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View Full Version : Shaved head due to newly discovered psoriasis, need some counseling



TheWebsIWeave
April 17th, 2013, 07:19 AM
Hello everyone,

As a freshman in college i am going through a time of change and stress. Sailing through the storm of the administration, classes, family, i kind of adopted a "long hair, don't care" approach to growing hair. But as it was slowly and smoothly transitioning from shoulder length to armpit length, my scalp's health started deteriorating. Itch! Dandruff! Blood! I was at my wits' end. Not taking it anymore, i shaved my head. Once i did, i discovered that my whole scalp was covered in white, looking like a spider's web. Turns out, it was psoriasis all along, probably triggered by the stress. Both me and my father who i got this from didn't even know it existed before i shaved my head. So my whole scalp and face's sides are affected by this. I was at the dermatologist, but she hasn't really helped me much : she gave me some cream that burned me and left me red like a lobster, and once i told her i stopped this treatment she told me she can't advice me with anything else.
So, i am searching of a way to tame this thing, and get my hair back. What kind of hair routine and tricks do you use for your psoriasis? Also, i noticed that now that i can measure my hair with a ruler it has been growing slower than the average. Is it due to the condition?

TL;DR I discovered psoriasis. How do you manage this?

Soltimus
April 17th, 2013, 07:45 AM
I have scalp psoriasis on and off and I think your dermatologist sounds incredibly unprofessional. Are you able to switch? First treatment I got as a teenager was this coal tar shampoo. It worked ok, but I didn't like the smell much. I then got a cream made by the pharmacy. Just their own brand mixed with sulphur and salicylid acid to use in the evening and wash off in the morning. This would remove the scales and then after I used a hydrocortisone liquid ointment. This worked sooo well. I was also at the same time given Nizoral tablets because in psoriasis a lot of times you'll find some fungal infection as well. The latest horrible outbreak I also treated with a hydrocortisone ointment and it's been really good. I don't understand why your dermatologist hasn't given you anything like this at all.

A lot of people wit psoriasis also see good result when they stop using SLS- products as it can really irritate the skin especially if there's already a problem. The reason your hair has been growing slower is because the psoriasis isn't good to your scalp. A lot of people also experience hair loss because of it. When your psoriasis gets better so will your hair growth :)

Edit: I've also used vitamin D creams/gels. They work so and so for me, but what they do sometime is give you that and a hydrocortisone cream. You use one in the morning, the other in the evening. It's also a possibility to get a kind of light therapy where you stand in the strong-fake-sunlight machine because it helps heal psoriasis. Mind you, if you're head is shaved now just getting out in the sun might do the trick, and what you get with that light treatment is harsh stuff. You start off with three seconds and then add more seconds as you go. I remember it really burnt my face so I wore a visor when I had the treatment.

PetuniaBlossom
April 17th, 2013, 08:10 AM
I'm sorry you're going through all this, with everything else that makes freshman year so difficult.
I think the above advice by Soltimus sounds good. I second the use of salicylic acid, it helped me when I had psoriasis years ago. I was also told to reduce consumption of coffee and chocolate, they're high in Caffeine, which was irritating the sebaceous glands of the scalp. Ditto with spicy foods.
Best of luck o you.

torrilin
April 17th, 2013, 08:14 AM
Find a better dermatologist.

My partner's psoriasis is way more severe than yours it sounds like. Without regular treatment, we're talking 30-50% of his body is covered in psoriasis scales. With treatment, the scales recede to give him only slightly weird looking skin. There's a fairly wide range of treatment options, but for my partner most of them do not work terribly well. He uses coal tar hair and skin products, because for him it's beneficial and helpful. Most of the prescription skin cream options cause skin irritation or skin thinning for him, but a couple work. And the majority of his treatment is UV light therapy. A good dermatologist will work with you to work out a livable system.

We focus a lot on what a doctor would call "palliative care". It's stuff that has no medical benefit in a measurable way, but does help him feel better. Most scented products (even things like laundry detergent) irritate his skin. So basically everything possible is fragrance free. I keep psoriasis and guy friendly lotions, bath salts, bath oils, massage stuff etc around. A lot of lotions that are supposed to be hypoallergenic or soothing will itch or burn on a psoriasis patch. Stuff that doesn't can be a bit tricky to find, so I make a point of just having stuff around that is actually nice to use. While he doesn't use conditioner much, there's always conditioner that's nice to use too.

