4 Things You Need To Know About Scalp Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a relapsing skin disease that affects 125 million people throughout the world, including 7.5 million in the United States. There are several different forms of psoriasis, including scalp psoriasis. Here are four things you need to know about scalp psoriasis.
What are the symptoms of scalp psoriasis?
If you develop scalp psoriasis, you'll see red, flaky skin on your scalp. The affected skin can be either itchy or sore. If you look more closely at your hair shafts, you'll see skin flakes attached to them. These skin flakes are known as dandruff.
In addition to flaky skin, scales or a crust may be present on your scalp, and your scalp may bleed when you remove them. Your scalp may not be the only part of your head that's affected; the patches may also spread past your hairline and affect your forehead, cheeks or neck.
How common is scalp psoriasis?
Scalp psoriasis is incredibly common among people with other types of psoriasis. As many as 80% of psoriasis sufferers also have scalp involvement. Since it's so common, psoriasis sufferers need to pay attention to changes in the skin of their scalps and report any changes to their dermatologists promptly.
What complications can scalp psoriasis cause?
According to Skin Therapy Letter, decreased quality of life is very common among people with scalp psoriasis: 80% report that their quality of life is negatively impacted. The appearance of the plaques can make you feel self conscious or depressed. The itching or soreness can also be distracting or distressing, depending on the severity.
Scalp psoriasis can also make simple tasks like getting your hair cut more difficult. The flakes or plaques on your scalp can make it harder for your hairdresser or barber to comb through your hair. You may also experience physical discomfort like soreness or itching when your plaques are touched by the comb. The heat of the hair dryer may also irritate your plaques, leading to further discomfort.
Physical discomfort isn't the only problem: some hairdressers or barbers may be alarmed by the plaques and may make ignorant comments, which can damage your self confidence. To avoid these problems, try to find a hair care professional that is familiar with scalp psoriasis.
How is scalp psoriasis managed?
Usually, topical steroids are used to treat scalp psoriasis. While topical steroids can cause skin atrophy when applied to skin elsewhere on the body, the scalp is more resistant to this side effect. These steroids can be applied in spray, shampoo or foam form and are applied once or twice a day until symptoms are under control. Once your symptoms are under control (typically within two to three weeks) you'll need to keep applying the medication on a reduced schedule to prevent a relapse.
If you can't use steroids, your dermatologist may prescribe a vitamin D derivative instead. These medications take about eight weeks to produce results, so you'll need to be patient. Vitamin D derivatives may be applied in shampoo or gel form.
While topical treatments are the preferred therapies, phototherapy can also be attempted in some cases. This treatment plan involves exposing the affected skin to ultraviolet light, but since hair shields the scalp from this light, it can be hard to target the skin. Ultraviolet combs have been designed for this purpose, but the treatment may still be cumbersome. Phototherapy is easiest for people who are bald or who wear their hair closely cropped.
If you think you have scalp psoriasis, see a dermatologist as soon as possible. Scalp psoriasis can be very distressing for sufferers, but it can be managed. For more information about dermatologists in your area, visit sites like http://ADCderm.com.