Scalp Psoriasis

Feelgood · 24-10-2007 5:13am #1

Hey guys,

I seem to have a small touch of scalp psoriasis for about the last
year and I cant shift it. Its only little small patches about the the size
of the top of your finger. Sometimes it clears up nicely and then a lot of
the time it gets very flaky.

Has anyone any recommendations apart from the usual, T-Gel or Nizoral
methods?. Is there maybe something I am eating thats causing it?. Or
possibly washing my hair too much?.

Any insight would be most welcome....cheers....

smilingeyerish · 08-11-2007 11:49pm

Hey Feelgood!

I have psoriasis on my scalp too, sounds like i have some larger patches than you though. i have been to my doctor and skin specialists in blackrock clinic and they have given me perscritions. over the past few years i have had 2 lotions and 2 creams all of which clear it up for a short while but never permanently. and of course a coal tar shampoo is always recommended, but as im sure youve found out they are not the best solution. not to be a pessimist but there is no cure for psoriasis so its a case of using those creams and thats it you just have to put up with it.

just go to your doctor who can either perscribe something or will refer you to a specialist.

its a really annoying thing to have isnt it? it really embarassing and i wish i could get rid of it!!

oh yeah should have said its nothing to do with your diet or frequency of hair washing,psoriasis is jsut your skin cells reproducing much more quickly than they should leaving an excess of skin that look like scaly patches on your scalp. its just a condition that you develop or inherit. bad luck...!

Bethany · 09-11-2007 12:27am

You might find that a shampoo called Capuchine available in health shops is useful at keeping it under control. There is no cure as you know

lilRedSmurf · 09-11-2007 11:15am

There is a book that you have to check out. I've met and worked a little with the guy who wrote it a few years back and I've seen the results first hand. If you stick to the dietary program you usually have one flare up and then it clears up completely! As is total clear up. And you dont have to stick to it the rest of your life or anything. Just go back on the diet if you see any signs and slowly reintroduce problem foods to see what your trigger is.

He takes referals from Yale Medical School when they think they cant do anything more for them. Very very reputable information. The paper back is available on amazon.com

Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative
by John O. Pagano

dubdcugirly · 09-11-2007 1:00pm

Cant offer a solution but I used to get flaky scabs/spots on my scalp every now and then got very annoyed coz as u said TGel etc didnt work,
went to the doc and it turned out to be a react to hair dye and by that I dont even get an all over dye I just get highlights :eek: seemly alot of women think they hav psoriasis but its actually this!

Rantorama · 09-11-2007 3:19pm

I found this Boots Dry Scalp Soothing Lotion to be really good at calming down the itching/ flaking.
http://www.boots.ie/main.asp?pid=3987

Bendihorse · 09-11-2007 4:38pm

I used to have two spots of it on each of my big toes, now they have cleared up and i have a largeish patch on the front of one shin, it drives me insane... The only think i have found that helps it is exposure to the sun. I have noticed in the last few days that i am now developing a patch on my right fore arm...

I find that any flare up that i ever get is directly related to a stressful episode occuring in my life...

smilingeyerish · 11-11-2007 12:40pm

that sounds like a good book lilredsmurf, i had a look for it on amazon and the reviews it was given seem really really positive! doctors have always said that its nothing to do with diet to me but the same was said to the readers of this book and they said its advice has worked well for them. the diet it advises seems quiet restrictive though but if it cures it its defo worth a try!

dunno if im allowed do this but i took a bit of one of the reviews to put into this post...:

Diet is rather strict while the skin is healing--then you can play around with what works for you and more importantly, what doesn't. In the meantime, stop eating tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant, peppers of any kind (except black pepper), vinegar and alcohol--and if you smoke, either quit or cut down to 3-4 cigarettes a day. Tobacco is a "nightshade" and exceptionally toxic to the psioratic. Increase your fruits and vegetables. No red meat (including pork). Limit all dairy products to nonfat or 1% milk fat, and even then, limit your consumption. And (obviously) limit or eliminate sugar. Cut out gluten products (pasta, breads, cakes and cereals). Take a tablespoon of flaxseed oil each morning and evening--and also two capsules of Omega 3 fish oil capsules, both morning and evening. Keep flaxseed oil in refrigerator and Omega 3 fish oil caps in freezer. These few guidelines will get you started until you can read this book. Sounds like alot, but clear skin will be worth it!

i LOVE tomatoes and eat lots of them so maybe its a reason for my psoriasis?

anyway, think ill go order that book now!

thank you!