The other factor is we do a *lot* of stuff to actively manage and minimize my partner's stress levels. For my partner, exercise is a big stress relief. So we've set things up so he bikes to work, because biking is fun and makes him happy. If it's not a good idea to bike, he takes public transit. Driving a car makes him really unhappy, and it doesn't take much planning to eliminate it for commuting. Deadline pressure also makes him crazy, so his job is one where he can largely avoid deadlines or work in a way where his work is done in plenty of time. Stress is a pretty individual thing. While your stress may not show instantly on your skin the way my partner's does, it's probably still worth managing.

Chances are you can work out something liveable with a lot less effort. My partner's case is quite severe, and a lot of the stuff that helps his psoriasis helps other things too, like my depression or asthma.

TheWebsIWeave
April 17th, 2013, 08:48 AM
I see...So basically :
- More sunlight and vitamin D
- Lots of moisture and gentleness (SLS free, oils, salts, etc)
- A better dermatologist and pharmacy shopping
- NO STRESS

That should do the trick then, for my mild case. Torilin, i see that i am kind of lucky...I hope your partner is fine, seeing how the psoriasis is invading his life.
I still got a few questions left though! How often should i wash my hair? Also, i live in kind of a dark place, would UV cabins help me as much as sunlight could?

Soltimus
April 17th, 2013, 09:24 AM
I see...So basically :
- More sunlight and vitamin D
- Lots of moisture and gentleness (SLS free, oils, salts, etc)
- A better dermatologist and pharmacy shopping
- NO STRESS

That should do the trick then, for my mild case. Torilin, i see that i am kind of lucky...I hope your partner is fine, seeing how the psoriasis is invading his life.
I still got a few questions left though! How often should i wash my hair? Also, i live in kind of a dark place, would UV cabins help me as much as sunlight could?

Do you mean those normal sunbeds? I think the light they use with the UV treatment is slightly different so I don't think you'll get any effect from using them. I hope you find out what works for you :) It can be a longer process experimenting with different products and lifestyle changes, but it's worth it.

torrilin
April 17th, 2013, 09:37 AM
The light treatment a dermatologist does is fairly carefully measured. Tanning beds usually aren't. And while malignant melanoma is really rare if you have psoriasis, it could still happen. Skin cancer == not cool. So you really want to work with a doctor for anything where you're adding UV, whether by the sun or artificially. (this is one of the many reasons why your dermatologist sucks - they should actually care about your health)

The vitamin D thing is something my partner has run into, and it's not clear whether it's a cause or a symptom... one of the big things that happens to cause the scales is your skin cells in a patch are running a much faster life cycle than the clear skin next to the patch. So the layer of dead skin cells builds up much faster than it could shed normally, forming the scale. As a side bonus tho, patchy areas tend to heal very quickly and very well. In short, a patch is where your skin is growing very well. Too well. Since vitamin D is critical for the growing and healing process... the super speedy one that psoriasis patches have could easily cause a deficiency. I don't know what research has been done on this either. It's pretty complex stuff, and I can see many factors that could make it hard to study.

I wouldn't say SLS free is a rule. If your psoriasis problems are mostly dry, scaly and flaky skin, using gentler cleansing methods will help. That could be milder detergents, or using very diluted SLS. For my partner, preventing fungal infections is a pretty big deal, and SLS is very helpful for that... but it sounds like you probably do not walk around with a lot of broken skin or sores, so that may well be less of a concern for you. The right call here will be pretty individual.

leslissocool
April 17th, 2013, 09:48 AM
I have psoriasis, do the hot oil treatments on the scalp. The heat actually works REALLY well. I was told to do it by a dermatologists (yes, find a better dermatologist). You can find videos of it online.

after you wash your hair, at last do a ACV rinse (2 tablespoons per 2 cups of water) and it should help with the flakiness.

Watch what you eat, psoriasis is often associated with food allergies like gluten. Mine gets worse when I eat rice.

My psoriasis shows up on my face.

