A certain percentage of people on earth suffer from psoriasis. First of all, psoriasis appears precisely on the scalp, which is recommended to be treated as soon as the first symptoms appear. The causes of the disease have not yet been determined, but the symptomatology is pronounced. It is recommended to consult a doctor for treatment, to be treated comprehensively and to observe preventive measures.
Causes
Psoriasis is a disease whose root causes remain a mystery to humans. Many studies are being carried out on this subject, new results appear, new causes and theories which raise even more questions. With psoriasis, the rate of formation of new cells increases, which leads to the formation of too many of them, the skin begins to harden, and an inflammatory process begins.
Until now, the following fact has been recognized as the cause of the disease - in psoriasis, the process of cell division is disturbed, the rate of keratinocyte formation increases, which leads to the onset of the disease.
The increased rate of cell turnover causes an inflammatory process, and the inflammatory process, in turn, leads to an even higher rate of cell division, which forms a vicious cycle. A hereditary predisposition leads to a high rate of division.
Sometimes a violation of the immune system, which appears as a result of stress, after an infectious disease, leads to such a process. For example, among people infected with the immunodeficiency virus, the number of patients with psoriasis is three times higher than among healthy people.
Several hundred years ago, it was believed that people with psoriasis were cursed and could pass these diseases on to others.
Other factors leading to the development of psoriasis:
- Genetic diseases are formed when viruses and bacteria enter the body, causing the structure of chromosomes to change.
- Skin infections, purulent inflammation.
- Violation of lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.
- Chronic inflammation - sinusitis, otitis media, tonsillitis and others. In many patients with psoriasis, elevated levels have been observed when analyzing the number of lymphocytes and leukocytes in the blood.
- Too dry or too humid air where the patient is constantly seated.
- Stress, anxiety, depression.
- Taking antibiotics, an immunomodulator leads to impaired immunity and, as a result, psoriasis.
- Increase the risk of alcohol and tobacco consumption.
- Lack of vitamins and minerals in the body, poor diet, consumption of foods with allergens, overweight.
- Endocrine diseases.
- Diseases of internal organs.
If a person noticed the appearance of symptoms of psoriasis, localized dry skin, roughness, redness, you should immediately contact a dermatologist for a diagnosis.
Psoriasis appears on the head for some reason, one of which is noted a peculiar structure of the skin, frequent microtrauma, obtained when scratching the skin in this place.
According to statistics, one percent of people in the world suffer from psoriasis, while in eight out of ten patients psoriasis is localized in the region of the head, in four out of ten it is localized only on the head. In six in ten people, the disease is not limited to the scalp, but spreads to the elbows, knees, palms and other areas.
If the patient has a predisposition to psoriasis, his symptoms may arise unexpectedly with the slightest stress or anxiety. Assign a risk group of patients. Typically, symptoms of psoriasis first appear in patients between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.
Types (forms)
Symptoms can vary depending on the type of psoriasis. The two main forms of the disease are mild and severe.
- The lung is characterized by the formation of small lesions, which are covered with the same small psoriatic plaques.
- In severe forms, psoriasis affects the entire area of the head, the lesions are combined, the skin is dry, psoriatic plaques form in large patches, the skin becomes much rougher.
Steps
Scalp psoriasis takes place in several stages.
- The progressive stage is characterized by the development of the disease, the formation of new lesions.
- During the stationary phase, the symptoms of the disease do not change in any way. The new ones don't appear, the old ones don't change.
- With the regressive stage, the symptoms are eliminated. It can last up to two years.
Symptoms can vary with the seasons. In winter psoriasis, the cause of the disease may be a lack of ultraviolet radiation, but if the symptoms intensify in the summer, the reason is the opposite - an excess of ultraviolet radiation.
Symptoms
Dermatological conditions affect not only the physical condition of the patient, but also his psychological stability. Psoriasis, which is a chronic, i. e. incurable disease, is particularly difficult to tolerate. In order to improve the quality of life, it is necessary to constantly eliminate the symptoms of the disease, which takes a lot of time, effort and sometimes money.
If psoriasis on the body can be hidden with clothes, then with psoriasis on the scalp this trick will not work. Usually, patients start to suffer from psoriasis from this area. Sometimes psoriasis does not spread further, especially if its symptoms are constantly treated with good and effective drugs, but the disease can spread to other parts of the body.
Scalp psoriasis is also called seborrheic. The disease is characterized by severe scalp scalp, which looks like dandruff. In addition, the patient suffers from itching, the formation of psoriatic plaques in this area.
An important fact for patients with psoriasis is that the hair on the scalp does not fall out either at the onset of the disease or during its development.
The skin under psoriatic plaques may bleed when scratching, so patients should not scratch the skin. The affected area may be red due to the inflammatory process.