Feelgood · 11-11-2007 3:05pm

Thanks for the info guys, great help!. It is very annoying alright though I suppose things could be a lot worse..:)

Alessandra · 11-11-2007 5:26pm

I've had psoriasis on my scalp for about 10 years and it drives me insane. As you know there is no cure. I find those creams cocois etc a help but just too much hassle letting them soak. I find the tar shampoo damages the hair as well. I just wash my hair every single day and really scrub the scalp. I have noticed an improvement when I am in sunnier climes but it just tends to flare up in rainy old Ireland. Also heavy drinking for some reason sends it into a frennzy I find. Drinking lots of water in my case helps a bit as well. Try not too scratch it. Tea tree shampoo should ease the itchiness.

smilingeyerish · 11-11-2007 6:46pm

alessandra, i have used that cocois cream too but its so thick and greasy that it is really hard to wash out,i have been using a combination of trying to soak it up with talc first and then using a coal tar shampoo to try wash it out the morning after i applied it the night before. this kinda of works for me.just wondering how you have coped with this? do you know of a better way of washing it all out of your hair without having to have a few washes over a few days?

lilRedSmurf · 12-11-2007 12:38am

smilingeyerish wrote: »

doctors have always said that its nothing to do with diet to me but the same was said to the readers of this book and they said its advice has worked well for them. the diet it advises seems quiet restrictive though but if it cures it its defo worth a try!

I actually come from a very scientific backgroud but Ive been in natural medicine for nearly 8 years now and I have to say that some of the most dramatic and visible results I've ever seen were when I was working with this guy.

Physiologically how it works is that your skin is a secondary excretory organ (gets rid of waste material) but it shouldnt have to work this way because when it does its not very good at it. Psoriasis is linked to a condition called leaky gut syndrome and the very restrictive nature of the dietary program is what allows the intestinal wall to recover from this condition.
When you have leaky gut ( it is what it sounds like...) there are tiny perforations in the intestinal wall that allows the often toxic material that is being processed in there to get out into the rest of the body. The body naturally tries to get rid of the toxins and this is when the secondary function of the skin comes into play.

I know the western medical community still maintains that there is no known cause and there is no known cure but you've gotta remember that its called the "practice" of medicine for a reason. They dont always know how medicines work or why diseases react the way they do to certain treatments. (try asking a doctor why and how prozac works! Stumps the hell out of the molecular biologists who synthesize the stuff nevermind the docs who prescribe it!) There are a hell of a lot more options out there then people realise.

Alessandra · 12-11-2007 1:53am

smilingeyerish wrote: »

alessandra, i have used that cocois cream too but its so thick and greasy that it is really hard to wash out,i have been using a combination of trying to soak it up with talc first and then using a coal tar shampoo to try wash it out the morning after i applied it the night before. this kinda of works for me.just wondering how you have coped with this? do you know of a better way of washing it all out of your hair without having to have a few washes over a few days?

I haven't really had a problem in washing out the cocois? I used to leave it on overnight then shower next day as normal using polytar and then regular shampoo to hide the tar smell. Just use a little extra shampoo maybe and really hot water is essential..I'm not sure but maybe the talc might be causing the cocois to form a paste and thus making in more difficult to wash out? Personally, even if my psoriasis is quite mild I still wash my hair everyday because of the constant itching and unsightly flaking. It makes it easier to manage (less build up). Hope this helps

Feelgood · 12-11-2007 9:20am

I have never heard of Cocois, nor was it mentioned to me!. Again thanks for the insight. Just bought some on Ebay and will see how it works out. Also that book mentioned earlier seems like a good buy for anyone with psoriasis.

