You have oily skin, and yet you do not. It is the age old dilemma of what we have now labeled as combination skin. Your skin has become oily in certain areas, but other areas remain dry. You are now faced with not one, but two different skin types rolled up into one. What will work on dry skin will not necessarily be the best choice, and the same can be said for treatments for oily skin.
So with dry skin flaking and your oily skin causing sore blemishes, what do you do?
First of all, stop stressing. Stress will only aggravate any skin condition you have, so it is important for you to accept your skin type, take a deep breath, and learn the ways of taking care of your oily areas as well as your dry areas. Gauge your level of oiliness and dryness and decide how severe each one is.
If one is more severe than the other, for example, your T zone is extremely oily but your cheeks are not too dry at all, then you do not have as much to worry about concerning the dry skin and can put more of your focus on taking care of the oily areas.
Combination skin will give you both oily and dry skin, but in different areas of your face. The most common areas of oily skin will be in your T zone. This area refers to your forehead, nose, and chin, which leaves your cheeks as the bearers of dry skin.
However, as combination skin means you can have a combination of skin types, you may have oiliness and normal skin, which is skin that smooth and needs less attention. Just because oily skin and dry skin often come in the T zone format, this does not mean you will be experiencing the same thing.
Everyone has different skin needs, but when it comes to treating your skin, all you need to do is pay attention to the different types, how extreme the specific areas are in terms of oiliness and dryness, and look into what may be causing the excessive oiliness or dryness.With the right skin care products, taking care of your skin should not be much of a problem and you may soon find a balance between your oily areas and dry areas.
Always cleanse first. Your entire face will need a good wash before you put any other products on it. Be sure to choose a cleanser that will be a good balance for your skin. You do not want all the oils to be completely stripped from your face, as your skin will only make more, and your dry skin most certainly does not need any more moisture taken from it. Always pat your skin dry to keep at least some of your natural oils on your face.
Moisturize the dry areas of your face, but do not buy anything too oily and do not use too much. Excess oils and moisture on your face will tend to migrate to other areas, so keep it light and away from your oily areas.
You can opt to use a mask treatment for your oily areas a few times a month, or however often you find is necessary to help ease the amount of oil your skin is producing. There are different types of masks, so if you have blemish prone oily skin areas, you may want to try a medicated mask. If not, you can use a basic mask to help soak up excess oil.
Avoid using astringents on your face, but you can use a lesser form of toner, such as skin fresheners or tonics. This way even if the liquid gets onto dry areas of your face, the results will not be very dramatic in terms of more dryness.
Also, do not forget the importance of eating right, exercising, and staying hydrated. These three things will improve your skin as a whole and can help balance out some of the problems your body may be experiencing, which may be leading to excess oil or dryness.
Give your skin the right love and it will eventually come to love you back.
Seborrheic Dermatitis is also referred to as Dandruff, Seborrheic Eczema and Cradle Cap used in conjunction with infants who have seborrheic dermatitis). It is a condition which is characterized by inflammation, itching, and scales which form on oily or greasy areas of the skin (for instance, the scalp, eyebrows, eyelids, sides of nose, behind ears, in middle body skin folds, and inside the ear). It sometimes has a red or pinkish tint to affected skin. Skin affected by this condition often looks oily and scaly.
The actual cause of seborrheic dermatitis is not known but it seems to be genetic as patients who have it usually have family members who also have or have had it. The condition may be worsened by stress, fatigue, extreme temperatures, infrequent cleansing of affected areas, using personal hygiene products which contain alcohol on affected areas, oily skin, and obesity.
Hormones may be a factor in seborrheic dermatitis as can a fungus called malassezia. This fungus, normal to the skin, can increase during illness, high stress, and other triggers. With such increases, skin problems result, including seborrheic dermatitis.
Head Injuries, Parkinsons disease, stroke, and HIV have also been linked to this skin condition. However, seborrheic dermatitis does not mean that you have one of these linked conditions. This oily skin condition occurs most as cradle cap in infants less than three months old and in adults between 30 and 60 years of age as dandruff. It appears more in men than in women.
Seborrheic dermatitis is not contagious, caused by poor hygiene, an allergic reaction, or dangerous to the patient. The biggest health issue associated with this oily skin condition is skin damage and/or open wounds caused by scratching. Broken skin from scratching can develop infections (bacterial, viral, or fungal); these infections are usually mild and easily treated but can be more insidious (such as staph infections).
Treatment of the condition depends on the body part affected and the patients age:
Dandruff generally has good results when treated with prescribed shampoos which may contain one of the following medications: salicylic acid, selenium sulfide, or pyrithione zinc. Usage is usually twice per week for the above prescribed shampoos, but may be three times a week if you are using an over the counter tar based shampoo. The tar based shampoos may be used daily when treatment is first begun; usage is reduced after the dandruff is better controlled. In addition to usage requirements, how you use the shampoos is also important. Massage the shampoo through very wet hair making sure it covers the scalp well, let sit for about 10 minutes, and rinse well with warm water. Topical corticosteroids in a cream or lotion form may be prescribed if the traditional shampoos do not control the scaly, oily condition. These are usually applied one to two times a day.
In cases of seborrheic dermatitis appearing in adults skin folds, corticosteroids are usually prescribed in a cream or lotion form. Dosage is usually one to two times per day.
Cradle Cap is usually relieved by careful cleaning, moisturizing, and massage (using a baby brush). Do not pick at the oily scales, let them loosen through cleansing and moisturizing then they usually come off when brushed softly with a baby brush. Picking at them or brushing too roughly can result in broken skin and the risk of infection. If you have tried this for several days and do not see significant improvement, you may want to talk to your babys pediatrician about the condition. Do not attempt to use over the counter shampoos (like the above mentioned shampoos) without consulting the doctor. Babies skin is extremely delicate and needs special treatment.
When the oily scales of seborrheic dermatitis appear in skin folds on babies, very mild topical corticosteroids in lotion or cream form are usually prescribed. Normal dosage is once daily.
While seborrheic dermatitis is greatly affected by oil gland production, it is not necessarily going to occur on everyone who has oily skin. Care for it is a combination of the care for other forms of eczema and the care regimen for oily skin. It is important to keep the area cleansed but not over cleansed and moisturizing is helpful in controlling this condition. Moisturizing the scalp is usually best done through good, moisturizing conditioners.
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