The disease progresses and regresses periodically. In the event of a relapse, the symptoms of the disease reappear, in which case the patient must use drugs to eliminate the symptoms so that the time of remission begins. In remission, the symptoms of psoriasis are not pronounced.
The length of each period depends on many factors. The duration of remission can be up to two years.
In order to find out what psoriasis in the scalp looks like, let's go to the photos section of the symptoms.
Processing
So far, no one has been able to find a cure for psoriasis.
There are many medicines available to treat the symptoms of psoriasis. As a result of the use of drugs and folk remedies, complex therapy, the patient's quality of life improves.
First of all, you need to contact a dermatologist for the diagnosis of the disease. The doctor will carry out all the research and analysis necessary to establish an accurate diagnosis.
Folk remedies
For the treatment of scalp psoriasis, folk recipes are used. They are recommended for use as part of complex therapy to enhance the effect of drugs.
It is forbidden to independently use recipes of traditional medicine. They should be discussed with your healthcare professional and should only be used after approval.
The following remedies are often used to treat scalp psoriasis:
- Celandine is effective in relieving the inflammatory process. The grass is washed and dried, red wine is added to it, and the skin is treated with the resulting product.
- A white wine tincture is made from baskets of sunflowers. The juice is extracted from the sunflower and the skin is treated with this agent.
- Elderberry is also effective in relieving itching, inflammation, and redness of the skin. The inflorescences are soaked in water for two hours. The solution is taken orally.
- Honey with egg white and shampoo are mixed, applied to the affected areas, washed off with water.
Medications
Drugs for the treatment of each patient are selected in the presence of the attending physician, depending on the results of the tests, the stage of the disease, the level of immunity. He will teach you how to treat scalp psoriasis.
Not always a drug prescribed by a dermatologist, even an experienced one, cannot be suitable for a patient. Many products have no effect at the start of use. It is recommended to take drugs in complex therapy, that is, to combine several forms of drugs.
There are several groups of medicines for psoriasis and various treatments.
Hormonal agents contain in their composition active components - hormones, which have a very effective effect on the body and quickly relieve symptoms, but it is not recommended to use them for a long time.
Steroids can be systemic, they are taken orally in tablet form, or they are administered intravenously / intramuscularly. Ointments with hormones in the composition are much less effective. But they can not be used for a long time, because the skin at the site of application of the product may change pigment, it becomes thin, traumatic, prone to secondary infection.
In addition, after the use of hormonal drugs, withdrawal symptoms are often observed. It is then that after prolonged treatment and stopping the use of the drug, the symptoms reappear, but with even more severe symptoms.
Therefore, it is not recommended to use hormonal preparations for a long time, to apply to areas with sensitive skin, to apply to large areas of the skin, and also to cancel the use of the drug, it is necessary to gradually reduce the dosage. .
Non-hormonal drugs are also commonly used to treat psoriasis. They are used to relieve symptoms, inflammation, itching, redness of the skin. They have a much smaller list of contraindications and side effects.
The main active ingredients of this group of drugs relieve inflammation, constrict blood vessels, soothe the skin, moisturize and soften it. Among the active components, zinc, tar, salicylic acid and other substances are noted.
They can be used at any stage of the disease. In addition, these drugs have many different forms of release. They also vary in effectiveness and recommendations for use, reviews of their effect in the treatment of scalp psoriasis can be reviewed on the forums.
Zinc can be used as often as needed, but tar products are not recommended more than twice a week. Additionally, they should be used in conjunction with moisturizers as the tar dries out the skin.
Patients often opt for ointments to treat scalp psoriasis.
Cosmetics are also very popular with patients because they improve the appearance of the scalp, but at the same time have no therapeutic effect.
Among cosmetic products, users opt for oils and shampoos that moisturize the skin, get rid of itching and dandruff on the scalp with psoriasis.
For the treatment of psoriasis, drugs are used that suppress the immune system, metabolism, stopping the process of renewal and division of skin cells.
These funds can be taken only under the supervision of a doctor, since they have a long list of contraindications and side effects.
It is also necessary to improve the general condition of the patient by following a special diet that excludes foods with allergens from the diet of the patient. It is recommended to take vitamin and mineral complexes.
Physiotherapy can be prescribed to patients. For example, ultraviolet irradiation is indicated for "winter" psoriasis.
Prophylaxis
For prevention purposes, the following recommendations should be observed:
- You need to take good care of your skin, washing it more often with baby soap or other hypoallergenic soap.
- Refuse to smoke alcohol and tobacco.
- Don't get into stressful situations. Depression, anxiety can cause a relapse.
- Observe the daily routine.
- Take vitamin and mineral complexes.
- Follow a special diet that excludes allergens from the diet. In addition, the diet is selected individually for the patient and his required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Many people wonder if scalp psoriasis is contagious. The answer is no, this disease is not contagious.