Skip the steroids and still get skin relief Q: The skin on my chest has been itchy for a few weeks and when I went to see a dermatologist he diagnosed it as seborrheic dermatitis. He said the best solution is a corticosteriod cream, but I am wondering if there are any natural alternatives? Dr. Wright: Seborrheic dermatitis is one of those "collective diagnoses" that is actually used to label several closely related conditions. Since I don't know your personal medical history, I can only answer your question in general terms. But usually even general advice proves to be helpful. Your first step should be to eliminate all refined sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet. Easier said than done, I know. But the difference it will make is truly worth the effort -- I promise! Sometimes, this is all it takes to clear up the problem entirely. The next thing to focus on is supplements. I usually recommend taking one tablespoon of flax seed oil twice a day. (Remember to take 400 IU of vitamin E along with the flax oil to keep it from oxidizing in your system too quickly.) B-vitamins are also very helpful. Twice a day, take a combination B-complex formula that includes 50 milligrams of each of the main vitamins. Combined with a healthy sugar- and refined carb-free diet, just these two supplements are usually enough. But some people get even more benefit when they add para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) to their program. If you need the extra help, take 1 gram of PABA three times a day. Of course, sometimes there are particularly stubborn cases that just don't respond well -- even to diet changes and supplements. If this happens to you, you might want to try using a topical cream containing vitamin B6 and lithium. It sounds a bit odd, but I've seen dramatic improvements and even complete skin clearing in most people who use this cream. One important thing to note, though – some cases actually get a bit worse the first few days of using the cream, but after that initial hurdle, there's usually a "turning point" and patients start to see improvement. You'll need a prescription and a compounding pharmacy to get the vitamin B6/lithium cream. For a list of alternative physicians in your area who can help, contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine (800-532-3688, 949-583-7666, www.acam.org). For a list of compounding pharmacies near you, contact the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (800-927-4227, www.iacprx.org). | 
