Seborrheic dermatitis · daily care, the Korean medicine way

The constitutional reading

In Korean medicine, the oily-flake pattern of seborrheic dermatitis is read as a sign of internal heat-and-damp — a digestive-and-lung pattern that is throwing residue out through the skin.

The skin treatment, in this view, is downstream. The interesting work is on the inside.

Daily habits the clinic recommends

• Wash hair every 2–3 days, with cool-warm water; avoid hot showers.
• Switch to a fragrance-free, sulfate-free shampoo during the cycle.
• Avoid alcohol, sugar, and dairy during the clearing window.
• Sleep before midnight, in a humidified room.

Where the formula fits

Pyunkang-Hwan is taken alongside the dermatologist's prescribed care, never instead of it. Its job is the constitutional layer — the inner mucosa, the lung organ, the seasonal terrain.

Most people on the formula notice scalp baseline changes around month two, with the dermatologist's care still doing the visible work on the outside.

What re-fires the cycle — observing your triggers

Recurrence in seborrheic dermatitis tends to track with: stress and undersleep, seasonal transitions (spring and autumn), several consecutive days of high-sugar/high-oil eating, three or more days of consecutive alcohol, and gut dysbiosis after antibiotics.

Recommendation: keep these in your phone’s notes for 4 weeks straight. Patterns specific to you usually appear, and the corresponding adjustment is often more effective than a new cream.

Beyond the scalp — managing other body areas

Seborrheic dermatitis isn’t only on the scalp — between the brows, around the nose, behind the ears, and along the chest midline are also common sites. The basics are the same: warm-water cleansing, a thin layer of moisturiser, and avoiding heavy bases that lock sebum and flakes in.

For the brow area: a 1% ketoconazole wash for short-term wiping (consult your dermatologist). For the chest: moisturise immediately after showering and avoid polyester next to the skin. These are downstream of the formula’s work.

Demographics and epidemiology

Seborrhoeic dermatitis prevalence has two distinct age peaks:

**Infancy (0–3 months):** commonly called "cradle cap," related to transient maternal hormones stimulating the infant's sebaceous glands. Usually resolves spontaneously between 6–12 months and rarely needs specific treatment.

**Adulthood (ages 20–50, male-predominant):** related to sebaceous gland activity, Malassezia overgrowth, and autonomic / stress state. Oily skin type, high life stress, fluctuating immune state (sleep deprivation, overwork, post-cold) are common triggers.

**Common locations:** scalp (most common), eyebrows, sides of the nose, behind the ears, inside the ear canal, the front-chest midline, the navel, the genital area — namely the "sebaceous ring" where sebaceous glands cluster. Understanding this anatomical distribution helps with early recognition.

Classical basis: "the lung governs the skin"

While Western dermatology focuses on topical antifungals, long-term recurrent cases often coexist with broader systemic imbalance. The *Huangdi Neijing* states: "The lung pairs with the skin, its flowering is in the hair," and the *Donguibogam* states: "The skin belongs to the lung" — placing skin and lung as two aspects of one system.

Through this lens: seborrhoeic dermatitis recurring on the scalp, between the brows, and beside the nose — sites along the meridians of the lung — is not a coincidence in the Korean medicine framework, but an external manifestation of the lung's clarity state. Daily care, in addition to topical washes, returns to sleep, diet, and stress management — factors that influence lung qi.