PDA

View Full Version : Scalp Psoriasis



mallorykay13
July 27th, 2011, 04:13 PM
So any other long hair growers with scalp psoriasis. Ive always had it and its always been a damper on me and my "hair esteem". Anyone have any input?

caiti42
July 27th, 2011, 04:22 PM
Neutrogena TGel Coal Tar works wonders when I have a flare up. It's not cheap but one or two applications keeps it at bay for a month/two months depending on the season. It's drying on the length, but amazing stuff!

mallorykay13
July 27th, 2011, 04:25 PM
Does your psoriasis hinder your hair growing ability at all?

pepperminttea
July 27th, 2011, 05:38 PM
I have it, too. Diagnosed around age 11 or 12. Hasn't hindered my hair growth at all, but the flakes/itchiness/redness are a pain, there's just more length to work the flakes down when I scritch. I haven't used T-Gel for years, but this thread's the second time I've seen it mentioned recently; maybe I should buy a bottle and give it another try. :)

When I used to go to proper hairdressers I had to warn them every time in case they saw the smaller flakes and assumed I had nits. Then followed much reassurance about it not being contagious at all. Made me feel like some kind of leper. Thank god for self-trimming.

Magicknthenight
July 27th, 2011, 06:47 PM
So any other long hair growers with scalp psoriasis. Ive always had it and its always been a damper on me and my "hair esteem". Anyone have any input?

Yes I have a bit on the left side of my hair around the area by my ear. Commerical shampoos and sulfates just dry it out. I CWC. I use CV bars and I use a dilution of apple cider vinegar on my scalp. It helps a TON. I condition my length, then wash my scalp, rinse all my hair, then pour ACV aiming mostly at my scalp (sometimes I move my length others I don't). Then put conditioner on my length and let it sit in a cap. Then after rinsing do another final all over rinse with the ACV that i then rinse out. It helps a lot and when I have been without apple cider vinegar theirs a very noticeable difference in how my scalp acts. DBF was saying how last night it looked like it had flared up. I asked him to check after my shower with ACV and he said it looked much better. I don't like T-gel. Smells way too much and feels too harsh. Apple cider seems to work better for me. Have you ever considered trying it?

mallorykay13
July 27th, 2011, 07:08 PM
I have it, too. Diagnosed around age 11 or 12. Hasn't hindered my hair growth at all, but the flakes/itchiness/redness are a pain, there's just more length to work the flakes down when I scritch. I haven't used T-Gel for years, but this thread's the second time I've seen it mentioned recently; maybe I should buy a bottle and give it another try. :)

When I used to go to proper hairdressers I had to warn them every time in case they saw the smaller flakes and assumed I had nits. Then followed much reassurance about it not being contagious at all. Made me feel like some kind of leper. Thank god for self-trimming.

I know EXACTLY how you feel. "Okay so I have this condition...." It gets so old!

caiti42
July 27th, 2011, 08:29 PM
Does your psoriasis hinder your hair growing ability at all?

I don't believe it has. But the itching makes me wash it more at times so I guess that's not so great. I find it more annoying on clothing and the itchies :(

mallorykay13
July 27th, 2011, 08:31 PM
I don't believe it has. But the itching makes me wash it more at times so I guess that's not so great. I find it more annoying on clothing and the itchies :(

Yea. Black is never a good color.

Angel_099
July 28th, 2011, 01:07 AM
Have you looked into neem oil at all? I was just reading about it earlier and it sounds like it might help you.

Vercelli
July 28th, 2011, 01:20 AM
I have Psoriasis too, expecially around my forehead. Quite ugly. Yes, black is not a good colour but I still wear it. Sometimes when we are out I ask my partner to check if I have dandruff on my head and clothes. Embarassing.

Anyway.

Yes, I tried Neem oil, and the bad news is it doesn't help a lot. Better than nothing. But beware it smells super yuckie.

I am currently using some Indian hair oil mixture which includes a bit of Neem and other oils such as Amla. I rub it onto my scalp every now and then the night before I wash. What it does is it soothes (is this the right word for what I mean?) the scalp and losens the flakes a little bit better. The day after I washed I can shake out tons of smallish flakes. Yuck. Yuck. But what can you do?

Anywone with a good recipe out there?:eyebrows:

Eolan
July 28th, 2011, 01:21 AM
I have psoriasis on the scalp.