Notice that you can still have dermatitis and other "dandruff" stuff on your hair ALONG with psoriasis. So I would actually suggest getting an over the counter menthol medicated shampoo for AFTER you wash your hair to alleviate the burning sensation (that doesn't irritate my scalp personally, I do CWC). But hemp hot oil treatments work really well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEagJq_krmQ

This girl shaved her head too and documented her whole psoriasis journey she has really great tips.


About the sunlight thing multiple studies have found that it is very benecifical. However, I lived in a very sunny place for years and it did nothing, my skin is doing so much better with the cooler weather.

PrincessIdril
April 17th, 2013, 10:26 AM
I'm sorry that this has happened to you! I also have psoriasis both on my scalp and body. And psoriasis is unfortunately one of those conditions that varies greatly per person so what works for us may not work as well for you.

Like you mine is stress triggered, obviously staying stress free helps but that is easier said than done at times! So my key piece of advice to you would be moisturise a lot. A good moisturising routine really helps with psoriasis, and since this is your scalp I would suggest using coconut or olive oil. As you have shaved your head it should be much easier for you to apply treatments to your scalp.

And yeah you really need a better dermatologist, while most treatments are topical there are plenty she should be trying you on if the first one didn't agree with you. I personally use a vitamin D cream on my face/body and a shampoo in which the active ingredient is Ketoconazole. I don't often use this shampoo as it's liquid and I prefer shampoo bars though. This information on topical treatments may be useful to you:
https://www.psoriasis-association.org.uk/pages/view/about-psoriasis/treatments/first-line-treatments

Personally I also find that SLS shampoo's actually help my scalp, but everyone is different in that respect. I found the Soak and Float shampoo bar from LUSH is very beneficial for my scalp, this really helps to soothe the itching for me.
https://www.lush.co.uk/product/363/Soak-and-Float-Shampoo-Bar

Sunlight and how helpful it is, is another one of those things that varies greatly between people. I personally find it to be very helpful, espeically on my face/body. Don't worry that you live somewhere dark, if I can manage in soggy old England I'm sure you'll be ok :) But please don't try out sunbeds! Sunbeds and hospital UV therapy are very different
https://www.psoriasis-association.org.uk/pages/view/about-psoriasis/treatments/ultraviolet-light-therapy

As for how often you should wash your hair, well as often as you need or want to. I usually wash mine twice a week, I can push it to once a week but my scalp tends to get pretty itchy if I try (and my hair looks so gross). There isn't really any evidence to suggest that diet affects psoriasis but some people do find that watching what they eat can help, I've personally never had a problem with it myself so I can't advise you there.

Psoriasis can be a real pain in the behind to deal with, and I wish you well on your journey with it. My scalp psoriasis has never really gone away in the 14-ish years I've have the condition, but that hasn't stopped me from growing waist length hair so don't worry about the speed your hair seems to be growing :)

Angelica
April 17th, 2013, 11:56 AM
But there are specialised shampoos you can get to deal with this kind of thing. Shaving your head was a bit radical, but I hope your scalp calms down for you and your stress levels are lowered. I'd keep away from anything heavily scented. You need a gentle shampoo.

goldloli
April 17th, 2013, 12:41 PM
Hey im sorry about you finding that stuff. I dont have much advice but wanted to wish you well. I get red sores and rashes all over my body when I use soaps containing sulphates, tallow, perfumes etc... which is pretty much all soaps on the market. I use an unscented clear glycerine soap now which keeps rashes (and acne) at bay. :shrug:

I also second the coal tar for scabs and zinc soap for inflammation. Princessidril and torrilin have a point that SLS poos could be helpful, even though my body skin reacts badly to them, my scalp frequently needs cleaning with one or i experience scalp conditions such as acne/sebum and skin buildup/infections/itching/hairfall. Or it could turn out that even the soap bars recommended in this thread are too harsh.

lapushka
April 17th, 2013, 12:52 PM
I'd go see another dermatologist *now*, while your head is still shaved and your hair is still quite nonexistent/short. At this point the dermatologist can still *clearly* see what's going on. I'd keep the hair fairly short until you get a certain routine going that works for you. One less thing to worry about in that case while growing it back out.

masterhoots
April 17th, 2013, 07:27 PM
Watch what you eat, psoriasis is often associated with food allergies like gluten. Mine gets worse when I eat rice.

