This disease is a chronic, inflammatory and recurrent process that predominantly affects the scalp area.
It is generally accepted that scalp psoriasis is only the initial stage of the onset of psoriasis, which involves the development of more severe forms throughout the body.
Features of the manifestations and course of the disease
A disease such as psoriasis of the scalp manifests itself in the appearance of a dense "hat" in the scalp, which is subsequently accompanied by severe itching and peeling.
There is another variant of manifestations when single small plaques are formed.
Symptoms of psoriasis differ from seborrheic dermatitis, the complete absence of violations from the structure of the hair roots.
With scalp psoriasis, there are no hair loss symptoms at all.
The scales that form in psoriasis contain a large amount of sebum, so they are 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.
- Division area.
- Frontal, occipital and cervical region.
Scalp psoriasis is common, characterized by frequent relapses, and is chronic.
This dermatological disease always has a chronic degree, because it is impossible to completely heal.
It is the psoriatic scalp disease that is considered to be the most common.
The reasons for the development of the disease
The main cause of this condition is hereditary predisposition.
If close relatives of a person have this disease, then 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 biliary tract.
- Alcohol abuse and tobacco smoking.
- Being in a state of constant stress, lack of sleep.
- Incorrect feeding.
But these are far from all the reasons why this ailment can occur.
Some reasons are too rare, so try not to mention them.
Most often, this disease is registered in people who have reached the age of 40-42 years and above. If people under the age of 20 suffer, this is usually associated with a weakened immune system or hormonal disturbances. Therefore, after prescribing a course of vitamins and restructuring a person by focusing on a healthy and active lifestyle, the irritations disappear.
It is noted that after a well-designed course of treatment, the skin is gradually eliminated, no scars remain, and papules with inflammation no longer return.
The main symptoms
Whichever of the areas described above develops scalp psoriasis, it will always be accompanied by the appearance of single or multiple foci of inflammation, which will be complemented by the appearance of characteristic dense scales and accompanied by severe itching.
The primary stage of the disease has almost no pronounced symptoms, patients often do not know that they are overwhelmed by dermatological pathology. The patient has no complaints, the external examination does not show specific symptoms.
In addition, some patients note that the initial stage is very similar to dandruff, so long courses of treatment with shampoo are possible to get rid of the wrong pathology.
If the process is neglected, it can spread deep into the skin, affecting the root system of the hair and causing hair loss.
A disease such as scalp psoriasis has its own stages of the course, which include:
- Progression phase. New symptoms of inflammation appear. This process occurs in the direction from the center to the periphery.
- Stationary stage. It is characterized by relative calm, during which new inflammatory elements cease to form, but the existing symptoms do not disappear.
- Regression phase. At this stage, the main symptoms of psoriasis subside. Typical psoriatic rashes are replaced by foci of pigmentation.
Characteristics of the treatment
A process such as the treatment of scalp psoriasis should be considered as a whole complex 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.
- Drugs with cytostatic effect.
- Medicines based on corticosteroids.
- Antihistamines.
- Immunomodulatory agents.
- Drugs for nonspecific drug therapy (ATP).
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 only be used if the pathogenic microflora is attacked.
Local therapy for scalp psoriasis involves the use of the following agents:
- Ointments with keratoplastic action: ichthyol ointment, naphthalis ointment, salicylic ointment, sulfur-tar ointment.
- Glucocorticoid ointments. Such 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 caveat is that this tool will only be effective in combination with other methods.
As an effective remedy for the treatment of scalp psoriasis, the following have been proven:
- Tar shampoo.
- Zinc shampoo.
- Shampoo containing ketoconazole.
Physiotherapy is another effective topical remedy for the treatment of psoriasis.
For the treatment of psoriasis of the head, the following physiotherapeutic agents are used:
- UV irradiation of the skin.
- Hydrotherapy.
- Method of plasmapheresis.
- Hemabsorption.
- Laser irradiation.
- Pack and mud applications.
- Heliotherapy.
- Bathing in hydrogen sulfide springs 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. The saturation of the patient's body with vitamins is one of the most important details in the treatment.
When determining which diet is best for a patient, the focus is always on the compatibility of food and drugs, as well as the food itself within 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 treated with 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 as an addition to the main one. Let's consider in detail the most effective alternative methods that can treat scalp psoriasis.
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 with the addition of 40 ml of dry red wine, then it can be applied in the form of lotions on the affected areas of the scalp.
Method number 2. To lubricate the scalp, you can also use an alcoholic tincture of celandine grass. 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 clean the affected areas. Also, after applying the dye, you can rinse your hair with a strong chamomile infusion.
Method number 3. As an excellent tool for general detoxification of the body, 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. It is possible to treat skin manifestations of scalp psoriasis using folk methods using the fruits and stems of rose hips.
To do this, it is necessary to burn the stems and fruits to an ashy state, after which this agent must be rubbed into the affected areas. For better absorption, petroleum jelly from the pharmacy can be added to the ash.
It is recommended to remove traces of oil on the skin and hair from folk remedies with a solution of vinegar. It is usually made in a proportion of 50x50 parts. There are many treatment options, but it is always important to choose the right one. For this, it is best to seek expert advice.
Prophylaxis
In order to prevent the recurrence of scalp psoriasis, the following rules must be adhered to:
- Respect the rules of personal hygiene, take proper care of your hair and scalp.
- Refuse alcohol and tobacco smoke.
- 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 dyes or not to dye it at all.
- Treat all existing diseases in a timely manner.
- For general strengthening of the body, it is necessary to use folk methods.
From all of the above, we can conclude that psoriasis of the scalp 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 defined as budgetary, while the stereotype "the more expensive the better" is unacceptable. There is nothing in the world more precious than your health and that of your loved ones. And remember that it is better to prevent the disease than to cure it later.
Be healthy!