The true cause of seborrheic dermatitis.

[ventor3000]

So I've suffered on and off from seborrheic dermatitis (from now on called SD) since my late twenties, that is over 15 years now. Finally i have found how to stay clear from it and would like to share my research, because this info is not what easily found on the internet or elsewhere.

If one asks the doctor what causes SD, he will likely tell that no one knows, and give you some topical steroids. This is not a solution but will only weaken your skin.

If you search on the internet, you will mostly find "ITS THE MALASSEZIA FUNGUS ON YOUR FACE/SCALP, KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT" and suggestions on how to get rid of this skin fungus, with often exotic creams and oils which will get you broke. It's true that malassezia is a link in what causes SD, but killing it is not a solution either, because this is a natural inhabitant of the skin, and it will just get back in a few days.

So lets follow the link backward from the flare-up all the way down the the stomach:
1) The malassezia feed on saturated fatty acids from your skin. The leftovers are unsaturated fatty acids and some toxins, which causes an immune response, ie. SD flareups. This is why people with autoimmune diseases such as HIV or parkinson is generally affected by serious SD.
2) There are two major things that will increase the amount of saturated fatty acids in your skin. Its dairy products, which will increase sebum production in general and also causes pimples and zits. The other thing is a dysfunction in the delta-6-desaturase function in the body. What delta-6-desaturase (simplifed) does, is that it convert saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids before it enter your pores. See study at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12713571.
3) The delta-6-desaturase activity is dependant of magnesium, zink and some B-vitamins, mostly B6. The zink and B6 avabillity for enzyme activity such as delta-6-desaturase will be low as long as there are circulating acetaldehyde in your body. Acetaldehyde is whats makes you hungover after some alcohol consumption, so its a breakdown product of alcohol (This is why alcoholics often have SD symptoms). It is also a leftover when some kinds of gut fungus such as candida has done its dirty work. Also, some tobacco products and coffee contains small amounts of acetaldehyde. This is unfortunate because nicotine makes the acetaldehyde even more toxic (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15496937).
4) Gut fungus exists in most people but some have more, some less. There are simple ways of lowering the amount of gut fungus. Not eating sugar is NOT a way (which is often stated), beacuse if the fungus is starved from sugars, it can feed from protein, and this is even worse. Go to any low-carber forum, this is where you will find people having major problems with candida. Its literally growing throug their intesines, feeding on tissue.

So, what can we do practically about the SD? Its a complicated topic so there is no guarantee this will work for everyone but for me it did:
1) No diary product, absolutely no milk. Possibly a few cheese doodles now and then .
2) Make sure you are not D-vitamin deficient (for immune system), preferably beeing in the sun if possible. Malassezia hates UV light as a bonus beeing in the sun.
3) Avoid alcohol, tobacco and coffee.
4) Make sure your zink, magnesium and B-vitamin levels are good.
5) Eat cold pressed cocnut oil. Candida hates it. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/302809.php). Eat 2-3 tbsp a day, but begin _slowly_ with a peanut sized lump a day working your way up to the reccomended level. This is because you can get rally sick from the fungus dieoff if to much at once, this is called the Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarisch%E ... r_reaction)
6) You can use some special schampoos as a facial wash (leaving it on the facial skin for 2-3 minutes) to get rid of the mallasezia. This is not a long term solution but a panic-fix which will heal the face in 3-4 days. The SD will most likely return in 1-2 weeks unless the above points are fixed. For me, Selsun works very well. Some other swears by schampoos containing ketoconazole.

Hope this can solve someones skin-troubles!

[RRM]

Well done!

