The main Seborrheic Dermatitis treatments for adolescents and adults are medicated shampoos, creams, and lotions. If over-the-counter products and self-care don’t help, your doctor may recommend trying one or more of the following treatments:

Alternating an antifungal gel, cream, lotion, foam, or shampoo with another medication. Your doctor may recommend trying a product that contains 2% ketoconazole or 1% ciclopirox (Loprox). Or switching between two or more products. Ketoconazole may worsen dryness in highly curly or chemically treated hair, increasing the risk of breakage. To reduce this effect, use only once a week in conjunction with a moisturizing conditioner.

For the Scalp

How often you wash your hair or use other antifungal medications will depend on your hair care habits and symptoms. Medicated shampoos can be used once a day or 2-3 times a week for several weeks. Leave on scalp for a few minutes (see package instructions) until product has time to take effect. Then rinse. After symptoms subside, use a medicated shampoo about once a week or once every two weeks. This helps prevent recurrence.

Inflammations

Use Creams, lotions, shampoos, or ointments to fight inflammation. Your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids to apply to the scalp and other affected areas. These include hydrocortisone, fluocinolone (Capex, Synalar), clobetasol (Clobex, Temovate), and desonide (Desowen, Desonate). It is effective and easy to use. Use only until symptoms subside. Side effects may occur if used for weeks or months without interruption. These include loss of skin color, thinning of the skin, and streaks or lines on the skin. However, you are encouraged to first try self-care, like the use of Seborrheic Dermatitis treatment lotions. These have proven to be very effective for this skin condition.

Creams or ointments containing calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus (Protopic) or pimecrolimus (Elidel), may also be effective. Another advantage is that they have fewer side effects than corticosteroids. However, they are not a first-line treatment because of Food and Drug Administration concerns about a possible link to cancer. In addition, tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are more expensive than mild corticosteroids.