Causes and Triggers

While the exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis is still unknown, there are a few leading theories: ⁵

• Hormones: these chemical messengers may play a role, since seborrheic dermatitis often appears during infancy, fades before puberty and then re-appears in middle age - times of hormonal changes.
• Yeast: overgrowth of common skin yeast called Malassezia furfur (Mal-uh-SEE-zee-uh FUR-fur). Normally, this yeast doesn't cause problems, but when there is too much of it, skin can become overly sensitive and inflamed.

Because the exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis is unclear, there is neither a way to prevent it nor predict who might develop the condition. The research is ongoing.

Identifying Your Triggers

Although there is no way to prevent seborrheic dermatitis, it may be possible to reduce the severity of your outbreaks by avoiding the conditions that aggravate your skin.

Common triggers for flare-ups include:

• Stress
• Fatigue
• Extreme changes in the weather
• Oily skin (not showering or shampooing often enough)

Triggers may vary from person to person, so look for patterns and see if you can identify the conditions that seem to make your skin worse.