How To Know If You Have Dandruff Or Psoriasis
Dry, flaky skin on your scalp can be uncomfortable and awkward. Those flakes can be caused by dandruff or psoriasis, which are two very different conditions.
Dandruff, known as seborrhea, can normally be treated fairly quickly and is seldom a serious medical issue. Psoriasis, on the other hand, is a chronic condition without an existing remedy, and one that can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.
Emotional Impact Of Psoriasis
Because of the effect that psoriasis can have on physical appearance, low self-esteem and anxiety are common among people with the condition. This can lead to depression, especially if the psoriasis gets worse.
Your GP or dermatologist will understand the psychological and emotional impact of psoriasis, so talk to them about your concerns or anxieties.
What Are The Symptoms Of Jock Itch
Jock itch can also cause redness in the groin area, as well as itching, burning, and overall irritation. You may also see scaling, which can appear on the thighs or buttocks.
How do you tell the difference? According to Itkin, one of the main ways doctors can tell the difference is by looking at whats called demarcation.
Fungal infections usually cause fine, elevated scales at the leading reddish edge of the lesion. The center of the lesion becomes brownish. It may also become less red and scaly.
Inverse psoriasis usually doesnt have this scale. If it does, its probably more evenly distributed over the patch of skin. Inverse psoriasis will look more evenly red than jock itch because of this.
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What Are The Types Of Psoriasis
In children, common types of psoriasis include:
Plaque psoriasis. This is the most common type of psoriasis. It causes plaques and silvery scales, usually on the knees, elbows, lower back, and scalp. They can be itchy and painful and may crack and bleed.
Guttate psoriasis. This type often shows up after an illness, especially strep throat. It causes small red spots, usually on the trunk, arms, and legs. Spots also can appear on the face, scalp, and ears.
Inverse psoriasis. This causes smooth, raw-looking patches of red skin that feel sore. The patches develop in places where skin touches skin, such as the armpits, buttocks, upper eyelids, groin and genitals, or under a woman’s breasts.
Sneaky Psoriasis Sign #: A Raindrop Rash
This is called Guttate psoriasis. People tend to have sudden eruption of small, scaly, salmon-colored bumps on the torso, legs, and arms, says Dr. Kassardjian. Theyre shaped like raindrops.
In children and young adults, Guttate psoriasis often appears as a reaction to an infection like strep throat or chickenpox. When the infection clears, so does the psoriasis. However, Guttate psoriasis can become chronic as well.
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What Are The Basic Differences
Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease. That means your immune system becomes dysfunctional and chronically activated, resulting in skin changes. It causes raised, red, scaly patches on your skin or scalp.
There are multiple subtypes of psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common and accounts for nearly 80-90 percent of psoriasis cases.
People with plaque psoriasis typically have sharply demarcated, raised, itchy, painful red plaques covered with silvery scales. The plaques are most often found on elbows and knees, but they can occur anywhere.
Eczema is an inflammation of the skin that can have numerous triggers. Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema. It typically occurs in people with a personal or family history of asthma, hay fever or other allergies, and it is often seen in children. It makes skin more sensitive and more prone to infection.
At any time in your life, you can develop eczema from dry skin or chemicals that contact the skin and trigger irritation or allergic reactions.
Neither psoriasis nor eczema is contagious, Dr. Fernandez says. But while you cant pass them from person to person, they may run in families.
What Are The Risk Factors
If someone in your family has psoriasis, your chances of having it increase. Smoking and stress can also increase your risk of triggering the disease.
Having obesity or being overweight is also a risk factor for jock itch because the fungus can live in skin folds. The fungus multiplies in warm, moist places. People who sweat more, such as athletes, are also more likely to develop jock itch.
- oral medications
- other therapies that can help keep your symptoms under control
These treatments will address the symptoms as well as the underlying immune dysfunction. So while they usually wont cure the condition entirely, symptoms are less likely to reoccur.
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Psoriasis With Darker Skin
You can get psoriasis with all different skin colors, but it tends to look different on darker skin.
In African Americans, psoriasis is typically purplish in color with scaling that looks gray. In very dark skin, the psoriasis may also be dark brown and so harder to see.
Slightly lighter Hispanic skin tends to produce a dark pinkish-colored psoriasis and with a scale that looks silvery-white.
In addition, after psoriasis clears on these skin types, patches that are lighter or darker than the surrounding skin may remain for some time .
These are not scars, and they will clear after some time, though it can take from a few months to a year or longer. Your skin doctor may be able to treat them so they clear more quickly. Ask about this if the appearance of the patches bothers you.
Jeffrey M. Weinberg, MD, director of the Clinical Research Center, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York City assistant clinical professor of dermatology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons consultant for Amgen and Genentech.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
American Academy of Dermatology.
What Are The Symptoms Of Inverse Psoriasis
Psoriasis comes in different forms. The most common skin symptoms include raised, red patches of skin that are occasionally paired with a silvery scale. Itching or bleeding may also occur.
