What is Sebopsoriasis and How is it Treated?

Sebopsoriasis

It is typically found on the face and scalp and appears as red bumps and yellow, slightly greasy scales. In infants, the condition is commonly called cradle cap.

What is sebopsoriasis?

You may be diagnosed with sebopsoriasis if you have both psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis on your scalp or face.

Seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition that is mostly located in oily areas such as the scalp or face. The symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis can vary and depend on what area of the body is affected.

Symptoms can include:

  • scaly skin
  • plaques
  • extremely greasy skin
  • itchiness
  • skin redness
  • loss of hair
Psoriasis

The cause of psoriasis is unknown, but it’s related to an autoimmune system response that causes overgrowth of new skin cells. New skin cells grow more rapidly than normal causing an excess of skin cells that build up on the surface of your skin.

Symptoms of psoriasis include:

  • patches of red skin with thick, silvery scales
  • itching
  • dry skin
  • joint pain

Treating sebopsoriasis

Treatment of sebopsoriasis involves addressing both psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. This often includes trying a variety of treatments and testing to see what your skin best responds to. Treatments include:

  • ketoconazole (Extina, Kuric, Nizoral, Xolegel)
  • coal tar shampoo
  • medicated shampoo
  • topical treatments
  • ciclopirox (Ciclodan, CNL8, Loprox, Penlac)
  • sodium sulfacetamide (Klaron, Mexar, Ovace, Seb-Prev)
  • corticosteroids
  • phototherapy

Your doctor will prescribe treatments depending on the severity of your symptoms, categorizing your sebopsoriasis as either mild, moderate, or severe.

  • Mild. The rash has does not really affect your quality of life. You can control your symptoms with use of mild routine skin care procedures.
  • Moderate.The rash cannot be controlled to an acceptable degree by skin care measures and causes discomfort or a substantial effect on your quality of life.
  • Severe. The condition cannot be controlled by topical treatment and causes severe physical or psychological discomfort.

Is sebopsoriasis curable?

Currently, there is no cure for sebopsoriasis, psoriasis, or seborrheic dermatitis. Your doctor can guide you in the treatment and management your symptoms. They can also help you determine what may trigger your rash to flare up.

Sometimes you and your doctor will discover that your symptoms are amplified by an outside cause, such as:

  • stress
  • allergies
  • certain environmental conditions, weather
  • obesity

Takeaway

Although sebopsoriasis is a chronic condition, typically it can be managed by treating the symptoms with topical ointments and other treatments.

If you think that you have sebopsoriasis, visit your doctor for a diagnosis. Sebopsoriasis usually cannot be diagnosed with a specific test, but your doctor will examine your rash and make a diagnosis based on your symptoms.

Following diagnosis, your healthcare provider will work with you to come up with a treatment plan to manage your symptoms as effectively as possible.

Read more on: psoriasis