I thought rice didn't contain gluten. The only reason I believe so is because I know someone with celiac disease , or something of the sort, where there is a sensitivity towards gluten within the digestive tract.

I feel bad for the poor guy, but he does well with rice.

leslissocool
April 17th, 2013, 10:23 PM
I thought rice didn't contain gluten. The only reason I believe so is because I know someone with celiac disease , or something of the sort, where there is a sensitivity towards gluten within the digestive tract.

I feel bad for the poor guy, but he does well with rice.

Rice doesn't have gluten, but I am intolerant to rice and anything containing rice flour. So I mean... I'm just out of luck :lol: I eat a lot of quinoa now though, but everything that's gluten free contains rice flour, and everything that doesn't have rice flour contains gluten so I pretty much gave up on bread and anything processed or that even resembles bread.

KwaveT
April 18th, 2013, 02:28 PM
As I mentioned in another thread, coconut oil will clear up psoriasis. If it is that bad you may have to use it for a while but it will clear it up. Use coconut oil on any skin condition rather it is sunburn, acne, psoriasis, even skin cancer and it will heal it. Coconut oil penetrates the skin. If you shaved your head you don't have to worry about your hair getting too much protein and becoming crunchy. Have at it until you clear the psoriasis then regrow your hair.

Mesmerise
April 18th, 2013, 02:34 PM
As I mentioned in another thread, coconut oil will clear up psoriasis. If it is that bad you may have to use it for a while but it will clear it up. Use coconut oil on any skin condition rather it is sunburn, acne, psoriasis, even skin cancer and it will heal it. Coconut oil penetrates the skin. If you shaved your head you don't have to worry about your hair getting too much protein and becoming crunchy. Have at it until you clear the psoriasis then regrow your hair.

I think using coconut oil is a great idea! However I'm not sure how it would cause too much protein, being that it's just an oil??

Taking coconut oil internally is also great for the health!

I know there are several dietary triggers for psoriasis (tomato comes to mind) so you might want to look into that at all. I'm not an expert on psoriasis myself, but my husband suffers from it.

Popsicle
April 21st, 2015, 08:03 AM
Ask your doctor about Kenalog spray with spray tube. The chemical name is Triamcinolone Acetonide Topical Aerosol, USP (0.47 mg/g). It works for me for my combination SD/psoriasis which is no longer a problem for me when I use it whenever that feeling starts. I had this problem whenever under long term stress and this is the only thing that worked for me. There has been no associated pain with application. It stops the itch and the pain and treats the abrasions. It feels like a cold blast of air on your scalp; a real "ahhhhh" moment!

Another chemical formulation that worked, but not quite as well, was a can of foamy Clobetasol Propionate (Emollient Formulation) (0.05%).

Good luck to all of you who are bothered by this maddening and painful condition. :blossom:

lapushka
April 21st, 2015, 02:45 PM
Ask your doctor about Kenalog spray with spray tube. The chemical name is Triamcinolone Acetonide Topical Aerosol, USP (0.47 mg/g). It works for me for my combination SD/psoriasis which is no longer a problem for me when I use it whenever that feeling starts. I had this problem whenever under long term stress and this is the only thing that worked for me. There has been no associated pain with application. It stops the itch and the pain and treats the abrasions. It feels like a cold blast of air on your scalp; a real "ahhhhh" moment!

Another chemical formulation that worked, but not quite as well, was a can of foamy Clobetasol Propionate (Emollient Formulation) (0.05%).

Good luck to all of you who are bothered by this maddening and painful condition. :blossom:

This time the thread is less old, only 2 years. :p

jeanniet
April 21st, 2015, 03:23 PM
Yeah, the threads are old, but since SD and psoriasis are ongoing conditions for a lot of members, the information could still be very helpful.

It can be hard to get the hang of avoiding old threads. We've all posted on zombie threads (I sure have)!

Popsicle
April 21st, 2015, 03:36 PM
Thanks Jeanniet! Kenalog spray! I hope this tip helps someone who is searching this forum or the world for an effective treatment. Even a family practice "G.P." can prescribe it if he is told about it and has a few minutes to look it up on his computer. It has improved my life like nothing else did before. If nothing else has worked, I recommend looking into it. :soapbox: