Hydradermabrasion Treatment Outcomes in a Pediatric and Adult Patient with Seborrheic Dermatitis

Background: Hydradermabrasion is a novel non-invasive technology that is being used to treat scalp disease with increasing frequency. This technique uses water or other diluted solutions with additives along with suction to cleanse the scalp. Using hydradermabrasion, we treated two Latinx patients with seborrheic dermatitis, an 11-year-old male and a 37-year-old female. Both were Fitzpatrick skin type IV. Distilled water was used to gently remove scale over the course of two and four treatments, respectively. Scalp treatments were administered one week apart. The hair was parted into 1-2 cm sections. Each hair part was suctioned in both horizontal and vertical directions for a total of two passes. The hydradermabrasion device settings were spin=1, injection=1, and suction=3. At the physician’s discretion, for the female patient, injection was raised to a maximum power of 2 at treatment 3. Standardized global and digital artificial intelligence trichoscopy photographs and surveys were collected at each treatment visit. From baseline to the fourth treatment, a moderate decrease in scale was seen and the female patient self-reported a decrease in pruritus. In the male patient, a decrease in scalp erythema and scale was seen from baseline to the final second treatment. This patient also reported a decrease in scalp pruritus. Artificial intelligence photography showed a moderate reduction in scale in both patients. While initial results appear promising, additional randomized, controlled trials with hydradermabrasion are needed.