Israel is a very hot country, spring is already here and the hot summer days are just around the corner. The heat brings quite a few damages to our skin and scalp. The most common symptoms is seborrhea. This is a situation in which there is an excess secretion of milk on the skin. The milk is produced in the sebaceous glands located in the dermis, from the sebaceous gland comes a thin tube that connects to the hair sheath.
The milk is secreted through the same tube and glides over the hair coat and from there it is secreted on the surface of the skin and gives it its oily appearance - the scalp and face area is particularly rich in these glands and the drying of the milk with the outermost layer of skin that falls off regularly, creates the scales that are visible mainly on the face and head.
A combination of sebum secretion with an inflammatory process in the skin is called seborrheic dermatitis, with 15 percent of the entire population, men and women suffering from this phenomenon. Those who suffer from seborrhea, suffer throughout the seasons, but in the summer due to the heat will show more severe manifestations, because our body sweats more, which can also cause fungi under the scales. In addition, this is a very visual phenomenon.
In order to treat seborrhea in terms of natural medicine, first of all the source of the problem must be found and there are two main sources that we know about today:
Nutrition: According to Chinese medicine, seborrhoea is created from accumulations of heat and moisture in the digestive system, so the context for the food we eat is also clear, such as greasy, hot and spicy food, etc.The heat will usually rise from the stomach to the lungs and from there to the skin and create heat and toxicity that will manifest in an inflammatory process. The heat accumulated in the lungs and stomach penetrates the blood level and causes the spread of the rash and the symptoms of dryness and scaly skin.
Stress: Today it is known that stressful situations encourage inflammatory processes and this can happen from a young age. There is stress that is inherited and then we will see fetal distress, the more common ages are around the age of eighteen plus, usually we will realize that there was some kind of trigger, some kind of event that caused stress and tension. When our body is in a state of stress there is an incorrect flow in the body, which leads to heat.
There are several natural solutions to deal with the seborrhea phenomenon, with most of them talking about cooling our body, with the most important tip being to combine them in order to achieve the desired result:
1. Adhering to a proper diet will help to improve faster: Avoid greasy and hot foods, avoid spicy, fried foods and, of course, also alcohol and caffeine, which may worsen the situation. Spices are also considered "hot" and should be avoided, such as black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. On the other hand, you should increase your intake of dietary fiber, whole grains such as whole rice and whole wheat, and green vegetables, leaves, sprouts, etc., which are considered refrigerants.
2. Reducing stress: In regards to reducing mental stress, moderate physical activity is recommended, not gyms or intense activity, but activity that will also cause relaxation and this is of course individual to each and every one.
3. Combining herbal treatment that will contribute to relaxation: Cooling and calming infusions such as peppermint, on which the refreshing greens open and refresh the breath, calm and release anger and stimulate the mind. The lemon balm plant is known as a tonic for the nervous system, as a sedative in situations of restlessness, sleep difficulties and as a pain reliever. Chinese scutella is also known as the Chinese scutella plant, used for thousands of years to this day in traditional Chinese medicine for relaxation and release in situations of anxiety, restlessness, blood pressure, sleep difficulties, etc.
In addition, it is also an anti-inflammatory plant that helps in conditions of heat and humidity and inflammations and infections. Omega 3 which is a dietary supplement considered the best for skin problems and helps to balance cell turnover. It is a fatty acid that belongs to the group of polyunsaturated fatty acids and is necessary for the optimal functioning of every cell in our body. The main function of omega 3 is anti-inflammatory, reducing inflammatory processes in the body.
4. Use of external products. It is true that this is not a treatment, but since seborrhea is a very external and visual phenomenon, a benefit in appearance breaks the cycle of stress and brings a certain relaxation that will help in the healing process. You should look for products that will ease the itching and the fungus and will add to the lubrication of the skin and lead to softening and improvement of the condition of the skin and its visibility. It is very important to understand that this is not a preparation that will cure, but will definitely help for a certain benefit, especially mentally. To them should be added any shampoo or preparation that treats dandruff, but it is very important not to fixate on one preparation because the body gets used to it and then the preparation has no effect.
If you see a benefit after using any preparation, there should be a gap between the days you use it and even try to change preparations from time to time so that the body continues to react and does not get used to it.
The writer is a clinical herbalist.