Hit me with your best home remedy page

[Sanas]

Can you all help me with a problem? My ds has developed an itchy, weeping, reddened, crusty patch in his hair. It appears to be spreading, as there are new little reddish spots popping up here and there. He says it doesn't hurt but is very, very itchy. I've looked on the internet and I don't think it's ringworm.

We went to the doctor today and he says, hmm, looks like dermatitis. Thanks, doc. He gave us a prescrip for antibacterial and steroidal cream, to address what he said was a secondary bacterial infection, and to calm down the itching and redness.

I think this is going to be the kind of thing that could be chronic. It seems to respond to home treatments with coconut oil, tea tree oil, and grapefruit seed extract, but then it's right back again. Being a teenager, ds has been using "Axe" shampoo, and I've convinced him to switch to something milder. Hope that might help.

The wikipedia article Seborrhoeic dermatitis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia seems like it might be it.

What I'd like to know is if you've had something like this, did becoming primal fix it? What home remedies did you try?

Thanks a bunch!

[jammies]

Could it be guttate psoriasis? The pictures shown here are severe - but it can range from just a few spots to pretty major.

Psoriasis - guttate - PubMed Health

[Alex Good]

Vinegar?

[erikJ]

Couple ideas that might help.
Stop using any soaps with Sodium lauryl sulphates, nothing that foams up. Same with shampoo and conditioner.
Try a little sesame oil (not the toasted stuff, Can usually be found in an indian grocery store)
Stop eating any wheat.
avoid irritating clothing, wool/blends/poly
Stop using fabric softener (sheets and liquids) Prob switch to a more natural detergent too.
These worked wonders for my wife. She gets pretty bad Numular dermatitis. She does use the steroid cream now and then for the big flare ups.

[Sanas]

I'm glad your wife has found what works for her, erik. I wish I could convince ds not to eat wheat. But he's not listening.

[kbn1]

My brother-in-law had severe Seborrhoeic dermatitis and going gluten free has solved that.

[TigerLily]

Sodium lauryl sulphates

This would be my first line of attack. It's surely in his Axe shampoo and is likely why it keeps recurring despite responding initially to the excellent CO. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a known skin irritant and is used to dissolve car engine grease, yet it's used to shampoo because it suds up so well.

My friend and I are really sensitive to SLS in shampoos. Like your boy, it causes us both multiple itchy, crusty scabs on our scalps that don't hurt. It's quite a common reaction with that SLS crap.

[Sanas]

My brother-in-law had severe Seborrhoeic dermatitis and going gluten free has solved that.

Why am I not surprised? I am glad to hear it confirmed out there in the real world. What kind of shampoo does he use?

[Sanas]

Thanks, Tiger Lily. He's been using the Axe for months now. Not sure why all of a sudden this has happened. Maybe it's a cumulative thing. My scalp has been much happier with just baking soda and vinegar.

[Sanas]

Doesn't quite look like that, jammies. I think it's Seborrhoeic dermatitis, with secondary bacterial infection, as the doctor said. I wish he'd let me shave him bald. (Not the doctor, hee hee.) Thanks for the input. There are so many mystery skin problems out there.