Seborrheic Dermatitis on the Nose - The Complete Guide

Hi Myrna,

Thanks for checking in and describing your experience. Glad to hear the Nizoral worked so well for you. For me it totally controlled the SD, but the skin was left looking a little unhealthy, bare and dried out. That was the main reason I kept searching. Kind of wanted to find the least invasive approach to control things.

I’ve been currently getting a much better understand of SD. Hoping to put this down in writing soon. Basically though, what I currently understand is that our skin (people that suffer from SD) is missing vital anti-microbial fatty acids or peptides. Without these it becomes much more prone to colonization by foreign invaders. Nizoral works by wiping out the foreign invaders, but I think the most effective long-term approach is correcting the faulty skin barrier.

Thanks again for leaving details on your experience. All the best!

Hi Michael,

Just thought I would update as it’s been over 2 weeks since starting Nizoral. I continued using it twice a day and my skin seemed to get worse, but it in a different way. It was red and dry and very sensitive. I figured it was because the Nizoral was giving me a slight chemical burn ( I was leaving it on for 5 minutes and really scrubbing it into my skin) I cut down to once a day and not leaving it on for a few minutes Liked I had been and my skin is back to improving. Flakes and itching are gone and all that remains is a slight pink around my nose. I do think Nizoral is helpful if used in moderation. I feel like it tamed the majority of the beast and made it just manageable enough so I wasn’t stressing about it all the time. Hopefully it continues to improve! I use cetephil as a daily wash btw and try not to put any lotion on.

Hi Myrna,

Thanks for the update. Yeah, Nizoral is some pretty strong stuff. Perhaps a prescription product containing ketoconazole (specifically designed for the face) could be better, however I have not tried any. Also, it’s been my experience that the less forceful I am when applying anything the better the results.

I’ve been doing a ton of research in the past month or so and I think there may be a better approach to SD than anti-fungal treatments. Will send an update as soon as I have everything down on paper.

Hope things keep improving and thanks for the update. All the best.

I m from india and i suffer from seborrhice dermatitise within 4 years

Hi Manish,

That is unfortunate to hear. Another individual from India had good results with the apple cider vinegar treatment. Additionally, my own experience is best documented in this overview of seborrheic dermatitis face treatments article.

Hope that helps. Ps. Let me know if you plan on trying the Apple Cider Vinegar approach as the previous person sent me details on where she was able to purchase it in India.

I just wanted to thank you for making this site. I have suffered from Seborrheic Dermatitis since 10th grade, and while I was able to keep it controlled in high school it eventually got out of hand. Covering my entire forehead, moving from my nose onto my cheeks, and starting around my mouth. None of my previous treatments had been working. I had given up on finding a treatment and thought I was just going to have to live the rest of my life with my face covered in scale. I went years rarely treating it because everything I had tried failed. I came across your site one day and it inspired me to try some of the treatments listed here. After using ACV to remove the scale and then using restoraderm lotion (a product I had seen but never thought to try) my Seborrheic Dermatitis drastically improved in a few days. Now a bad day is some minor pink that usually goes unnoticed, rather than having to hear comments about how I need to apply sunblock to my face better. Thanks!

Hi Patrick,

Thanks for checking and sharing your story.
Happy to hear about the success :slight_smile: Hope it keeps improving.
The Restoraderm worked really well for about a year for me. However, results started to get a little shaky this summer.

For the past 1.5 months I’ve drastically changed my approach and only use water and product I’ve made myself.
You can read details here:
My Seborrheic Dermatitis Skin Regimen

Also, if it’s of interest to you. You can find a draft copy of the SD chapter of a book I’ve been working on here:
All About Seborrheic Dermatitis<
It goes into detail on what seborrheic dermatitis is.

Hope that helps and all the best!

Hi where can I buy the Restoraderm Wash and Moisturiser for the Nose and Face. I have looked on the cetaphil website and it just shows a body wash. I look forward to hearing from you

Hi Suzanne,

Sorry for the confusion, the ones that I used are actually usually labeled as Body.
However, I exclusive used them for my facial area. Additional information can be found in a previous comment: Response to Martin regarding Cetaphil Products.

Hope that helps.
Best of luck.

I’m so tired of all the dead skin on my face Ears,nose,moustache , and of course my hair&side burns.I look forward to learning more from you about this Issue,sincerely.Larry U.S.M.C retired

Currently on ketoconazole 2% cream. Looking for alternatives.

