Your scalp and flakes: What you need to know

(BPT) - While "seborrheic dermatitis" (seb derm) may not be a household name, one of its most common visible symptoms-flakes that may be mistaken as dandruff-is very familiar. What you may not know is that seb derm is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting more than 10 million Americans.

Seb derm occurs most often on areas of the body with oil-producing (sebaceous) glands, including the scalp, face (especially on and around the nose, eyebrows and eyelids), in and around the ears, upper chest and back. The symptoms of seb derm often include persistent itch and patches of large, greasy, flaking, yellow-gray scales that may look red or, in patients with darker skin tones, may appear pink, slightly purple or lighter in color than the surrounding skin.

These symptoms can interfere with your daily life, like appearance, the choice of clothing you wear or activities you participate in-which is why a steroid-free topical foam for seb derm, ZORYVE^® (roflumilast), recently won an Allure Best of Beauty Breakthrough Award, making it the first FDA-approved medication for seb derm to win the prominent award.

ZORYVE topical foam, 0.3%, is indicated for the treatment of seb derm in adults and children 9 years of age and older. Clinical trials of 683 individuals with seb derm demonstrated that ZORYVE was well tolerated and provided rapid and reliable relief of symptoms, including flaking, redness and itching. The most common side effects of ZORYVE included the common cold, nausea and headache.

What causes seb derm?

New research is showing that seb derm is mainly caused by inflammation, which is your immune system getting over-active in the skin, and disruption of the skin barrier. Because of the inflammation and disruption of the skin barrier, two other things often happen that make the condition worse. First, your oil glands start making too much oil (sebum). Second, a yeast that normally lives harmlessly on everyone's skin, called Malassezia, grows more than usual. The extra oil and yeast then can worsen the inflammation, creating a cycle that keeps the redness, flakes and itching going. So, it's not just "oily skin" or "yeast"-it all starts with inflammation and a weakened skin barrier, and the oil and yeast pile on afterward.

The everyday impact of seb derm

Beyond the appearance and irritation it causes, seb derm is associated with a negative impact on quality of life, affecting day-to-day decisions on activities or what to wear.

Content creator Megan Srisutham (@milktea.meg), known for unfiltered makeup and skincare tips, was diagnosed with seb derm in her early 20s. She is now an advocate for reducing the stigma around this skin condition.

"I initially thought it was really bad dandruff. I vividly remember the first time I got flakes: I was in middle school, and it was so mortifying when other kids would point out there was something in my hair. I experienced flaking, redness and itching for years and the whole cycle of flares was so frustrating," Megan recalled. "Being a content creator requires me to be on camera a lot. The worst thing is recording a video, watching it back, and realizing I had a flake in my hair the entire time."

Treatment for seb derm

For those diagnosed with seb derm, using ZORYVE foam can help improve symptoms such as redness, flaking and itching.

Megan first heard about ZORYVE on social media. "After trying so many other treatment options with little results, I was hopeful that finally something would work for me," Megan said. "I talked to my dermatologist to see if it was right for me, and I wish I'd found ZORYVE sooner. Getting a proper diagnosis can help save you time and help you find the right treatment for controlling your seb derm."

"ZORYVE can be used once a day, anywhere on the body, including hair-bearing areas and on the face and scalp, even on diverse skin and hair types," explained double board-certified dermatologist Dr. Karan Lal, DO, MS FAAD. "It's steroid-free, with no limitation on duration of use. My patients like that ZORYVE foam is water-based and uniquely formulated as both a skin-barrier-friendly and hair-friendly leave-in treatment that's lightweight, non-greasy and absorbs quickly. It's also easy to use and is safe to use for as long as they need it, which is important for the treatment of a chronic inflammatory disease like seb derm."

ZORYVE provides effective relief in a steroid-free formulation. In clinical trials for seb derm, ZORYVE foam once-daily application provided rapid disease clearance-at Week 8, 77% of over 450 individuals using ZORYVE achieved clear or almost clear skin compared to about half (53%) of the ~230 who used a foam without the active ingredient. 63% of individuals improved their itch at least 4 points on a scale of 0 to 10 at Week 8 as measured by the Worst Itch Numerical Rating Scale compared to 41% who used a foam without the active ingredient.

The ZORYVE foam clinical trial patients completed a short questionnaire that helped healthcare providers understand how seb derm affected their daily life. Questions on symptoms, emotions, activities, work or school, and relationships were asked. Although this was not a main goal of the study, it may provide additional information of how seb derm impacted their overall physical and mental health. Treatment with ZORYVE foam demonstrated improvement in quality of life as early as Week 2, with improvements maintained through Week 8.

"I know that everyone is different, but for me, using ZORYVE once daily at night worked quickly to reduce my flakes and itching. As someone who travels a lot, I find it convenient to use. It's also so fast to apply, and I love that it is a once-daily, leave-in treatment that isn't greasy or sticky. With a clearer scalp, I'm definitely feeling more confident," said Megan.

Photo courtesy of Megan Srisutham (@milktea.meg), a content creator and actual patient who has taken ZORYVE and is being compensated for her time contributing to this article.

Talk to your dermatologist and learn more at ZORYVE.com.

Approved Use

ZORYVE foam is a prescription medicine used on the skin (topical) to treat seborrheic dermatitis in adults and children 9 years of age and older.

It is not known if ZORYVE foam is safe and effective in children with seborrheic dermatitis under 9 years of age.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ZORYVE is for use on the skin (topical use) only. Do not use ZORYVE in or on your eyes, mouth, or vagina. Do not use ZORYVE if you have certain liver problems.

Before using ZORYVE, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• have liver problems.
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ZORYVE will harm your unborn baby.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if ZORYVE passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment with ZORYVE. Breastfeeding women using ZORYVE should use it on the smallest area of the skin and for the shortest time needed. Do not apply ZORYVE directly to the nipple or areola to avoid contact with your baby. Avoid direct skin contact of treated areas with your baby if ZORYVE is applied to your chest.

Tell your healthcare provider about the medicines you take,including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What should I avoid while using ZORYVE?
ZORYVE foam is flammable. Avoid fire, flame, and smoking during and right after you apply ZORYVE.

The most common side effects of ZORYVE include:

• common cold
• nausea
• headache

These are not all of the possible side effects of ZORYVE. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Patient Information for ZORYVE.

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