Seborrhoeic dermatitis, sometimes inaccurately referred to as seborrhoea, is a long-term skin disorder. Symptoms include red, scaly, greasy, itchy, and inflamed skin. Areas of the skin rich in oil-producing glands are often affected including the scalp, face, and chest. It can result in social or self-esteem problems. In babies, when the scalp is primarily involved, it is called cradle cap. Dandruff is a milder form of the condition without inflammation.The cause is unclear but believed to involve a number of genetic and environmental factors. Risk factors include poor immune function, Parkinsons disease, and alcoholic pancreatitis. The condition may worsen with stress or during the winter. The Malassezia yeast is believed to play a role. It is not a result of poor hygiene. Diagnosis is typically based on the symptoms. The condition is not contagious.The typical treatment is antifungal cream and anti-inflammatory agents. Specifically, ketoconazole or ciclopirox are effective. It is unclear if other antifungals, such as miconazole, are equally effective as they have been poorly studied. Other options may include salicylic acid, coal tar, benzoyl peroxide, and phototherapy.The condition is most common in infants within the first 3 months or in adults aged 30 to 70 years. In adults between 1% and 10% of people are affected. Males are more often affected than females. Up to 70% of babies may be affected at some point in time. Signs and symptoms
Seborrhoeic dermatitis symptoms appear gradually, and usually the first signs are flaky skin and scalp.
In severe cases, motor neuropathy may occur with "slowing of motor conduction velocities, prolonged F wave latencies, and prolonged sensory latencies in both lower extremities", causing difficulty in walking. Sensory neuropathy typically develops at doses of pyridoxine in excess of 1,000 mg per day, but adverse effects can occur with much less, so intakes over 200 mg/day are not considered safe. Trials with amounts equal to or less than 200 mg/day established that as a "No-observed-adverse-effect level", meaning the highest amount at which no adverse effects were observed. This was divided by two to allow for people who might be extra sensitive to the vitamin, referred to as an "uncertainty factor", resulting in the aforementioned adult UL of 100 mg/day. Labeling
For US food and dietary supplement labeling purposes the amount in a serving is expressed as a percent of Daily Value. For vitamin B6 labeling purposes 100% of the Daily Value was 2.0 mg, but as of May 27, 2016 it was revised to 1.7 mg to bring it into agreement with the adult RDA. A table of the old and new adult daily values is provided at Reference Daily Intake. Sources
Bacteria residing in the large intestine are known to synthesize B-vitamins, including B6, but the amounts are not sufficient to meet host requirements, in part because the vitamins are competitively taken up by non-synthesizing bacteria.Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods. In general, meat, fish and fowl are good sources, but dairy foods and eggs are not (table).