Wonderful articles. Thank you. My problem started after I went away to college, 52 years ago! I never had any problems in my own, home area, with scalp or face, nor did I ever have acne or even a pimple. Shortly after starting school in Buffalo, I started to get scales on the sides of my nose, right greater than left. At first I could scrub them off with a wash cloth. All this time, my scalp remained clear. I was using Breck shampoo at the time which had coconut oil. Breck is out of business, I believe. By the 80s, problems had started on my scalp and the sides of my nose looked like alligator skin. I tried everything available at the time - Sea Breeze Sensitive Skin, straight rubbing alcohol, Neutrogena liquid soap (worked the best at that time). Nothing helped either permanently. A dermatologist put me on Accutane for a while which did seem to help but only for a while. Were I not done having my family, I never would have used it. Fast forward to late 90s when a dermatologist ordered Nizoral prescription shampoo (not the OTC one) plus something called FS shampoo. I was to use both on face and scalp. They worked beautifully, for a while. Eventually the FS Shampoo formulation changed (and worked less well) and then was discontinued. Recently I tried the new Head & Shoulders in the dark blue bottle (with selenium sulfide) and it worked better than anything ever before, on my scalp - BUT I noted my hair getting thinner. I could actually see pieces of it here and there so stopped using it. I went back to Nizoral prescription shampoo but it does not seem to work as well as it once did, sadly, and it seems to make the back of my head smell awful (cannot figure out why). Because of it, I have taken to putting alcohol on the back of my head. As far as the plaques on my nose are concerned, I started using Murad’s Resurgence line. The cleanser has papaya and that keeps the plaques off my nose, thank Heavens, and my skin looks better than it has in a long time. My scalp is another story and is driving me crazy, with some itching bumps coming down onto my forehead. I do note an increase in problems if I consume too many sugary goodies. An article I read recently on the scalp flaking says to use the different types of dandruff shampoos but use a different type (ingredient-wise) every single time you wash your hair, so the fungi do no beckme resistant to the medication within. I bought some coconut oil so will give that a try tonight to see what happens, but I have also made an appt with my dermatologist. Oh there is also a scalp product called fluocinolone acetonide 0.01% topical oil. It is by prescription here in the US and I believe it is a cortisone-type product. You apply all over scalp for 4 hours, cover with shower cap and then wash out with regular shampoo. I will give it a try to see if it calms the itching. The dermatologist told me I have “typical Irish ancestry skin” - too sensitive and with too rapid cell overturn, leading to the plaques on my nose and scalp. If there are any updates after I see her, I will post again. Thanks for all your research.

Nice and very helpful article and nowadays I am using manuka honey & mafura oil for my hair Because this vitamin rich hand cream deeply moisturizes, providing immediate relief to dry, rough skin.

Hello i have been suffering for almost 2 years, my allergist says this is due to our 2 dogs which we have had for four years he says the sensitivity was delayed and took about 2 years for this to come out. Also I have severe inflamation around a good part of my body is this common with SD and also my discharge from my head has a foul smell is this also common
Thank you for any info

Hello i have been suffering for almost two years, my allergist says this is due to our two dogs which we have had for four years he says the sensitivity was delayed and took about two years for this to come out. Also I have severe inflamation around a good part of my body is this common with SD and also my discharge from my head has a foul smell is this also common
Thank you for any info

Hello i have been suffering from SD for two years, I have severe inflamation around a good part of my body is this common with SD and also my discharge from my head has a foul smell is this also common
Thank you for any info

I only learned about BIOM8 this last week. I sure hope this works. I have been to ER TWICE. I will be so happy to get off of prednisone. I worry about my bones. I will be purchasing from your site. THANK YOU. JOHN GRIFFIN

Suffering so badly around my nose not just with flaking skin but also large sore lumps
My skin is always red and inflamed

The day the doctor prescribed me with betacap scalp application my life changed! Iv been using it for 7 years now and every time it flares up I re apply the product. I even use it in my ears and on the corners of my nose ( which does sting a bit ) when I met my now fiancé 5 years ago he had SD and had suffered for years, he now applies betacap once a month for 2/3 days and that controls it for him. I have SD on my nose and I apply it for around 3/4 days every 3 weeks or so to maintain it, my issue is I wear makeup which makes it flare up - I also die my hair which makes my SD on my scalp go crazy. Try BETACAP let me know how you get on, it changed my life. ( I think you can buy it online ) I have a rolling perscription from the NHS.

Have you tried the zinc pyrithione bar soaps for the face. They are 2% strength since like scalp shampoos they designed to be rinsed off after 20 or 30 seconds. Some have only 4 or 5 ingredients, shea butter, olive oil etc (as opposed to the harsher shampoos).