The disease is a chronic, inflammatory and recurrent process and mainly affects the scalp area.
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.
Features of manifestations and course of the disease
A disease such as psoriasis of the scalp manifests itself with the appearance of a dense "cap" on the scalp, followed by severe itching and peeling.
There is another variant of manifestations when single small plaques are formed.
The symptoms of psoriasis differ from seborrheic dermatitis in the complete absence of disorders in the structure of the hair follicles.
With psoriasis of the scalp, there are usually no signs of hair loss.
Scales in psoriasis contain large amounts of sebum, so they are easily identified by touch, not to mention peeling during seborrheic dermatitis.
The most sensitive areas of the head with psoriasis include:
- Around the ears, earphones.
- Separation area.
- Frontal, occipital and cervical region.
Scalp psoriasis is often characterized by recurrent relapses and is chronic.
This dermatological disease always has a chronic degree, because it is impossible to completely recover.
The most common is psoriatic scalp disease.
Causes of the disease
The main reason for this situation is hereditary predisposition.
If a person's close relatives have the disease, the probability of his inheritance is at least 70%.
Secondary causes of psoriasis include:
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Decreased level of the body's defenses.
- Diseases of the liver and bile ducts.
- Alcohol abuse and smoking.
- Being in a state of constant stress, lack of sleep.
- Malnutrition.
However, these are far from all the possible causes of this disease.
Some reasons are very rare, so they try not to mention them.
The disease is most common in people aged 40-42 years and older. When people under the age of 20 suffer, it is usually associated with a weakened immune system or hormonal disorders. Therefore, irritants disappear after determining the course of vitamins and rebuilding a person who pays attention to an active healthy lifestyle.
It is noted that after any properly designed course of treatment, the skin is gradually cleansed, no scars remain and inflammatory papules do not return.
The main symptoms
Psoriasis of the scalp develops in any of the areas described above, will always be complemented by the appearance of characteristic dense scales and will be accompanied by the appearance of single or multiple inflammatory foci accompanied by severe itching.
In the early stages of the disease, there are almost no obvious symptoms, and often patients are unaware that they are overwhelmed by dermatological pathology. The patient has no complaints, external examination does not show specific symptoms.
Also, some patients report that the initial stage is very similar to dandruff, so long courses of treatment with shampoos are possible to eliminate the wrong pathology.
If the process is neglected, then it can spread deep into the skin and affect the root system of the hair, causing hair loss.
A disease such as scalp psoriasis has its own course stages, including:
- Progress phase. New signs of inflammation appear. This process goes from the center to the periphery.
- Stationary stage. It is characterized by relative calmness, during which time new inflammatory elements stop appearing, but existing symptoms do not disappear.
- Regression phase. At this stage, the main symptoms of psoriasis decrease. Typical psoriatic eruptions are replaced by foci of pigmentation.
Treatment features
A process such as the treatment of scalp psoriasis should be considered as a whole set of measures. This set of measures can be roughly divided into:
- General therapy.
- Local therapy.
- Physiotherapy treatment.
- Spa treatment.
- Traditional methods.
General or drug treatment involves the appointment of the following groups of drugs that can effectively treat psoriasis:
- Sedatives.
- Multivitamin tablets.
- Hyposensitizing drugs.
- Drugs with cytostatic effect.
- Corticosteroid medications.
- Antihistamines.
- Immunomodulators.
- Drugs for the treatment of non-specific drugs (ATP).
It is important to remember that the use of cytostatic drugs and corticosteroids is possible only in severe cases. They should be used with extreme caution, otherwise they can lead to significant exacerbation of the disease.
Antibacterial drugs can be used only in the case of closure of pathogenic microflora.
Topical therapy of psoriasis of the scalp involves the use of the following agents:
- Ointments with keratoplastic effect: ichthyol ointment, naphthalene ointment, salicylic ointment, sulfur-tar ointment.
- Glucocorticoid ointments. Such an ointment is used only in severe cases of the disease.
- Folk remedies for local use.
Shampoos are used as another effective treatment. The only caveat is that this tool will only work in combination with other methods.
As an effective tool for the treatment of scalp psoriasis, the following have proven themselves:
- Tar shampoo.
- Zinc shampoo.
- Shampoo containing ketoconazole.
Physiotherapy is another effective topical tool for the treatment of psoriasis.
The following physiotherapeutic agents are used to treat psoriasis:
- UV radiation of the skin.
- Hydrotherapy.
- Plasmapheresis method.
- Hemisorption.
- Laser radiation.
- Mud dressings and applications.
- Heliotherapy.
- Bathe in hydrogen sulfide springs and therapeutic baths.
A typical technique is to relieve stress and psychological stress. To do this, the patient is prescribed sedatives to relieve high levels of nervous irritation. 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, attention is always paid to the appropriateness of food and medication, as well as to the food itself within its range. This important detail helps to reduce the load on the patient's gastrointestinal tract, as well as other internal organ systems.
Folk remedies are used as additional methods.
Traditional medicine methods
Can scalp psoriasis be treated with traditional methods? It is impossible to give an unequivocal answer to this question.
We can only say that folk remedies are ineffective as an independent method of treatment, only in addition to the main one. Let's take a closer look at the most effective alternative methods that can treat psoriasis of the scalp.
Method №1. Celandine juice should first be passed through a meat grinder, then squeezed. It can be added to this product by adding 40 ml of dry red wine, and then applied to the affected areas of the scalp in the form of lotions.
Method number 2. To lubricate the scalp, you can use an alcoholic tincture of celandine herb. To prepare it, you need to pour half a glass of dry grass with 0. 5 liters of 70% medical alcohol (you can use vodka).
This tool should be insisted on for 7 days, after which it can be used to wipe the affected areas. You can also rinse your hair with a strong chamomile infusion after applying the tincture.
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 to get rid of all manifestations of psoriasis. During treatment, this tea can be drunk instead of the usual black or green tea.
Method number 4. It is possible to treat skin manifestations of psoriasis of the scalp using folk remedies using hips fruits and stems.
To do this, the stems and fruits should be burned to ashes, after which the agent should be applied to the affected areas. Ash pharmacy oil gel can be added for better absorption.
It is recommended to remove traces of oil on the skin and hair with a solution of vinegar from folk methods. It is usually made in the ratio of 50x50 parts. There are many treatment options, but it is always important to choose the right one. It is better to seek expert advice.
Prophylaxis
To prevent recurrence of scalp psoriasis, you should follow the following rules:
- Follow the rules of personal hygiene, take proper care of your hair and scalp.
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco.
- Limit stressful situations as much as possible.
- Follow a work and rest schedule.
- Follow a special diet.
- Take a multivitamin every six months.
- You only need to dye your hair with hypoallergenic dye, or not dye at all.
- Treat all existing diseases in a timely manner.
- It is necessary to use folk methods for the general strengthening of the body.
From all of the above, we can conclude that psoriasis of the scalp is not an independent disease, but another manifestation of such a serious disease.
From the point of view of financial costs, the treatment described can be called a budget, the stereotype of "the more expensive, the better" is unacceptable. There is nothing more valuable in the world than your own health and the health of your loved ones. And remember that it is better to prevent the disease than to treat it later.
Bless you!