[Seborrhea and its complications].

Seborrhoea is an excessive secretion by the sebaceous glands of sebum on the surface of the epidermis. It is strongly androgen-dependent and reaches its peak between the ages of 12 to 25 years, but it may also be encountered in infants in the first week of life. It is also influenced by other hormones, environmental factors and neurological diseases. In many cases seborrhoea is physiological and moderate, needing only an appropriate cosmetological advice, but it has a wide range of severity, including more pronounced and unsightly forms complicated with acne or seborrhoeic dermatitis which require a dermatological treatment, an appropriate contraception in women, or even antiandrogens, such as cyproterone acetate. Isotretinoin is exceptionally prescribed for isolated seborrhoea and must be reserved for severe acne.