Before he tees it up in front of thousands, six-time PGA Tour winner Max Homa faces a daily battle most fans never see, one that starts in the mirror, not on the course.

Speaking to the Golf Channel on March 2, the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open winner explained how unpredictable the condition felt:

“You’d wake up and just be really scaley and itchy and uncomfortable, but I wouldn’t say that there was like a period of time or an age where it was the worst.” 

For Homa, the problem surfaced decades ago, often waking up with a dry, flaky scalp. From creams to shampoos, he tried everything. And about a year ago, his wife, Lacey Croom, encouraged him to see a specialist, which finally brought clarity.

Doctors diagnosed him with seborrheic dermatitis, commonly known as seb derm. The condition is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder linked to an overactive immune response in the skin. It disrupts the skin barrier, affecting how skin cells function and leading to recurring flaking and scaling on areas such as the scalp, face, chest, and upper back.

With a diagnosis in place, he shifted toward a treatment plan that fit into his routine.

Homa now applies a once-daily, non-steroidal foam called Zoryve to manage the condition. And while he believes it's not affected his performance, he's using his platform to help others.

After starting treatment, he chose to speak publicly about his experience.

Max Homa Backs ‘Free to Be Me’ Campaign With Arcutis

During the interview, the 35-year-old discussed why he decided to attach his name to the initiative.

“I partnered with Arcutis in this. The campaign is called Free to Be Me, and I wanted to urge people to just go, if you have an issue, go get it checked out, you know, like it’s not that crazy, even though I had done the exact same thing. Once I finally took that step, I realized I wish I’d done it so much sooner.”

That realization, he explained, came from years of dealing with the condition in cycles rather than a single low point.

He would wake up dealing with flare-ups that left him uncomfortable and aware of how visible it might be. Looking in the mirror before heading out, he sometimes worried that others would notice.

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar