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Six-time PGA Tour winner Max Homa has outlasted tough competition throughout his career. He has also battled seborrheic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition.
Seborrheic dermatitis, more commonly known as seb derm, is something the 35-year-old golfer said he has suffered from since high school.
“I think (in high school) I noticed I had dandruff or what I thought was dandruff. And you know, you see it in commercials, everyone has that, so it’s no big deal,” Homa told Pak Gazette Digital as part of Arcutis’ Free to Be Me campaign.
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Max Homa plays his tee shot on the third hole during the first round of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, on February 5, 2026. (Rob Schumacher/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“As I got older, I started getting a lot of redness in my face and I tried everything over the counter, creams or any lotions and I was able to get things that helped a little bit, but never sustainably.”
Homa said that being in public a lot, it is not ideal to use a spot on your face to counteract what seb derm, and said that on his beard it became painful. Homa credited his wife for taking him to see a dermatologist about it.
The Burbank, California, native said having seb derm is very humbling and he didn’t plan to talk about it until Arcutis approached him about being a partner. He hoped that being open and vulnerable would encourage others to get tested.
“It’s not something I was ever looking to do. But after thinking about it a little bit, when Arcutis wanted to partner, I thought, man, if I could help someone else who’s pushed to figure out what’s going on with their skin,” Homa said.
“Even though it’s not the easiest thing to do, I think especially for men, for some reason, I don’t know, very men. For us, we don’t seem to like the dentist. We don’t seem to like the dermatologist. We don’t seem to like the doctor. All of these things are, fortunately my wife makes me go to all of these things now.”
Jordan Spieth talks with Max Homa on the fourth tee during the third round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, California, on February 21, 2026. (Caroline Brehman/AP Photo)
Dr. Tina Bhutani, board-certified dermatologist, clinical researcher and CEO of Synergy Dermatology, told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview that 10 million Americans suffer from seb derm.
“The most common areas are the scalp. That’s what we call, in quotes, dandruff.
But it can actually manifest in other areas like the face, ears, upper chest and upper back,” Bhutani told Pak Gazette Digital.
“Therefore, it can occur in multiple areas at once, making coexistence difficult. It is very visible and has an impact on patients’ quality of life.”
Bhutani said if left untreated, the disease may not only worsen but will continue to spread. She recommended that the first step to receiving treatment is to talk to your primary care doctor and dermatologist to find out next steps.
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Max Homa hits from the third fairway during the third round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, California, on February 21, 2026. (Caroline Brehman/AP Photo)
Homa said she was prescribed Zoryve foam (reflumilast), which is a 0.3% non-steroidal foam once a day to treat itching, redness, and any places where seb derm appears.
“It’s like once a day for me in the morning and I feel calmer about it. I never really think about my skin, which is great,” Homa said. “If it can be that easy for me, I hope other people can find it.”
Homa said it’s not greasy, it’s not overwhelming, and it only takes a minute and a half to apply in the morning. She said the hardest part of getting treatment was going to the dermatologist.
“Easily the hardest part was going to the dermatologist, which wasn’t difficult,” Homa said with a laugh. “As if that’s the hardest part.”
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Max Homa waits to make a putt on the eighth green during the first round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, California, on February 19, 2026. (Caroline Brehman/AP Photo)
“So for men, I think we see our wives or significant others or women in general as having skin care routines. That’s why they’re pretty and we’re not.”
Homa wants people to know how easy it is to receive treatment. “I just want people to know that once you find a solution or something that works for you, it becomes part of your daily life and it’s not overwhelming.”
Homa won the Wells Fargo Championship in 2019; the Genesis Invitational and Fortinet Championship in 2021; won the Wells Fargo Championship and Fortinet Championship again in 2022; and the Farmers Insurance Open in 2023.
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