and got rid of that too"- blue sage naturals

[ssid_123]

Hello,
I am having same issue and when i first went to a physician, she prescribed Nizoral shampoo (Ketakonozole)..and Triamcinolone Acetonide. It helps in small run, but does not solve the problem. Later when I went to a dermatologist, she asked to stop using the steriod as it does a long term damage to your pigments and that is then irreversible. Also if you google by side effects of this steriod, it includes increase in facial hair which is very dangerous if you are a woman, and also other effects on your body as this steriod is absorbed through your skin.
My dermatologist has now suggested I continue to use the shampoo along with Sodium Sulfacetamide cleansing pads (60 pads for 170 dollars) to kill the yeast on the facial skin. I have just started using it so do not know the end results.

But I would suggest to stop using the steriod and contact a dermatologist asap!

Thanks!

Hi, thanks for reading.

My eyebrows are constantly red, itchy, and flaking, with lots of dead skin showing through the eyebrow hairs.
The irritation also seems to be causing a tendency for eyebrow hairs to be shed, making my eyebrow hair coverage more sparse and as a result making the dermatitis more visible.

I am currently taking two topical medications for the condition. One is a keta-something-or-other which serves to loosen and remove the dead skin.
The other is a topical steroid.

Neither has done anything to keep my problem in check very well. I can get a few days of relief at most, but at least half of every week finds me with the condition presenting in a visible and irritating manner.

Any suggestions?

Thanks very much.