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Question:
Do you have any suggestions for seborrhea?
Answer:
Seborrheic dermatitis is a common condition that may be associated with excessive oiliness (seborrhea) around the nose and dandruff. The scale of seborrhea may be yellowish and either dry or greasy. The scaly bumps may coalesce to form large plaques or patches.
In children, the underlying factor for seborrheic dermatitis (cradle cap) in infants appears to be a biotin deficiency. Since intestinal bacteria provide a large portion of the human biotin supply, it has been postulated that the absence of normal intestinal flora may be responsible for biotin deficiency in infants. A number of articles have demonstrated successful treatment of seborrheic dermatitis with biotin in both the nursing mother and the infant.
In adults, treatment with biotin alone is usually of no value. It has been postulated that fatty acid metabolism is impaired in seborrheic lesions. B-vitamins (biotin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, niacin, and thiamin) are vital for fatty acid metabolism.
Although the optimal approach to treating all patients with seborrheic dermatitis is not clear at this time, effective therapy is available for most patients. In infants, alleviation of the biotin deficiency is the key. For adults, correcting the impaired fatty acid metabolism by supplementing with large doses (ten times RDA) of vitamin B-complex is the primary therapy.
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