According to this short article in The AARP Magazine, seborrheic dermatitis, a form of eczema, is more common in “patients with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.”
My dad had this on his scalp. We did use Selsun Blue shampoo, prescription Elidel cream (which worked well), and a prescription foam called Luxiq (which, as a foam, was easier to apply to the scalp and eliminated the problem entirely in just a few months and we were able to stop using it).
The online version of this article has a picture of seborrheic dermatitis as well as info (and pictures) on eczema, psoriasis, nail fungus, etc.
Robin
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/
Excerpt from article “Skin So Sad”
By Karen Cheney
The AARP Magazine
Sept/Oct ’07
Seborrheic dermatitis
This chronic, inflammatory disorder is actually a form of eczema, but it occurs most typically on the face and scalp and in the ears—and causes a red rash with yellowish and somewhat greasy scales. The disorder is more common in older people and in patients with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, says Arthur Balin, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist in Media, Pennsylvania.
Fight back: For outbreaks on the scalp, dermatologists recommend using over-the-counter dandruff shampoos that contain salicylic acid, pyrithione zinc, or selenium sulfide. Brand names include Scalpicin, Head & Shoulders, Selsun, and Exsel. “I tell people to start with a nontar dandruff shampoo, because tar—a common ingredient in dandruff shampoos—can turn white hair yellow,” says Reed. She likes Nizoral, which contains the antifungal ingredient ketoconazole.
Joseph Fowler, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Louisville, recommends loosening dry scales by applying nonprescription P&S Liquid, which contains salicylic acid, to the scalp and wearing a shower cap overnight, then using a dandruff shampoo in the morning. Another new product that reduces inflammation and itching is Olux, which is a prescription corticosteroid delivered in a foam form. “This foam rubs in and evaporates in three or four minutes, so it doesn’t get your hair greasy and messy,” says Fowler. For the face and chest, dermatologists recommend hydrocortisone, Elidel, and Protopic. Fowler’s patients also like the nongreasy Xolegel, a nonsteroid, antifungal gel approved by the FDA last year.