[Oscar]

Thanks for sharing this

[Novidez]

5) Eat cold pressed cocnut oil. Candida hates it. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/302809.php). Eat 2-3 tbsp a day, but begin _slowly_ with a peanut sized lump a day working your way up to the reccomended level. This is because you can get rally sick from the fungus dieoff if to much at once, this is called the Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarisch%E ... r_reaction)

I'm always very confused when I take Coconut Oil.
The first time I ate it, I had a mini panic attack: tachycardia and few hours later diarrhea. Of course, I took a whole tbsp on a empty stomach in late afternoon (with a carrot), which may have increased the effect of it. Back then, several questions came to my mind: "What if it was low blood sugar?"; "What if I have eaten something before?"; etc (curiously, when I ate my first raw egg yolk, the reaction was the same.)

Still today, when I eat it, I still don't know if it is a die off reaction or if I am simply allergic to Coconut Oil. Even a peanut size in my mouth, gives me immediately a heavy/bloated sensation on my stomach.

I know that I've fungus overgrowth at the moment, because I have some brown dots on my skin that gives me itch especially after eating something. I think I've developed them when I was eating too much sugar at once OR it was from overripe apples that I ate. It doesn't matter right now...

What was your experience with Coconut Oil in the beginning?

preferably beeing in the sun if possible. Malassezia hates UV light as a bonus beeing in the sun.

By the way, do you think when people start having some dermatitis and allergic reactions when they go the beach could be also a die off effect?

[ventor3000]

Novidez => If I've worked my way up to 2-3 tbsp a day of coconut oil, and then dont eat it for a while, I have to start over with a minimal amount. So if you eat cocnut oil only now and then, you will only irritate the fungus. If I were you, i would have started with a very small amount of CO that you can take without major issues, then increase it very slowly, but bee sure to take it everyday. As you say, coconut allergy exits, althoug rare. I dont think your symptoms match the common ones on this allergy (see http://www.livestrong.com/article/36887 ... -symptoms/), but the bloated/heavy feeling sounds more lika a fungus/bacterial dieoff. Experimenting is the only way to know (:

I have never heard of sugar or old apples causing brown spots, but sunlight might! if they are large (>8 mm) you should let a doctor look at them.

Allergic rections on the skin when going to the beach is likely sun allergy (which is more common than one might think: http://www.livestrong.com/article/53434 ... n-allergy/), but it is not connected to seborrheic dermatitis. However, when malassezia dies (which it does in the sun), you can roll-it of like dead skin when wet. The fresh skin that shows up is often very sensitive the first days.

[Novidez]

Novidez => If I've worked my way up to 2-3 tbsp a day of coconut oil, and then dont eat it for a while, I have to start over with a minimal amount. So if you eat cocnut oil only now and then, you will only irritate the fungus. If I were you, i would have started with a very small amount of CO that you can take without major issues, then increase it very slowly, but bee sure to take it everyday. As you say, coconut allergy exits, althoug rare. I dont think your symptoms match the common ones on this allergy (see http://www.livestrong.com/article/36887 ... -symptoms/), but the bloated/heavy feeling sounds more lika a fungus/bacterial dieoff. Experimenting is the only way to know (:

I ate a tiny bit a few minutes ago and I can't stop moving. I even have to do 'autistic movements' when I am sit, otherwise I am very uncomfortable.
It seems there are tons of people who seem to have reactions like palpitations, heart racing, paranoia, insomnia, panic attacks, etc.

- https://www.google.pt/webhp?sourceid=ch ... nic+attack
- https://www.google.pt/webhp?sourceid=ch ... lpitations

And it keeps going.
Now, the question remains: is it allergic reaction or is it die-off experience?

So, as for your experience, you didn't have such an aggressive reaction when introducing it, right?

I have never heard of sugar or old apples causing brown spots, but sunlight might! if they are large (>8 mm) you should let a doctor look at them.

I was not getting sun at that time. And I did go to a doctor and she asked me: "What did you eat?"
Overripe apples seem to be not very friendly. Back then, I wanted to eat the most ripe fruits. However, I may have exaggerated and eaten some spoiled ones (?)...

Never hearing about it doesn't mean it doesn't happen . If you do a simple research, you may find some information about it. Apples seem to have an easy potential to have fungus with them.
https://books.google.pt/books?id=H1QoAA ... us&f=false