The important thing is to learn triggers (stress, red meat, allergies, what have you) and also to have a steady regimen, so that you don't flare up. Have a doctor diagnosed you? Have you gotten anything on prescription? I need to use a cortisone solution once or twice a week to keep mine off. If I have a flare, I might have to use the solution up to twice a day for like a week to get it down.

And yes, psoriasis, like any other scalp issue, can lead to hairloss, if it is untreated. I didn't know this before. It did to me, cut me a year back on growing, since my hair got so thin and ratty I had to cut it. Now, with a happy scalp, my hair grows in a good rate and my ends are looking good again.

My advice is to get a proffessional to look at it, at least once. I tried to treat mine with different oils and rinses, and it did not work. Different things work for different people, and it is good to know what can minimize and prevent outbreak. My scalp seems happier now that I've gone off sulfates. But if you have an aggressive outbreak, you most likely need to deflake and then use cortisone to get it down.

georgia_peach
July 28th, 2011, 05:21 AM
I've had scalp (and leg and arm!) psoriasis for at least 22 years. The burning, pain and itching can be terrible. Mine flares up and can hang around for sometimes 8-9 months and then suddently disappear for a couple of months. I'll give another vote for Neutrogena T-Gel followed by lots of good conditioner on the length to counteract the drying effects.

Re: growing with psoriasis, I had my worst bout in a long time about two years ago. But my hair also grew the longest I've ever had it during that time. I tried to be careful not to break or damage my hair while I was scratching my scalp. Throwing your hands into your hair and scratching like a mad-woman (which I've done:o) could certainly cause some damage!

Tabitha
July 28th, 2011, 06:04 AM
My GP has just prescribed me Capasal shampoo (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100000446.html) for a patch of psoriasis near my front hairline, which appeared shortly after a shock bereavement about 7 months ago.

I haven't picked it up from the pharmacy yet but apparently it contains coal tar, coconut oil and salicylic acid.

mallorykay13
July 28th, 2011, 07:05 AM
My doctor prescribed me a solution to put on my scalp. Its alcohol based so it hurts if my scalp is open and raw as it sometimes gets, but it does control flair ups.

pepperminttea
July 28th, 2011, 07:55 AM
And yes, psoriasis, like any other scalp issue, can lead to hairloss, if it is untreated. I didn't know this before.

I did not know that either. :bigeyes: My psoriasis has been basically untreated for a decade. When it was first diagnosed I was prescribed Polytar shampoo, which didn't help and smelled foul to boot, so after that I was prescribed T Gel as a gentler alternative but I honestly can't remember if that did any good. After that, life happened, and I just got used to itching and flakes. Would it be worth returning to a doctor and asking? It has been ever so slowly spreading as the years have gone on. It was originally the back of my head, now it's around my hairline and ears, and beginning to creep down my forehead.

I haven't noticed many triggers. Oil shampoo really set it off; I don't know if it was the coconut oil directly on the scalp or the sulphates being on my scalp for longer (because applying it was trickier since it was such a thin mixture). It also gets itchier the longer I stretch between washes, though I'm not sure why. Can your own sebum be a trigger? I hope not. ACV rinses seem to help, but not a lot.

It's flaring up right now, I'm just in the process of detangling a braid left in too long before I wash it (CO method). Hoping that will help.

Oh, and just for fun, I have a sebaceous cyst on my scalp too. A gift I inherited from my father. :p Needless to say I won't be shaving my head any time soon.

Vercelli
July 28th, 2011, 09:14 PM
Mine was never diagnosed by a skin doctor because I have been moving around the globe (Germany, UK, Italy, Australia) since 2006. And I have experienced a lot of ongoing stress in the last few years, so maybe that was a trigger, not to mention all my allergies. In any case it is not doable to get long-term treatment when you change places every one or two years. And to be honest I would not want any cortisone on my head let alone my body so that is not an option for me anyway.:o

My scalp gets better when I am out and in the sun (with lots of sunscreen on my skin), and I have not experienced any hairloss related to my Psoriasis so far but I am losing some hair right now again due to ongoing stress and depression. I rarely scratch my head, at least I try to be brave when it itches. What bothers me most is the looks, I mean all those ugly flakes. That's really a burden. I know there are far more worse problems and illnesses out there but it's still not a nice condition.

Eolan
July 29th, 2011, 02:18 AM
I did not know that either. :bigeyes: My psoriasis has been basically untreated for a decade. When it was first diagnosed I was prescribed Polytar shampoo, which didn't help and smelled foul to boot, so after that I was prescribed T Gel as a gentler alternative but I honestly can't remember if that did any good. After that, life happened, and I just got used to itching and flakes. Would it be worth returning to a doctor and asking? It has been ever so slowly spreading as the years have gone on. It was originally the back of my head, now it's around my hairline and ears, and beginning to creep down my forehead.

I haven't noticed many triggers. Oil shampoo really set it off; I don't know if it was the coconut oil directly on the scalp or the sulphates being on my scalp for longer (because applying it was trickier since it was such a thin mixture). It also gets itchier the longer I stretch between washes, though I'm not sure why. Can your own sebum be a trigger? I hope not. ACV rinses seem to help, but not a lot.

It's flaring up right now, I'm just in the process of detangling a braid left in too long before I wash it (CO method). Hoping that will help.

Oh, and just for fun, I have a sebaceous cyst on my scalp too. A gift I inherited from my father. :p Needless to say I won't be shaving my head any time soon.

I would advice you to go se your dermatologist, or at least your GP. It's good to get a professionals advice. Especially since you have noticed that it has spread.

Psoriasis does not always lead to hairloss, but it can. Just as dandruff can, if it is very aggressive and untreated. It makes sense, if one thinks about it. Happy scalp=happy hair.

I know it is easy to get used to the flakes and the itchies, but really, you don't have to put up with it. I have gotten into a good routine with my solution, and I have now zero flakes or redness. My scalp is as happy as ever.

I can relate to what you say about stretching washes, as that can be an issue for me too. (But it isn't now.) What really sets mine off is if my scalp get moist (say from sweat) and then dries again. Mad scalp! So for me, a dry scalp is good. I have recently started to use cocoa powder as a dry shampoo (I can't even describe how much I love the stuff!!!) and I think that helps, since it keeps my scalp dry. But as I said above, the main reason is that I have the flakies under control.

I got my psoriasis from my dad. Thank you, dad. Love you. :D

I hope you get your scalp sorted too. Keep us posted.


Mine was never diagnosed by a skin doctor because I have been moving around the globe (Germany, UK, Italy, Australia) since 2006. And I have experienced a lot of ongoing stress in the last few years, so maybe that was a trigger, not to mention all my allergies. In any case it is not doable to get long-term treatment when you change places every one or two years. And to be honest I would not want any cortisone on my head let alone my body so that is not an option for me anyway.:o

My scalp gets better when I am out and in the sun (with lots of sunscreen on my skin), and I have not experienced any hairloss related to my Psoriasis so far but I am losing some hair right now again due to ongoing stress and depression. I rarely scratch my head, at least I try to be brave when it itches. What bothers me most is the looks, I mean all those ugly flakes. That's really a burden. I know there are far more worse problems and illnesses out there but it's still not a nice condition.

If no one has ever diagnosed you with psoriasis, how do you know it's what you have? Does it run in your family? Sometimes dandruff and psoriasis can get mixed up.

I understand your concern about the cortisone. I'm not thrilled either, but nothing else sorted my scalp. And I'd rather use cortisone than loose my hair.

It is not at all fun to feel like you are causing a snow storm every time you touch your hair! I hear you on that one. Not sexy. To me it sounds that you should have someone look at it, even if you move around and even if you don't want to use cortisone. There are other treatments as well, and it would be good for you to know what you are dealing with. You don't have to suffer through the itchies, you know. Just saying. :)

pelicano
July 29th, 2011, 03:12 AM
I personally think a lot of seborrheic dermatitis is misdiagnosed as scalp psoriasis. I know my sister's was. I have SD, as does my mum too.

0xalis
September 26th, 2013, 12:08 AM
It sucks that this thread is so old. I forgot I had psoriasis, and now it's acting up. It hasn't acted up since I got diagnosed[?] YEARS ago. [Not entirely sure if I was OFFICIALLY diagnosed or not.] My scalp itches so bad, I feel like crying ;n;

sofo
September 26th, 2013, 04:36 AM
My father has it and swears by Head and shoulders shampoo, he doesnt have much hair though, but he says it helps with psoriasis, even the problems he has in the face since the shampoo gets there too.. It's a very harsh shampoo though.