No, I am not mad, but I know scalp psoriasis can drive people crazy and mad.
Scalp psoriasis grows rapidly and affects the whole body, driving people crazy. There is no quick treatment and requires patience, almost like fighting a psychological war.
From the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations, psoriasis affects over 125 million people around the world so it is more widespread than normal. Do note that it is not contagious.
Psoriasis is a medical condition that results in skin changes on hands, knees, elbows, and scalp. When the scalp is affected, the result will be red and scaly patches, and as a result, hair loss may occur.
You will be the victim of this disease if your immune system is not working correctly. Early treatment of psoriasis can reduce hair loss. In the beginning, psoriasis will start from one or two patches, and then it can be widespread. After that, it will affect the whole scalp.
Symptoms of Psoriasis
During the scalp psoriasis, skin changes will start to show up on the scalp, back of the head, behind the ears, and forehead.
You may notice:
- Red patches on the scalp that might be barely noticeable or clearly visible.
- Scales and flakes that might resemble dandruff.
- A dry scalp that may result in bleeding as a result of the crack.
- Itching that may disturb your sleep.
- Pain and burning on the scalp.
- While removing or scratching the scalp, you may witness a temporary hair loss.
As a result of the dry scalp, the skin will break, and there are high chances of infections. If you see any of these symptoms, it’s time to see your doctor; otherwise, it might get worse.
Prevention and Treatment of Psoriasis
The best way to prevent hair loss is to avoid the outbreak of scalp psoriasis.
Proper and timely treatment can save you from massive hair loss. Contact dermatologists and get medical treatment, and the doctor will clear outbreaks quickly and will protect you from worse conditions and causes. It depends on the condition, and the doctor will treat the disease accordingly.
- For topical application, vitamin D cream is used.
- To reduce itching and inflammation, corticosteroid injections are used.
- Light therapy is also used, but it depends on the hair thickness of a patient.
- Some medications can be directly applied to the skin.
- A scale softener is used that helps to soften skin patches, and as a result, medication can easily penetrate the surface.
Psoriasis will not only affect your scalp; it will affect your whole body. It depends on the severity of the problem, and the doctor will suggest treatment accordingly. If the condition is complicated, a doctor may prescribe a combination of treatment types and drugs. Medicated shampoos that contain coal tar or salicylic acid may also work. However, the use of shampoo can result in more damage as salicylic contains acid, so it may break hair follicles and result in hair breakage.
Home Remedies to Getting Rid Of Psoriasis
There are some productive lifestyles and home remedies that can help people to take control of scalp psoriasis and also prevent outbreaks. When the symptoms of psoriasis occur, do the following practices.
- See your doctor get medical advice as soon as possible before it gets late.
- Avoid scratching the scalp.
- To prevent further irritation, gently shampoo your hair.
- Gently brush flakes and scales.
- Apply medications on the scalp, not just focus on hair.
- Let the hair dry naturally. If you are a victim of scalp psoriasis, then avoid using a hairdryer.
- To reduce the risk of scalp dryness, change your shampoo, and use a conditioner.
After adopting these lifestyles, you can say, “My scalp psoriasis is gone.”
Tips To Prevent Scalp Psoriasis
These tips can help you to stop scalp psoriasis from getting worse. A few but useful prevention tips are given below:
- Give up smoking.
- Avoid drinking alcohol.
- Limit your exposure to cold weather.
- Try to maintain a healthy body weight.
- Don’t take too much stress.
- Keep a close eye on skin injuries such as insect bite or a cut because it can lead to skin psoriasis.
- Before taking any new medication consult your doctor.
- Take a vitamin known as biotin to prevent hair loss.
- Limit the use of meat and try to eat more vegetables.
- Make processes and sugary food as a part of the diet plan, and you will notice in a short time your scalp and skin psoriasis will be gone.
- Take a nutritious diet to get rid of this issue.
So these are the tips that can help you to prevent scalp psoriasis.
Other Complications Associated With Scalp Psoriasis
If you are a victim of scalp psoriasis then you may witness its symptoms on other parts of the body as well. There are other complications and health risks associated with the scalp psoriasis. In short, it can badly affect your life quality. Other medical conditions that may hurt you alongside psoriasis can include:
- Damage the joints
- Eye diseases
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Kidney disease
- Heart disease
Your life quality may be disturbed in the following ways:
- Due to itching, sleep disruption.
- Fatigue and tiredness.
- Embarrassment on hair loss.
- Depression
- Problems at work.
- Cut off from social life.
A good thing about psoriasis is it is not contagious.
World Psoriasis Day
The yearly event started on 29 October 2004 in Lithuania to help promote the awareness of psoriasis and is still ongoing. To find out more about the progress of treatment, you must participate in the event.
Conclusion
Psoriasis can affect your whole body but the major symptoms will appear on your scalp and skin. On the scalp, a major disadvantage is hair loss although hair can grow back when the skin will come back to the original condition. According to some researches, the scalp psoriasis will disappear quickly once the treatment is started. If you are following the treatment and diet plan then there will be hair loss.
In the beginning, you may feel scalp psoriasis is something that will never go away. After following the above-given treatments and lifestyle tips you will say “My scalp psoriasis is gone.” Another risk associated with psoriasis is sometimes symptoms may go away, but there is always a possibility that they may come back. Take a healthy diet and stay away from smoking and alcohol. Use medicated shampoo and soap and hope so you will get rid of the scalp psoriasis in no time.