How is seborrheic dermatitis treated?

Although treatment of seborrheic dermatitis is suppressive, it is not curative. The scalp is best treated with medicated shampoos (selenium sulfide, zinc pyrithione, and tar). Patients should be instructed to leave the shampoo on their scalp for at least 5 minutes before rinsing (or two or three songs for patients who are inclined to sing in the shower). Use of a medium- or high-potency topical steroid solution on the scalp is often helpful for patients who experience burning or pruritus or have resistant areas. Facial seborrheic dermatitis is very responsive to low-potency topical corticosteroids (hydrocortisone) or topical antifungal creams. Oral antibiotics should be given if there is evidence of secondary infection.