Can vitamin B be used to treat seborrheic dermatitis?

Not a routine treatment

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common chronic, inflammatory skin disease that occurs primarily in areas with a high number of sebaceous glands, such as the scalp, face, and chest. Its typical symptoms include skin erythema, scaling, and itching, and are usually associated with excessive sebum secretion and an imbalance of skin microbes, such as the proliferation of Malassezia.

The cause of seborrheic dermatitis is complex and may involve genetic factors, immune system abnormalities, and damage to the skin barrier function. Its conventional treatment is not oral vitamin B, but antifungal drugs, anti-inflammatory ointments, cleaning, etc.

However, studies have shown that vitamin B can promote skin health in some cases. For example, vitamin B plays a role in regulating skin metabolism, reducing inflammatory responses, and repairing the skin barrier.

However, the research on the use of vitamin B to treat seborrheic dermatitis is actually of low quality (studies have suggested that acupuncture injection of vitamin B6 combined with licorice zinc has a certain effect on seborrheic dermatitis) and has not been recognized by the mainstream academic community.

Therefore, in theory, vitamin B can at most be used as part of an auxiliary treatment to help regulate skin function and reduce inflammation, but it cannot be routinely used to treat seborrheic dermatitis unless there is more reliable clinical evidence to support it in the future.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital