This disease is a chronic, inflammatory and recurring process that mainly affects the scalp area.
It is generally accepted that scalp psoriasis is only the initial stage of the onset of psoriasis, which leads to the development of more severe forms throughout the body.
Characteristics of manifestations and course of the disease
A disease such as scalp psoriasis manifests itself as the appearance of a dense "cap" in the scalp, which is then accompanied by severe itching and peeling.
There is another variation of manifestations when single small plaques form.
Symptoms of psoriasis differ from seborrheic dermatitis, the complete absence of violations of the structure of the hair roots.
With scalp psoriasis, there are no symptoms of hair loss.
The dander that forms in psoriasis contains a large amount of sebum, so it is easily identifiable by touch, which cannot be said about peeling during seborrheic dermatitis.
The most vulnerable areas of the head with psoriasis include:
- The area around the ears, the earlobes.
- Separation zone.
- Frontal, occipital and cervical region.
Scalp psoriasis is common, characterized by frequent relapses, and is chronic.
This dermatological disease always has a chronic degree, since it is impossible to fully recover from it.
Psoriatic scalp disease is considered the most common.
The reasons for the development of the disease
The main cause of this condition is hereditary predisposition.
If the close relatives of a person suffer from this disease, the probability of its hereditary transmission is at least 70%.
Secondary causes of psoriasis include:
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Decrease in the level of the body's defenses.
- Diseases of the liver and bile ducts.
- Alcohol abuse and smoking.
- Being in a constant state of stress, lack of sleep.
- Bad nutrition.
But these are far from all the reasons why this disease can occur.
Some reasons are too rare, so they try not to mention them.
Most often, this disease is registered in people aged 40-42 years and older. If people under the age of 20 suffer, it is usually associated with a weakened immune system or hormonal disturbances. Therefore, after prescribing a course of vitamins and restructuring a person with an emphasis on a healthy and active lifestyle, the irritations disappear.
We notice that after any well-designed treatment, the skin gradually clears up, there are no scars left and the papules with inflammation do not come back.
The main symptoms
Regardless of the area described above, psoriasis of the scalp develops, it will always be accompanied by the appearance of single or multiple inflammatory foci, which will be supplemented by the appearance of characteristic dense scales, and accompanied by itchingsevere.
The primary stage of the disease has almost no pronounced symptoms, often patients do not know that they are overwhelmed by the dermatological pathology. The patient does not complain, the external examination does not show specific symptoms.
In addition, some patients note that the initial stage is very similar to dandruff. Therefore, long treatments with shampoos are possible to eliminate the wrong pathology.
If the process is neglected, it can spread deep into the skin, affecting the hair root system and causing hair loss.
A disease such as scalp psoriasis has its own stages of development, which include:
- Stage of progression. New symptoms of inflammation appear. This process takes place in the direction of the center towards the periphery.
- Stationary stage. It is characterized by relative calm, during which new inflammatory elements stop forming, but the existing symptoms do not go away.
- Regression stage. At this point, the main symptoms of psoriasis go away. Typical psoriatic rashes are replaced by foci of pigmentation.
Processing characteristics
A process such as treating scalp psoriasis should be seen as a package of measures. This set of measures can be roughly divided into:
- General therapy.
- Local therapy.
- Physiotherapy treatment.
- Spa treatment.
- Traditional methods.
General or drug therapy includes the appointment of the following groups of drugs that can effectively treat psoriasis:
- Sedatives.
- Multivitamin tablets.
- Hyposensitizing drugs.
- Medicines with cytostatic effect.
- Corticosteroid drugs.
- Antihistamines.
- Immunomodulatory agents.
- Drugs for non-specific drug therapy (PTA).
It is important to remember that the use of drugs with a cytostatic effect and corticosteroids is possible only if the disease is severe. They should be used with extreme caution, otherwise they can cause a significant exacerbation of the disease.
Antibacterial drugs can be used only if the pathogenic microflora is attached.
