Psoriasis is a chronic disease of the upper layers of the cells of the epidermis, which is accompanied by the presence of scales of dead skin. The most common disease is psoriasis on the head. The disease is accompanied by the presence of large or small formations on the scalp.
Often, the lesion is located in one place. Late treatment can make the situation worse.
This type of disease is not transmitted to other people. A person suffering from this disease is safe for society.
Psoriasis development factors
The main cause of skin defects is impaired metabolism.
As already mentioned, the disease is not infectious, so the patient cannot harm the health of those around him. The presence of psoriasis in a person indicates the body's inability to respond normally to the presence of various types of stimuli. As a result, excessive cell division occurs. According to statistics, the normal cell division process lasts about 30 days.
During this period, the upper layer of the epidermis is gradually replaced by new ones. In psoriasis, it is possible to observe the excessive growth of new cells, which start to overlap the old ones. The division period is reduced by 4 days. As a result, small scaly lesions appear on the surface of the scalp.
In most cases, they present as mild inflammation accompanied by itching. In the process of exfoliating the old layer of the epidermis, pink patches of various shapes form on the surface of the skin. Gradually, they begin to be covered by new skin cell formations.
Scientists have identified a number of reasons that can also trigger a malfunction of normal metabolism, including:
- Having bad habits. Excessive abuse of alcohol and tobacco products causes significant changes throughout the body. In the presence of psoriasis on the head, the toxic substances that make up alcohol and cigarettes negatively affect the course of the disease.
- Incorrect power supply. The patient's diet contains many products with large amounts of food additives and carcinogens. Poor nutrition can be the initial stage of psoriasis.
- Mechanical damage to the scalp. With repeated injuries, dandruff may appear. Comb bacteria are able to penetrate the affected area of the scalp, triggering the disease mechanism.
- Problems of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Unstable temperature conditions. This problem manifests itself during the period of seasonal changes in climatic conditions.
- Long-term medication.
- Endocrine system failure.
- Genetic predisposition of the organism.
If there are significant signs of psoriasis on the scalp, it is recommended to seek help from a professional dermatologist. He will select the appropriate treatment to prevent the appearance of new injuries. Scalp psoriasis, in most cases, occurs in people aged 30 to 36 years. It rarely occurs in young children
Symptoms
In the early stages of the course of psoriasis, the patient does not experience any changes. The disease progresses slowly and without discomfort. In the visual examination, in rare cases, the doctor observes the presence of dandruff in insignificant amount. With a more complex course of scalp psoriasis, the patient has severe itching and burning in the neck, forehead and ears. Plates with dry scaly elements form in the affected areas.
Microfissures start to form on the skin, through which the infection enters the body. At the peeling site, the dry parts of the skin begin to grow rapidly. Under mechanical stress, these plaques begin to peel off, leaving red spots. In this case, the patient needs to choose the appropriate medication to prevent disease progression.
Main locations of location
Today, psoriasis on the head is a very common type of disease, which occurs in every four patients. Early treatment is the main reason for the spread of the disease throughout the body. The disease can take many forms, each accompanied by new health problems.
The main sites of scalp psoriasis are:
- skin around the ears, back of the head, behind the ear;
- frontal lobe, parietal area;
- posterior region of the cervical spine;
- division zone of hair growth.
The disease has two forms: mild and severe.
During the initial stage, the patient does not experience any unpleasant sensation. The main symptom may be the persistent presence of dandruff, which appears two days after washing. With a severe form of the disease, the patient has psycho-emotional discomfort, a constant burning sensation and itching in the affected area of the skin.
Psoriasis of the scalp: classification and varieties
Psoriasis in the head has several stages of the disease.
Dermatologists divide scalp psoriasis into the following stages:
- Initial.It is the presence of small pink papules that rise slightly above the skin. The patient may experience a slight itch in the affected area. With mechanical action, small fragments of dead skin cells are exfoliated.
- Progressive.The presence of new injuries is noted here. The patient begins to experience severe discomfort, which is accompanied by the presence of constant itching and severe flaking. Papules gradually spread peripherally from one another.
- Stationary.With this stage, most of the scalp is affected by injuries. Old areas do not disappear, but on the contrary, they start to progress more strongly.
- Regressive.Characterized by the presence of a large number of white circles in the affected area. The skin starts to dry out a lot. A large number of scaly formations are present on the surface of the papules.
A severe course of the disease can cause hair follicles to die, which causes premature baldness in certain areas of the head. The scaly areas gradually thicken due to dead skin cells. On visual inspection, light colored growths are observed on the scalp surface. Men are exempt from military service, as moral and physical stress causes a severe course of the disease.
Classification and varieties
In medicine, there are two groups of scalp psoriasis. Each of them has a complex of varieties that describe all characteristic diseases accompanied by the presence of similar symptoms. This includes the pustular type.
Includes several groups:
- generalized form;
- palmoplantar;
- is null.
The non-pustular type, in turn, is divided into:
- the traditional form of the disease; psoriatic
- .
Each type and subgroup has similar symptoms, but different rates of disease progression. With the pustular type of the disease, the patient has a progressive character of spreading outbreaks that need good drug treatment. In the presence of a non-pustular type, the skin is less susceptible to attack by new formations.
The course of psoriasis in childhood
In young children, psoriasis of the scalp in the early stage is often compared to an allergic reaction - there is a slight redness on the skin surface with flaking elements. In most cases, the affected area is compared to diaper rash, candidiasis and eczema.
The disease progresses in slow motion. Often, the initial impetus for the appearance of defects in the scalp are various medications that contain aggressive components. The child should be treated under the guidance of an experienced dermatologist.
