What Products Should You Use For Scalp Psoriasis
The first line of defense for scalp psoriasis is a psoriasis shampoo. You should look for one that contains salicylic acid together with moisturizing and conditioning agents. By using a salicylic acid based OTC shampoo you can often control the scaly build up so the plaque patches will not get thick. Salicylic acid is an ingredient that will naturally help your body to exfoliate the extra skin cells so they do not get thick. Your scalp will also need moisturizing ingredients which can be found in some shampoos or as a separate cream. For severe plaque buildup the use of a scalp oil may be necessary. A scalp oil is designed to help loosen the dead skin cells so they can be removed more quickly. There are some companies that sell a complete scalp treatment kit that includes a topical cream, daily shampoo and conditioner along with a scalp oil.
Do Scalp Psoriasis Home Remedies Work
How you take care of your hair and scalp can have a big impact on your scalp psoriasis flare-ups. In addition to the treatment plan your doctor recommends, you may want to try some of the following tips at home12:
Skip styling tools when possible: Since heat can further dry out your scalp and exacerbate symptoms, its best to avoid blow-drying, curling, and straightening tools if you can. When brushing your hair, use gentle pressure to avoid further irritation. If you have natural hair and are used to consistent styling that requires heat, talk to your dermatologist or stylist to figure out a plan that reduces the risk of potential flare-ups while maintaining the health of your hair.
Avoid the tight up-do: If you have longer hair and have hair loss, you may also want to avoid pulling it back tightly in a ponytail, since that can pull on the already-fragile scalp and possibly lead to more hair loss. If you must pull your hair back, keep the hair low and loose to prevent excess tugging.
Choose hair products wisely: Using certain hair products, such as hair dyes, can also be irritating to your scalp. Ask your dermatologist for brand recommendations or if there are ways your stylist can dye your hair that might be more gentle on your scalp.
Tips For Living With Hair Loss Caused By Psoriasis
Although scalp psoriasis can be very itchy, it is best to minimize scratching as much as possible. In addition to causing hair loss, scratching can cause the scalp plaques to bleed. Being very gentle while shampooing is also important because scrubbing and scratching can make the plaques worse1.
If you need to remove scale for psoriasis plaques on your scalp, it must be done very carefully and gently by first applying oil or ointment to soften the scale, then loosening it to remove it. Picking at the scale can make the plaque worse and also cause hair loss.
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Hair Loss Prevention And Treatment
Preventing a flare of scalp psoriasis before it starts is the best way to avoid hair loss.
Getting proper treatment is crucial to prevention. A dermatologist can provide medical treatment that can ease a flare quickly, before symptoms become severe or cause complications.
The following sections look at treatment options in more detail.
Scalp Inflammation And Hair Loss
Not all scalp inflammation causes hair loss. However, some medical conditions that can cause your scalp to become inflamed may also damage your hair follicles and cause hair loss.
For example, scalp ringworm can potentially affect your hair follicles and cause patches of hair loss in certain parts of your scalp.
When the inflammation caused by scalp ringworm is severe, it can lead to permanent hair loss that may affect your scalp, eyelashes and eyebrows. Weve provided more information about this in our detailed guide to scalp fungus.
Other conditions that cause inflammation, particularly those that can cause itching, may cause hair loss indirectly through damage that occurs when you scratch your skin.
For example, although psoriasis doesnt cause hair loss directly, scratching your skin or pulling at affected areas of scaly, painful skin can damage your hair follicles and cause temporary hair loss.
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Tips For Avoiding Hair Loss
Hair loss linked to scalp psoriasis can make a distressing condition feel even worse, but there are things you can do that may help minimise the risk of hair falling out. The American Academy of Dermatology has the following advice among its top tips to try.
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Be gentle: Weve heard how frequent scratching and using harsh products can lead to hair loss, so its really important to treat your scalp kindly. Be careful to comb gently when removing scaly skin, and resist the temptation to pick at it.
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Trim your nails: There are bound to be times when you just cannot help but scratch your scalp, so make sure your fingernails are short and smooth when you do. This reduces the risk of loosening clumps of hair.
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Add moisture: Scalp psoriasis causes your scalp to be extremely dry. Using a conditioner and letting your hair air dry as opposed to blow drying it will keep more moisture in the scalp, which may reduce the risk of hair loss.
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Test all products: Before using any product for your hair, do a patch test first to gauge whether or not it is going to be gentle enough for your scalp. If irritation persists after a few hours, swap to something gentler.
What Else Is There To Know About Scalp Psoriasis
Scalp psoriasis can really disrupt someone’s life and overall well-being. While you might think it’s solely a condition that affects the skin, in some cases, psoriatic arthritis can occur especially if the psoriasis is left untreated. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, out of the 8 million people with psoriasis, approximately one-third of them will develop psoriatic arthritis, affecting the joints and the tendons. Having psoriasis doesn’t guarantee a psoriatic arthritis diagnosis, but, unfortunately, the risk is higher. If you’re concerned, visit a rheumatologist to screen for the condition and catch it early if you can.