These skin patches, also known as plaques, can show up anywhere on your body. Plaque psoriasis commonly appears on the:
- elbows
- buttocks
- scalp
Inverse psoriasis most often shows up in folded areas of the body or wherever skin touches skin, says Aleksandr Itkin, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, California.
According to Itkin, this type of psoriasis is often mistaken for fungal infections such as jock itch. This is because of its common appearance in the groin area.
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What Are The Most Common Treatments For Psoriasis And Whats The Prognosis
The bad news is that psoriasis is chronic, so if you’re diagnosed with it, it’s likely a condition that you’ll have for life. And there is currently no cure. But there’s some very good news to keep in mind, too. Symptoms can come and go over time, and there are a variety of treatment options that are more effective than ever and can help you find significant symptom relief.
Common psoriasis treatments include:
These can include steroid creams, a vitamin D analog, or a combination.
Six Symptoms You Shouldnt Ignore
The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis can vary in severity, from person to person and can even come and go . Here are six symptoms you should watch out for.
1. Its hard to move in the morning
Psoriatic arthritis can make getting up in the morning a challenge, especially after you havent moved around for a while. It can cause stiffness and pain in one or more joints, from your toes to your fingers. It can even cause pain and swelling in the tendons and surrounding structures that connect to your bone, a condition called enthesitis.
2. Your fingers look like warm sausages
About 30 to 50 percent of patients with psoriatic arthritis will experience the symptoms of dactylitis, or extreme swelling in their fingers and toes, Dr. Aquino said. This is when the entire fingers and toes swell to resemble sausages.
You may notice your swollen joints feel warm to the touch because inflammation and swelling cause heat.
3. You have lower back pain
When you think of psoriatic arthritis, you typically think about skin symptoms, but many people experience lower back pain as well. About 20 percent of those with psoriatic arthritis will develop a subtype called spinal involvement or psoriatic spondylitis, which may result in pain and stiffness in the back and hips, Dr. Aquino said.
4. Your nails have grooves and ridges
5. You experience eye problems
6. Youre always tired
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It Can Affect The Scalp Hairline Forehead Back Of The Neck And Skin Around The Ears
Did You Know?
Symptoms may include fine scaling that looks like dandruff, or appear as thick, crusted plaques that cover the entire scalp. Other skin disorders, such as seborrheic dermatitis, may resemble psoriasis. However, scalp psoriasis appears powdery with a silvery sheen, while seborrheic dermatitis looks yellowish and greasy. Scalp psoriasis is common in patients of color, but treating it can be particularly tough due to the hair type.
Scalp psoriasis may be an indicator of psoriatic arthritis , as many people have both. If you think you have scalp psoriasis, see a dermatologist to diagnose scalp psoriasis and visit a rheumatologist to screen for psoriatic arthritis.
No matter how severe your scalp psoriasis is, there are options for treating the itching and flakes â from over-the-counter shampoos and topicals to light therapy, oral treatments and biologics.
What Is Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects some patients who have the skin condition psoriasis, said Edwin Aquino, MD, a rheumatologist with Banner University Medical Center Tucson. Studies suggest that some people may be genetically predisposed to getting it as well.
While one-third of people who have psoriasis get psoriatic arthritis, many more develop it without having psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis can start at any age, but it generally starts between the ages of 30 and 50. Theres no cure for psoriatic arthritis, thats why its important to discover it early on. Left untreated, it can permanently damage joints.
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Don’t Ignore Redness And Skin Irritation
We already discussed that dandruff is often the result of some form of skin irritation, but psoriasis takes it a bit further. Skin irritation will often be accompanied by patches of red, dry skin on the scalp. It can be easy to dismiss this at first, especially when hair is covering your head, but the sooner you get it looked at, the sooner you can determine if you need psoriasis treatment or not. If you notice skin flaking off on your hair and clothing, make sure to examine your scalp for any patches of red, dry skin.
The Differences In Appearances
Eczema makes your skin red and inflamed. It may be scaly, oozing, or crusty. You may see rough, leathery patches that are sometimes dark. It can also cause swelling.
Psoriasis can also cause red patches. They may be silvery and scaly — and raised. But if you look closely, the skin is thicker and more inflamed than with eczema.
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What Symptoms Should You Watch For
Visually, it can sometimes be difficult to tell one condition from the other.
You have to look at all the clinical aspects of a rash to distinguish between eczema and psoriasis, including the history and the patients other medical problems, Dr. Fernandez says.
The common signs dry and/or cracked scaly skin, itching and red patches or plaques may show up for either.
With psoriasis, the plaques on your skin are likely thicker and have dry scaling. But sometimes thats not enough to tell between the two with the naked eye, Dr. Fernandez says.
A more obvious clue fluid leaking through the skin points to eczema.
When we see that, we definitely think about eczema instead of psoriasis, he says. But there are definitely times when we cannot tell the difference. And, in those cases, we will perform biopsies.
Sneaky Psoriasis Sign #: Hand Or Foot Blisters
Raised red patches on the palms or soles are common with psoriasis, but an unlucky few develop deep blisters or pustules within these patches, says Dr. Katta. This is known as palmoplantar pustular psoriasis.
