dandruff

Not medical advice: Seborrheic dermatitis is a mysterious sounding condition that might frighten someone as a diagnosis. It’s much less unnerving to find out that it’s just dandruff; same thing, two very different names. Either phrase refers to a common skin irritation that manifests in scaly white, sometimes yellowish, flaky skin. Dandruff is thought to be caused by excessively oily skin and an abundance of a naturally occurring yeast called malessizia. Some experts believe malessizia doesn’t cause dandruff as much as irritate the condition. Seborrheic dermatitis shows signs of being genetic and may coincide with obesity, stress and/or lack of shampooing. Generally when occurring in infants, it’s called cradle cap and occurs regardless of good hygiene. Seborrheic dermatitis may include redness of the skin and itching that becomes worse if infected. For treatment and prevention of seborrheic dermatitis: Text 542542 (costs $1.49 plus any standard messaging charges from your carrier).