Take back your spotlight: Don’t let seborrheic dermatitis keep you from shining

February 12, 2025 at 08:11 AM EST

(BPT) - Up to 10 million Americans live with seborrheic dermatitis (seb derm), a chronic inflammatory skin condition with a range of possible symptoms. Whether it's persistent itch, redness, scaly skin, or flakes on the scalp, face, back, or chest - the physical symptoms may be unpleasant and bothersome. But it's the mental and psychological impact from those symptoms that can really impact people's lives.

Grace knows this all too well. She has been living with seb derm since she was 8 years old, and was formally diagnosed at age 12. Grace has regularly experienced redness and peeling around her nose and eyebrows, flakiness on her scalp, and even hypopigmentation around her hairline. Symptoms can come and go, with people with seb derm like Grace experiencing flare-ups which can be triggered by emotional or physical stress, or lack of sleep. Climate can play a role too, with heat and sun exposure also triggering a flare-up. Sometimes, those with seb derm don't know what triggers their symptoms. They just know that the symptoms come back, sometimes at the most inconvenient moments.

It's the visibility of seb derm that can be especially challenging for those affected. Like other skin conditions, seborrheic dermatitis is out there in the open for others to see. There's a stigma wrapped up in those affected areas - with people sometimes believing the disease is caused by poor hygiene or that it is contagious. Neither of these are true. The exact causes are not completely understood, but evidence suggests that seb derm is an inflammatory condition where genetics, individual risk factors, and an overproduction of oil may contribute to the condition. Seb derm is the third most common skin condition for African Americans seen in the dermatology clinic.

Shrinking from the spotlight: How seb derm can impact your life

Seb derm is a common condition, but as far as Grace was concerned, that didn't matter. She only knew people could see her symptoms and she felt self-conscious about it.

"For years, I have been hyperconscious of my skin," Grace said. "I was frightened that someone would pick up on what was happening on my face or scalp."

The condition affected her day-to-day life in a variety of negative ways, including evolving to her feeling smaller, less seen, more isolated. Seb derm caused Grace to avoid drawing attention to herself, and even on days without flare-ups, she remained constantly aware that one could develop at any moment. This awareness influenced everything - from how close Grace allowed people to get to her, to her clothing choices, and even her willingness to be photographed.

"Seborrheic dermatitis made me shrink from the spotlight," she said.

One of the most problematic aspects of the condition for Grace was how it affected her hair and scalp.

"Like many Black women, my relationship with my hair defined much of my journey to adulthood. I played sports in my school years and as an adult I travel a lot. While many of my peers relied on braided styles to protect their hair from these stressors, I avoided them. Years of managing this condition shaped my daily routines. I developed daily habits from avoiding certain hairstyles that exposed my scalp, steering clear of black clothing, and never leaving the house without moisturizer."

Like the disease itself, the treatment landscape for seborrheic dermatitis was complicated. Dermatologists and other healthcare professionals often had to prescribe multiple products for use on different parts of their bodies, or for different lengths of time. Hair-bearing areas like the scalp made it difficult to apply topicals like creams, ointments, and gels.

Grace has been through all of that. She tried everything, but nothing worked for long. It was, frankly, exhausting. And then, her dermatology specialist decided it was time for something else.

Grace finally finds relief

Grace's specialist suggested she try ZORYVE (roflumilast) topical foam, 0.3%, a once-daily, steroid-free, leave-in topical foam that treats seborrheic dermatitis and symptoms like flaking, redness, and itching.

It's the first foam of its kind, and was studied in clinical trials of 683 people with seborrheic dermatitis, including 458 people who used ZORYVE foam and 225 people who used a vehicle (a foam without the active drug). Results were promising. With ZORYVE, 77% had Clear or Almost Clear skin at 8 weeks compared to 53% who used vehicle. In one of the trials, 63% of 206 people had significant itch relief with ZORYVE at Week 8 versus 41% of 98 people using vehicle.

The most common side effects of ZORYVE include common cold, nausea, and headache.

After speaking with her specialist, Grace decided to give ZORYVE a try. Applying it was easy, and the foam formulation allowed her to target specific spots on her scalp where she is prone to flare-ups.

"ZORYVE doesn't dampen my hair, which is great because dampness leads to frizz which disrupts my styling products," Grace said. "Having a product that does not interfere with my hair styling routine is a really big deal."

Overall, Grace reported her redness and flakiness have decreased. And that spotlight she has shrunk from since she was a child? It's shining more brightly on her now. And she's just fine with that.

"I now feel much more in control of my seb derm. Experiencing consistent relief frees up some head space from worrying about how I appear to focusing on how I want to show up in the world. I'm so grateful to finally have something that works for me."

For more information about seborrheic dermatitis and to find out if ZORYVE is right for you, talk to your doctor and visit https://www.zoryve.com/seb-derm.

Approved Use
ZORYVE foam is a prescription medicine used on the skin (topical) to treat seborrheic dermatitis in adults and children 9 years of age and older.

It is not known if ZORYVE foam is safe and effective in children under 9 years of age.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ZORYVE is for use on the skin (topical only). Do not use ZORYVE in or on your eyes, mouth, or vagina. Do not use ZORYVE if you have certain liver problems.

Before using ZORYVE, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have liver problems.
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ZORYVE will harm your unborn baby.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if ZORYVE passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment with ZORYVE. Breastfeeding women using ZORYVE should use it on the smallest area of the skin and for the shortest time needed. Do not apply it directly to the nipple or areola to avoid contact with your baby. Avoid direct skin contact of treated areas with your baby if ZORYVE is applied to your chest.

Tell your healthcare provider about the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What should I avoid while using ZORYVE?
ZORYVE is flammable. Avoid fire, flame, and smoking when applying and right after you apply it.

The most common side effects of ZORYVE include:

common cold
nausea
headache

These are not all of the possible side effects of ZORYVE. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Patient Information for ZORYVE.

US-CRP-154-00010 02/2025

Photo of Grace, an actual patient who has taken ZORYVE and is being compensated for her time contributing to this article, courtesy of Arcutis Biotherapeutics.

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Take back your spotlight: Don’t let seborrheic dermatitis keep you from shining

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