Smokers are at higher risk for this type, because nicotine can cause inflammation in the sweat glands of the hands and feet.
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Steroid Creams Or Ointments
Steroid creams or ointments are commonly used to treat mild to moderate psoriasis in most areas of the body. The treatment works by reducing inflammation. This slows the production of skin cells and reduces itching.
Topical corticosteroids range in strength from mild to very strong. Only use topical corticosteroids when recommended by your doctor. Stronger topical corticosteroids can be prescribed by your doctor and should only be used on small areas of skin or on particularly thick patches. Overusing topical corticosteroids can lead to skin thinning.
How Can You Ease Your Symptoms
Dr. Fernandez recommends using a moisturizing cream or ointment if you have either eczema or psoriasis. Keeping your skin moist is helpful because youre more likely to itch if your skin is dry.
Your skin can also benefit from these general health tips:
- Drink alcohol only in moderation.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Drink more water.
- Get plenty of exercise.
There is no cure for psoriasis and multiple types of eczema, including atopic dermatitis. But you can help limit the symptoms by getting proper treatment and taking good care of your skin, Dr. Fernandez says.
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What If Those Psoriasis Treatments Dont Work
If psoriasis doesnt improve, your healthcare provider may recommend these treatments:
- Light therapy: UV light at specific wavelengths can decrease skin inflammation and help slow skin cell production.
- PUVA: This treatment combines a medication called psoralen with exposure to a special form of UV light.
- Methotrexate: Providers sometimes recommend this medication for severe cases. It may cause liver disease. If you take it, your provider will monitor you with blood tests. You may need periodic liver biopsies to check your liver health.
- Retinoids: These vitamin A-related drugs can cause side effects, including birth defects.
- Cyclosporine: This medicine can help severe psoriasis. But it may cause high blood pressure and kidney damage.
- Immune therapies: Newer immune therapy medications work by blocking the bodys immune system so it cant jumpstart an autoimmune disease such as psoriasis.
What Causes Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an immune system problem. Your immune response overreacts, causing inflammation, which leads to new skin cells growing too fast.
Typically, new skin cells grow every 28 to 30 days. But in people with psoriasis, new cells grow and move to the skin surface every three to four days. The buildup of new cells replacing old cells creates the silvery scales of psoriasis.
Psoriasis runs in families. There may be a genetic component. Parents may pass it down to their children.
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How Can Parents Help
For some children, psoriasis is just a minor inconvenience. For others, it is a difficult medical condition.
To manage symptoms and make outbreaks less likely, your child should:
- Wash hands well and often and stay away from people who are sick to prevent infections.
- Manage stress through exercise, yoga, or meditation.
- Not smoke or drink alcohol.
- Keep a healthy weight. People who are overweight tend to have more severe psoriasis symptoms.
Kids and teens with psoriasis may feel uncomfortable with the way their skin looks. Help your child understand that psoriasis is common and treatments can help.
Whether your child’s psoriasis is mild or severe, learn about the condition together. Offer to help find a therapist or join a support group if that might help. Talk to your doctor or check websites like:
At What Age Do They Start
Eczema usually starts in babies or young children. Often, symptoms improve when a kid becomes a grown-up.
It’s less common, but possible, to get it as an adult. When that happens, it’s usually because you have another condition like thyroid disease, hormone changes, or stress.
Psoriasis, on the other hand, usually shows up between ages 15 and 35. But you can get it at other ages too. It’s rare for a baby to have it.
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Psoralen Plus Ultraviolet A
For this treatment, you’ll first be given a tablet containing compounds called psoralens, or psoralen may be applied directly to the skin. This makes your skin more sensitive to light. Your skin is then exposed to a wavelength of light called ultraviolet A . This light penetrates your skin more deeply than ultraviolet B light.
This treatment may be used if you have severe psoriasis that hasn’t responded to other treatment. Side effects of the treatment include nausea, headaches, burning and itchiness. You may need to wear special glasses for 24 hours after taking the tablet to prevent the development of cataracts. Long-term use of this treatment isn’t encouraged, as it can increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
How Is Each Treated
Eczema treatment depends on how severe it is. For mild to moderate cases, youâll use a topical corticosteroid to control inflammation, and youâll use an emollient on your skin. This type of moisturizer has an oil or cream base, not a water base, like lotion, which could dry your skin out more.
If you have moderate to severe eczema, you may need to try a medicine that affects your immune system like , methotrexate, azathioprine, or cyclosporine. If nothing else works, your doctor may prescribe a biologic drug called dupilumab . You might also try light therapy using ultraviolet light.
Psoriasis treatment is either systemic, which means it affects your entire body, or topical, which goes on your skin. If your disease is limited, or mild, you may be able to control it with topical corticosteroids and emollients.
Light therapy paired with methotrexate, cyclosporine, acretin, or a biologic is also an option for more severe cases. Or you could use just a biologic drug, which includes:
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