Keeping the scalp soothed and calm is integral to a healthy head of hair. Whether you’re dealing with scalp psoriasis or not, steering clear of astringent chemicals and highly perfumed products is the way forward. Invest in a hair wellness system that takes a gentle, natural and effective approach to maintain your mane and keep your crowning glory glossy and happy.
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Can Eczema Cause Hair Loss
Seborrheic eczema which is also known as seborrheic dermatitis is a mild, chronic form of dermatitis. The skin condition can affect men, women and children of all ages. Seborrheic eczema usually appears in patches of inflamed skin which tend to be red and covered with white or yellow greasy scales. The patches most commonly occur on areas of the body that can become sweaty or greasy, such as the scalp, face, ears and chest.
It is not yet known what actually causes Seborrheic eczema, it is thought that a yeast known as malassezia plays a role. Although the yeast appears on everyone skin, the immune system of those who suffer with the condition are sensitive to it, causing stress and inflammation of the skin.
If left untreated, seborrheic eczema can lead to hair loss. This is because the follicles can find it difficult to grow in an unhealthy and inflamed environment. Those who have the condition tend to also pick and scratch the scalp which can again, lead to hair loss.
At current, there is no cure for seborrheic eczema, prevention is the best course of action and taking care of your skin can help to minimise symptoms. You should avoid picking or scratching inflamed patches on the scalp as this is what can lead to the hair thinning. If you think you have symptoms of seborrheic eczema you should visit your GP who may be able to assist you further.
Eczema Psoriasis And Hair Loss
Hair loss is something that will happen to most of us at some point throughout our lives, there are many different causes and factors within hair loss and the cause of your hair loss could be completely different to others.
Trying to determine what causes hair loss can be quite difficult, some of the most common causes of hair loss are male pattern baldness, alopecia, ageing, and pregnancy. However, certain skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis can sometimes lead to hair loss, today were telling you how these skin conditions can lead to hair loss.
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Does Psoriasis Cause Hair Loss
Psoriasis doesnt directly cause hair loss like chemotherapy or certain medical conditions can. However, issues surrounding psoriasis can affect hair density and loss.
For example, psoriasis can cause severe itching. Scratching to relieve the itching can lead to further irritation that damages the scalp leading to hair loss the person can accidentally pull out hair while scratching. Excessive removing of the scales, also known as psoriasis plaques, can also damage hair follicles, leading to hair loss.
What Causes Scalp Psoriasis Anyways
One study showed that researchers dont know the exact cause of scalp psoriasis. But, it appears to develop when your immune system sends particular signals to your skin cells. This makes your cells multiply too fast, leading to those scaly patches.
According to a research review, other factors that lead to psoriasis include:
- genetics
- nutrition
- body weight
Some folks also claim that allergies are to blame, but theres not enough proof to back this up.
Scalp psoriasis symptoms can range from mild to severe. Common side effects include:
- dryness
Psoriasis can indirectly cause hair loss. Giving in to scratch attacks on the reg or harsh treatments can make you lose some of your luscious locks. Thankfully, your hair should grow back after your skin clears up.
The AADA suggests trying these techniques to prevent hair loss:
- Avoid blow dryers or other hot tools.
- Use hair products that have menthol.
- Dont use products that contain irritants.
- Keep your scalp moisturized with a top-notch conditioner.
- Press an ice pack or cool towel on the inflamed parts of your scalp.
While theres currently no cure for psoriasis, there are a ton of over-the-counter treatments, medications, or home remedies that can help. The exact type of treatment depends on the severity of your symptoms.
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What Causes Scalp Psoriasis
There are a few reasons why someone can suffer from plaque psoriasis, but the leading cause seems to be a weakened immune system. It can also come down to genetics. If one or more of your parents has scalp psoriasis, you have an increased chance of developing it, too.
Someone with the condition may be producing more T cells and neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. If too many T cells are produced, they can start attacking the healthy cells by mistake, which can lead to inflammation.
The risk of scalp psoriasis is also believed to be triggered by the following:
- Smoking can weaken your immune system, further increasing your risk of developing scalp psoriasis, and it can exacerbate an existing condition.
- Stress is unendingly bad for the body. High and toxic stress levels can trigger psoriasis and other skin conditions.
- Obesity and excess body weight have been found to interfere with some oral medications and prescription topicals used to treat psoriasis.
- Bacterial or viral infections can mean your immune system is compromised, which could also increase your risk of developing scalp psoriasis.
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Is Scalp Psoriasis Contagious Who Is At Risk
This condition is not contagious. You do not run the risk of acquiring the disease because of someone around you. It is inherited. If anyone in your family has this disease, you may also be at risk. Considering the patients, it is seen that the majority of them have people with the disease in their families.
