Understanding Vulvar Seborrheic Dermatitis

Vulvar seborrheic dermatitis is uncommon, since the area does not have many sebaceous glands. Vulvar seborrheic dermatitis is a condition that usually occurs in infants or after puberty, and occurs appears on the face, scalp, in folds of skin, and sometimes the genitals.¹

Vulvar seborrheic dermatitis has been linked with certain yeasts (Pityrosporum or Malassezia species), but triggers can be emotional stress and anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, injury to a nerve, and wasting muscle disease syringomyelia. These conditions may coincide with or cause worsening of vulvar seborrheic dermatitis.^2,3

Other factors related to vulvar seborrheic dermatitis are changing seasons, zinc deficiencies, and HIV. If you are suffering from some form of dermatitis on or around your vagina, it’s more likely to be one of the other dermatoses such as a lichenoid condition, allergic contact dermatitis, or another immune condition.⁴

References

1.
Raef HS, Elmariah SB. Vulvar Pruritus: A Review of Clinical Associations, Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Management. Front Med. Published online April 7, 2021. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.649402
2.
Vorapreechapanich A, Thammahong A, Chatsuwan T, et al. Perturbations in the skin microbiome of infantile and adult seborrheic dermatitis and new treatment options based on restoring a healthy skin microbiome. Int J Dermatology. Published online November 11, 2024:809-818. doi:10.1111/ijd.17568
3.
Chang CH, Chovatiya R. More yeast, more problems?: reevaluating the role of Malassezia in seborrheic dermatitis. Arch Dermatol Res. Published online March 12, 2024. doi:10.1007/s00403-024-02830-7
4.
Chan MP, Zimarowski MJ. Vulvar dermatoses: a histopathologic review and classification of 183 cases. J Cutan Pathol. Published online June 25, 2015:510-518. doi:10.1111/cup.12541