This disease is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory process that predominantly affects the scalp region.
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 the manifestations and course of the disease
A condition such as scalp psoriasis presents with the appearance of a dense "cover" on the scalp, which is subsequently accompanied by severe itching and scaling.
There is another variant of manifestation when small single plates are formed.
The symptoms of psoriasis differ from seborrheic dermatitis, the complete absence of violations of the structure of the hair roots.
In scalp psoriasis, there are no symptoms of hair loss.
The scales that form in psoriasis contain a large amount of sebum, so they are easily identified by touch, which cannot be said of the scaling during seborrheic dermatitis.
The most vulnerable areas of the head with psoriasis include:
- The area around the ears, earlobes.
- Separation 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 as it is impossible to fully recover.
It is the most common psoriatic scalp disease.
The reasons for the development of the disease
The main cause of this condition is hereditary predisposition.
If a person's close relatives have 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.
- Liver and biliary tract diseases.
- Alcohol abuse and smoking.
- Being in a state of constant stress, lack of sleep.
- Inadequate nutrition.
But these are far from all the reasons why this disease can occur.
Some reasons are very rare, so they try not to mention them.
Most of the time, this disease is registered in people who have reached the age of 40-42 years or more. If people under the age of 20 suffer, it is usually associated with a weakened immune system or hormonal disturbances. So after prescribing a course of vitamins and restructuring a person to focus on an active, healthy lifestyle, the irritations pass.
It is noticed that after any well-developed course of treatment, the skin is gradually unobstructed, there are no scars left and the inflamed papules no longer return.
The main symptoms
In any of the areas described above, scalp psoriasis develops, 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 intense itching.
The primary stage of the disease has almost no pronounced symptoms, and patients are often unaware that they are being affected by dermatological pathology. The patient has no complaints, the external examination does not show specific symptoms.
In addition, some patients note that the early stage is very similar to dandruff, so long courses of shampoo treatment are possible to eliminate the erroneous pathology.
If the process is neglected, it can spread deep into the skin, affecting the hair's root system and causing hair loss.
A disease like scalp psoriasis has its own stages of evolution, which include:
- Progression stage. New symptoms of inflammation appear. This process takes place in the direction from the center to the periphery.
- Stationary stage. It is characterized by a relative calm, during which new inflammatory elements cease to form, but existing symptoms do not disappear.
- Regression stage. At this stage, the main symptoms of psoriasis diminish. Typical psoriatic eruptions are replaced by pigment spots.
treatment characteristics
A process such as the treatment of scalp psoriasis must be considered as a complex of measures. This set of measurements can be divided into:
- General therapy.
- Local therapy.
- Physiotherapeutic treatment.
- Spa treatment.
- Traditional methods.
General or drug therapy includes the indication of the following groups of drugs that can effectively treat psoriasis:
- Sedatives.
- Multivitamin pills.
- Hyposensitizing drugs.
- Medicines with a cytostatic effect.
- Corticosteroid drugs.
- Antihistamines.
- Immunomodulatory agents.
- Medicines for non-specific drug therapy (ATP).
It is important to remember that the use of drugs with a cytostatic effect and corticosteroids is only possible if the disease is severe. They must be used with extreme caution, otherwise they can cause a significant exacerbation of the disease.
Antibacterial drugs can be used only if there is pathogenic microflora.
Local therapy for scalp psoriasis involves the use of the following agents:
- Ointments with keratoplastic action: ichthyol ointment, mothball ointment, salicylic ointment, sulfur tar ointment.
- Glucocorticoid ointments. This ointment is only used in severe cases during the course of the disease.
- Popular 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 proven to be:
- Tar shampoo.
- Zinc shampoo.
- Shampoo containing ketoconazole.
Physical therapy is another effective topical remedy for treating psoriasis.
For the treatment of head psoriasis, the following physiotherapeutic agents are used:
- UV irradiation of the skin.
- Hydrotherapy.
- Plasmapheresis method.
- Hemisorption.
- Laser irradiation.
- Mud wraps and 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 alleviate a high level of nervous irritability. 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, one should always pay attention to the compatibility of foods and medications, as well as the foods themselves within their range. This important detail helps to reduce the load on the patient's gastrointestinal tract as well as their other internal organ systems.
As additional methods, folk remedies are used.
traditional medicine methods
Can scalp psoriasis be cured with traditional methods? It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally.
We can only say that, as an independent method of treatment, the popular methods are ineffective, just as an adjunct to the main one. Let's consider in detail the most effective alternative methods that can treat scalp psoriasis.
Method number 1. You need to prepare the celandine juice by first passing the celidone herb through a meat grinder and then squeezing it out. This product can be complemented with the addition of 40 ml of dry red wine, which can then be applied in the form of lotions to the affected areas of the scalp.
Method number 2. To lubricate your scalp, you can also use an alcoholic celandine tincture. To prepare it, it is necessary to pour half a glass of dried herbs with 0. 5 liters of 70% medicinal alcohol (you can use vodka).
This remedy must be insisted on 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 infusion of chamomile.
Method number 3. As an excellent tool for general body detox, you can use "Monastery Tea", which cleanses the body of toxins, cleanses the liver and helps to eliminate 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 the cutaneous manifestations of scalp psoriasis using popular methods with rose hips berries and stems.
For this, it is necessary to burn the stems and fruits to the ash state, after which this agent must be rubbed into the affected areas. For better absorption, pharmaceutical petroleum jelly can be added to the ash.
It is recommended to remove traces of oil on the skin and hair of folk remedies with a solution of vinegar. It is usually made in the proportion of 50x50 pieces. There are many treatment options, but it is always important to choose the most suitable one. For this, it is best to consult experts.
Prophylaxis
To prevent the recurrence of scalp psoriasis, you must follow the following rules:
- Respect personal hygiene rules, take proper care of your hair and scalp.
- Refuse alcohol and tobacco smoke.
- Limit stressful situations as much as possible.
- Observe the work and rest mode.
- Follow a special diet.
- Take multivitamin preparations every six months.
- It is necessary to dye your hair only with hypoallergenic dye, or not dye it at all.
- Treat all existing illnesses in a timely manner.
- For the general strengthening of the body, the use of popular methods is necessary.
From all 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 called budgetary, while the stereotype "the more expensive the better" is unacceptable. There is nothing in the world more valuable than your own health and the health of your loved ones. And remember, it's better to prevent the disease than to cure it later.
Be healthy!