What Is the Fastest Way to Cure Psoriasis on the Scalp?
Psoriasis is a chronic disease that causes the scalp to be itchy, and scaly and also causes rashes on the scalp. At times it can be very painful, reduces the ability to focus and intrudes sleep cycle too. Since it is a long-term condition, it keeps flaring and subsiding quite often.
Psoriasis shows up differently on different skin tones. If the person is light or medium-skinned then psoriasis shows as red patches with white scaly skin. For dark-skinned people, it looks like purple patches with grey scales all over the scalp. Psoriasis can be a single patch on the scalp or multiple patches all over the scalp. It also spreads sometimes to the forehead, neck (backside) and inside or back of the ears. It is not contagious. Some of the symptoms of scalp psoriasis are:
- Scaly red patches
- Itchy scalp
- Dry scalp
- Hair loss
- Inflammation
- White/grey scaly patches
There can be temporary hair loss due to the constant itching and harsh treatments of psoriasis.
Causes of Scalp Psoriasis
A weakened immune system is said to be the primary source of scalp psoriasis. The body produces skin cells too quickly in psoriasis condition. The body will not be able to cope with too many skin cells since they are not able to shed too many skin cells at a time to balance the growth and shedding cycle. They pile up on the surface of the skin which leads to psoriasis. The other factors that trigger or worsen scalp psoriasis are:
Infections
Genetics
Smoking
Stress
Alcohol
Vitamin D Deficiency
Intake of high blood pressure medicines
There is no permanent cure for scalp psoriasis. It can be controlled with utmost care and many medications are available depending on the severity of psoriasis.
Oral medications and scalp application medications will be given for relief from severe itching.
The first step of the treatment is to remove the scales by softening them and then peeling them off the scalp. Skin creams that have ingredients such as salicylic acid, zinc, and lactic acid are prescribed by the medical practitioner.
Shampoo or soaps containing salicylic acid is also prescribed.
For mild psoriasis, the doctor recommends treatments such as:
Coal tar products – They come in the form of shampoos, foams, soaps and gels and they reduce scalp skin inflammation, itching and also scaling.
Medicated shampoos – They are available in both coal-tar and non-coal-tar varieties
Steroids – Intralesional injections reduce inflammation
The itchiness of the scalp can be reduced by using conditioner after shampooing or using cold packs for spots that are itchy on the scalp.
For moderate to severe psoriasis, Ultraviolet (UV) ray light treatment is also suggested. Hand-held devices deliver UV light to the scalp directly to reduce the effects of psoriasis.
Some of the scalp psoriasis natural treatments in Bangalore that can help reduce inflammation and rashes are the application of turmeric, apple cider vinegar and tea tree shampoo or oil on the scalp.
Is Scalp Psoriasis a Serious Disease?
Scalp Psoriasis is a permanent skin disorder that has no cure and can be controlled with the usage of medications. The duration of the treatments depends on the severity of psoriasis.
The psoriasis condition leads to many serious illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and depression. Scalp psoriasis when left untreated can lead to another serious issue called psoriatic arthritis which causes inflammation in the joints.
Different types of psoriasis can impact the skin, scalp and nails too. The psoriasis types are:
Plaque Psoriasis – This is a commonly seen psoriasis type that leads to skin inflammation with scales.
Guttate Psoriasis – Commonly seen in children, it appears in the form of red or pink color spots.
Pustular Psoriasis – Pus-filled bumps appear on the skin which is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, chills and nausea. It is rarely seen in psoriasis conditions.
Nail Psoriasis – This type of psoriasis causes nails to change their color into yellow and they even form pitting in the nail. At times, the nail is separated from its skin also.
Erythrodermic Psoriasis – This psoriasis type includes a faster heart rate and itching of the skin along with the skin appearing to be burnt.
Inverse Psoriasis – This type of psoriasis leads to patches on the skin along with inflammation.
What Deficiency Causes Scalp Psoriasis?
Vitamin D deficiency causes scalp psoriasis. The other vitamin deficiencies that cause scalp psoriasis are Vitamin A, E and C. Though these vitamin supplements cannot cure scalp psoriasis, they can help in controlling the flaring up of the scalp psoriasis.
Can Scalp Psoriasis Be Cured Permanently?
Scalp psoriasis specialists in Bangalore suggest that cannot be permanently cured. They can only be managed or controlled with medications taken orally or through scalp applicants. When the recommended medications do not work effectively then in-house treatments will be given in dermatologist clinics as intralesional injections are steroids based are injected directly on the scalp to reduce the inflammation.
If the psoriasis is severe then phototherapy will be given with a light source that can be either laser or non-laser. In this therapy, the light is exposed with high intensity on the affected areas of the scalp and it also avoids spreading light to surrounding scalp areas that are unaffected and healthy. This light emission is done with handheld devices named UV Comb. If the patient’s hair is thick UV treatment is given by making various partitions of the scalp. If the hair is thin and less then the dermatologist would suggest direct exposure of the scalp to sunlight for a given time.
Gradually the medications will be reduced considering the variations of the psoriasis conditions.
Bangalore Natural Hair suggests tried, tested and most effective methods of treatments for hair and scalp conditions by the certified scalp psoriasis specialists in Bangalore.