The initial stage of therapy is a restricted diet. Citrus fruits, all types of dyes, fatty and cancerous foods are completely excluded from the diet. Medication is prescribed to prevent the spread of the affected areas. Mainly lotions, sprays, shampoos prescribed based on medicinal components. This therapy helps to restore hair follicles, preventing their death.
Important
The course of therapeutic measures correctly selected significantly attenuates the course of the disease.
A basic diet is selected for each child, which can eliminate the rapid spread of inflamed areas. In addition to adequate nutrition and drug therapy, a physiotherapy course is prescribed to the patient, which contributes to the rapid regeneration of the affected cells of the epidermis.
How to treat psoriasis on the head in the hospital and at home
All psoriasis drugs are generally divided into two categories: external and internal. Using them, you can forget about the disease forever. As a rule, the use of external medications is far from always possible due to the constant growth of hair, so special balms and shampoos replace several ointments.
Not everyone knows how to treat psoriasis in the head, especially when faced with the disease for the first time. But most internal drugs are hormonal.
In the case of drug treatment, several medications with a general sedative and strengthening effect are often used. They can be complexes of well-known vitamins, based on folic and niacin. The treatment of the disease in a hospital is performed mainly in cases where psoriasis is severe or moderate. Treatment methods and specific medications are prescribed according to the stage of the disease: stationary, progressive or regressive.
At the stage when treatment at the clinic is needed, patients no longer have time to hesitate, active measures begin to relieve inflammation and disinfect.
In addition to the standard set of injections and a wide variety of pills, external agents such as lotions and ointments are used. After the disease moves to the next stage - the regression time, the patient has already been discharged to continue treatment at home. The course of treatment usually takes two weeks. And the doctor will have to talk about how to treat psoriasis in the head at home when he is discharged from the hospital.
Home treatment
So far, there are no drugs to help eliminate a disease like psoriasis forever. The main objective of home treatment is mainly to control its development.
An increase in the time interval of the remission phase occurs due to the use of the following funds:
- Special shampoos.
- Healing ointments.
- Infusions of various herbs.
- Baths with the addition of herbal infusions.
- UV irradiation.
When prescribing home treatment, it is important to know some rules that must be followed:
- All prescription drugs should be taken regularly.
- In the absence of pronounced symptoms, it is sufficient to use products containing aloe vera. Only in the case of a severe course of the disease, it is necessary to switch to the use of any hormonal medications.
- Using the prescribed creams, it will be possible to maintain a normal level of skin moisture.
- In the case of scheduling sunbathing and the recently popular ultraviolet therapy procedure, it is imperative to strictly follow the schedule suggested by the doctor.
- To eliminate the various manifestations of the disease, it is advisable to use the most common means. Most doctors agree that it is undesirable to use several different ointments and medications at the same time, since it will be impossible to determine the effectiveness of a particular medicine for you.
- Take a break during treatment. At the same time, the average time between courses varies from several weeks to six months.
- If psoriasis is seen in a child, it is necessary to be aware of the factors that caused the disease to exclude them as soon as possible. In that case, the diet is usually sufficient.
How to cure psoriasis on the head with popular methods
You can try to cure the disease using various folk remedies. Of course, using only them alone, it is unlikely that it will be possible to obtain stunning results, since psoriasis on the head can only be cured with a complex treatment.
Folk remedies are good for helping to alleviate the situation and, at the same time, work as an additional therapy. Celandine is a plant on the basis of which funds are used in the case of a wide variety of infectious and inflammatory skin diseases.
It has been proven several times that, in the case of psoriasis treatment, it can also have a positive effect on the skin. Take the simplest alcoholic tincture from the plant and rub your scalp with it. After that, it is advisable to rinse hair a little with chamomile infusion. If discomfort occurs while using the product, you must discontinue use. Although there are a large number of masks today, it is necessary to use them with caution in the treatment, as they cause allergic reactions.
One of the most popular mask recipes, which you can prepare yourself, is as follows: mix the egg white with a spoonful of honey and apply the resulting mixture directly to the hair, rubbing it on the scalp with light massage movements. Wash the mask after 30 minutes.
Various oil-based masks are quite effective. You can take an essential oil like rosemary or tea tree and add a small spoon of almonds / coconut. The resulting mixture must be applied to the hair and kept for at least two hours. It is necessary to wash this mask with a special medical shampoo.
It is important to note that you will have to lather your hair more than once. Onion compresses are often used against the disease. They are very easy to do. Just cut some of the fruit to the porridge state and apply directly to the scalp with massage movements. This compress is washed after two hours.
For maximum effect, this procedure should be repeated at least three times a week. This medicine has only one disadvantage, but it is quite serious, which is a strong odor, which is unlikely to be eliminated on the same day that the compress was applied.
Therapeutic diet
One of the most important conditions for an effective treatment of psoriasis is strict adherence to a specially formulated diet.
Its essence lies in the exclusion of various foods from the diet:
- Coffee.
- Various citrus fruits.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Fruits, vegetables, but only red.
- Carbonated drinks.
- Spicy food.
- Any confectionery that contains chocolate.
- Products that contain food coloring or any flavoring or preservative.
In addition, for strict adherence to the diet, it is necessary to minimize the consumption of eggs and sugar in any form. After the partial disappearance of symptoms, it will be possible to reuse foods from the list of prohibited foods. However, you need to monitor what reaction the body will have. As soon as the symptoms reappear, the product should be eliminated from your diet.
Hair care rules
Brush your hair carefully and only after it is completely dry. After washing your hair, rinse with boiled water with lemon juice. And if there are too many plaques on your head, you can use soap every two months to wash your hair.