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So What Causes Scalp Psoriasis Hair Loss
Scalp psoriasis hair loss occurs when the dead buildup of skin cells gets so thick that the hair cannot grow through and exit the scalp. Since the plaque patches can be both small and large, scalp psoriasis hair loss can make it look like you have bald patches on your head. If the plaque patches are just small spots your plaque psoriasis hair loss may just look like your hair is thinning. For most people once you begin treatment and the plaques begin to thin your hair should return to normal. There is a risk of leaving the psoriasis untreated for a very long time that could cause permanent hair loss. This is very rare but it is possible.
In addition, scalp psoriasis hair loss can be caused by the products you are using to treat your psoriasis. Some prescription products or cortisone and steroid creams are known to have a natural side effect of thinning hair or hair loss. The hair loss is often temporary but having scalp psoriasis is bad enough. No one wants to deal with the look of thinning hair. Fortunately most of these treatments are not for long term use so the scalp psoriasis hair loss should be quite temporary.
After Psoriasis Has Cleared Up
Scalp diseases that are linked to hair loss, such as psoriasis, can be treated easily, but the hair loss might be permanent. If youve suffered from permanent, or even temporary, hair loss following a case of psoriasis, Canadian Institute of Hair and Scalp Specialists offers a number of treatment options.
A hair transplant takes your existing hair and grafts it to the areas on your scalp affected by hair loss for natural-looking results. Depending on the severity of hair loss you can have either a micro-graft of three to four hairs or a maxi-graft of four to six hairs. No one will be able to tell the difference and the results are indistinguishable from your natural hair.
For patients who are fatigued with medical procedures following treatments for psoriasis, or if the hair loss is just temporary, we also offer hair systems that combine natural and synthetic hair.
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How Can You Combat Scalp Psoriasis And Thinning Hair
Once you’ve had a formal scalp psoriasis diagnosis, you can start your treatment plan and get to work clearing up the irritating issue. It is worth remembering that there is currently no cure for the condition, so it’s all about managing flare-ups when they happen.
Depending on the severity of your scalp psoriasis, to help slow skin cell growth, your dermatologist could recommend topical steroids, topical therapies or even steroid injections if the legions just won’t disappear. Always seek professional help from a dermatologist for you scalp psoriasis. They can help make recommendations and you can ask them about any products you’d like to use.
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Whats The Difference Between Scalp Psoriasis And Dandruff
Dr. Bhutani says it can be really tough to tell scalp psoriasis and dandruff aparteven for doctors! Although both conditions can cause those annoying flakes, which may be the only visible symptom at first for some people, they tend to pop up for different reasons. Unlike scalp psoriasis, dandruff isnt an autoimmune issue and can be spurred by various factors, like having very dry or oily skin, which can lead to an overgrowth of a yeast-like fungus that thrives on a moist scalp10.
But you may be able to pick up on subtle differences if you look a bit closer. Dandruff flakes can be white or yellow, which is not common in scalp psoriasis. With scalp psoriasis, plaques have a dry scale with more clearly defined edges, and the scales themselves are often thicker with a silvery sheen.
If your scalp is extremely itchy or you have any other scalp psoriasis symptoms, then you may want to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist, who can thoroughly assess whats going on. If youre only noticing some flaking and have tried an over-the-counter dandruff shampoo but havent noticed improvement, then you may want to see a dermatologist anyway theyll be able to take a closer look and prescribe something a bit stronger if you need it.
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Home Remedies For Scalp Psoriasis
We can also limit the development of the disease using home remedies. Home remedies should, however, only be an addition to special medical treatments. Patients with psoriasis should watch out for any factors that affect skin irritation. They must therefore watch out for excessive sun exposure. The head should be washed with a mild shampoo. Avoid scratching the scalp, as this will damage the skin and weaken hair follicles. Hair must be combed gently, by using soft brushes or combs with widely spaced teeth. A balanced diet and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes, will also support your treatment.
Eat A Healthy And Well
It probably comes as no surprise that a healthy diet filled with fresh foods, healthy proteins and fats is important for growth. Since inflammation is part of many autoimmune disorders, consider giving extra love to foods with anti-inflammatory benefits like tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, avocados and berries.
To help you get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need, VEGAMOUR has carefully crafted supplements to support your hair wellness routine. Our all-vegan GRO Biotin Gummies contain a proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals to support the growth of beautiful strands by supporting your follicles from the inside out.
Or, support your gut and scalp microbiomes with our GRO WELL Hair Boost Supplement Powder + Probiotic, a delicious variety of adaptogen/probiotic drink mixes made from vital, vegan nutrients that are clinically proven to help promote visibly thicker, fuller, longer-looking hair.
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