Local treatment of scalp psoriasis involves the use of the following agents:
- Ointments with keratoplastic action: ichthyol ointment, naphthalan ointment, salicylic ointment, sulfur and tar ointment.
- Glucocorticoid ointments. Such an ointment is used only in severe cases of the course of the disease.
- Folk remedies for topical use.
Shampoos are used as another effective treatment. The only downside is that this tool will be effective only in combination with other methods.
As an effective remedy for the treatment of scalp psoriasis, the following have been shown to be effective:
- Tar shampoo.
- Zinc shampoo.
- Shampoo containing ketoconazole.
Physiotherapy is another effective topical remedy for treating psoriasis.
For the treatment of psoriasis of the head, the following physiotherapeutic agents are used:
- UV irradiation of the skin.
- Hydrotherapy.
- Plasmapheresis method.
- Hemisorption.
- Laser irradiation.
- Wraps and mud applications.
- Heliotherapy.
- Bathing in sources of hydrogen sulphide and healing baths.
A typical technique is to relieve stress and psychological stress. To do this, the patient is prescribed sedatives to relieve a high level of nervous irritability. Saturation of the patient's body with vitamins is one of the most important details of treatment.
When determining the most suitable diet for a patient, special attention is always paid to the compatibility of foods and drugs, as well as to the food itself in its range. This important detail helps to reduce the load on the patient's gastrointestinal tract, as well as on his other internal organ systems.
As additional methods, folk remedies are used.
Methods of traditional medicine
Can scalp psoriasis be cured using traditional methods? It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously.
We can only say that as an independent method of treatment, folk methods are ineffective, only in addition to the main one. Let's take a look at the most effective alternative methods for treating scalp psoriasis in detail.
Method number 1. It is necessary to prepare celandine juice by first passing the celandine grass through a meat grinder, and then squeezing it. This product can be supplemented by adding 40 ml of dry red wine, and then can be applied as lotions to the affected areas of the scalp.
Method number 2. To lubricate the scalp, you can also use an alcoholic tincture of celandine herb. To prepare it, you need to pour half a glass of dry herbs with 0, 5 liters of 70% medical alcohol (you can use vodka).
This remedy should be insisted for 7 days, after which it can be used to wipe the affected areas. In addition, after applying the dye, you can rinse your hair with a strong infusion of chamomile.
Method number 3. As an excellent tool for general body detoxification, you can use "monastery tea", which cleanses the body of toxins, cleanses the liver and helps get rid of all manifestations of psoriasis. During the treatment period, this tea can be drunk instead of the usual black or green tea.
Method number 4. Skin manifestations of scalp psoriasis can be treated using traditional methods using the fruits and stems of rose hips.
To do this, it is necessary to burn the stems and fruits to the state of ash, after which this agent should be rubbed on the affected areas. For better absorption, drugstore petroleum jelly can be added to the ashes.
It is recommended to remove traces of oil on the skin and hair of folk remedies with a solution of vinegar. It is generally produced in a proportion of 50x50 pieces. There are many treatment options out there, but choosing the right one is always important. For this, it is better to seek expert advice.
Prophylaxis
In order to prevent the recurrence of scalp psoriasis, you should adhere to the following rules:
- Respect the rules of personal hygiene, take good care of your hair and scalp.
- Refuse to smoke alcohol and tobacco.
- Limit stressful situations as much as possible.
- Observe the mode of work and rest.
- Follow a special diet.
- Take multivitamin preparations every six months.
- It is necessary to dye your hair only with hypoallergenic dye, or not to dye it at all.
- Treat all existing illnesses in a timely manner.
- For the general strengthening of the body, it is necessary to use folk methods.
From all of the above, we can conclude that scalp psoriasis is not an independent disease, but just another manifestation of such a serious disease.
From the point of view of financial costs, the treatment described can be characterized as budgetary, while the stereotype "the more expensive the better" is unacceptable. There is nothing in the world more precious than your own health and that of your loved ones. And remember that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it later.
To be in a good health!