You've been a great help thank you all!. Hopefully the cocois will help to keep it at bay...

Feelgood · 12-11-2007 9:29am

smilingeyerish wrote: »

over the past few years i have had 2 lotions and 2 creams all of which clear it up for a short while but never permanently.

Hi Smiling,

Forgot to ask, I presume you are refering to steroid creams?. Can you actually get these in a pharmacy without having to go to a dermatologist?.

Cheers!.

smilingeyerish · 12-11-2007 11:32am

yeah one is called Betacap and its in a kind of liquid form so its easy to apply and wash out. that is a streroid one. i cant remember the name of the cream though, but i had to get it on perscription. a specialist in blackroack gave me all three of those to use at the same time,on alternating nights obviously! so it was cocois,betacap and the third cream that was in a brown and white tube (i just used the last of it last week and cant remember the name but when i collect my next perscription ill let you know).

your advice on why it happens does smake sense and i think i will defo be tryin out that book.thanks!

in terms of washing creams out...well i always wash my hair everyday too because i have naturally greasy and light hair anyway but i find that the creams are so thick and greasy themselves that they wont wash out properly, its like putting a thick vaseline in your hair. i have only recently started using talc in an attempt to soak it up and it helps a bit more than just washing it.it doesnt really make a paste or anything. im obviously the only person with this problem!

oh and the coal tar shampoo i use is called capasal. its kinda expensive but it works best IMO. except for the smell of course! yuk!

Feelgood · 12-11-2007 11:37am

smilingeyerish wrote: »

oh and the coal tar shampoo i use is called capasal. its kinda expensive but it works best IMO. except for the smell of course! yuk!

Hey smiling,

Looks like you can pickup that Capasal shampoo on Ebay also fairley cheap...
£2 Sterling?.

Will try that too!...

Thanks.

smilingeyerish · 13-11-2007 3:23pm

Feelgood wrote: »

Hi Smiling,

Forgot to ask, I presume you are refering to steroid creams?. Can you actually get these in a pharmacy without having to go to a dermatologist?.

Cheers!.

just remembered the name of the other cream, its dermovate and yeah its a steroid cream

Feelgood · 17-11-2007 1:00am

smilingeyerish wrote: »

just remembered the name of the other cream, its dermovate and yeah its a steroid cream

Thanks Smiling,

Very much appreciated. I ordered some Cocois off Ebay there last week after reading suggestions posted here. I hadn't heard of it before. Been using it now daily for about 4 days and it seems to be doing the trick!. My patches are clearing right up and aren't half as itchy and flaky.

Im gonna continue to use it and will posted an update in a week or so...

Again thanks for your help guys....:)

DonFred · 27-11-2007 11:37pm

Hey Feelgood, how is the Cocois working for you now? I also have scalp psorasis and its driving me mad!! Do you use a special shampoo like capcal or just normal head and shoulders?

RIRI · 29-11-2007 2:21am

lilRedSmurf wrote: »

Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative
by John O. Pagano

Hi
I have used a version of this method and it's definately worth the effort. I had quite bad psorasis for years & this totally cleared it up in abut 6 weeks, that was 5 years ago now.
Initially remembering what not to eat is a bit tricky but after only a few weeks you start to notice certain foods affecting your skin/scalp. You keep intorducing the foods one at a time after 6 weeks until you find the one(s) triggering the psorasis - then you just avoid them.

It might sound restrictive but it's well worth it. Reducing stress, sunshine, drinking lots of water and a tea tree / lavendar natural shampoo & conditioner can help.

Alessandra & Smilingeyerish, I'm no expert but it sounds to me like you're using lots of products at once & consequently lots of scrubbing your scalp - the chemicals & hot water might just be irritating your scalp. I'm not suggesting you stop washing your hair ar anything but try even a day or two without creams & lotions and just rinsing your hair with water - worth a try
HTH

Minfadlek · 29-11-2007 12:11pm

A natural remedy is "Tea Tree oil" mixed with a carrier oil like Olive or Almond. Apply generously and leave as long as you can.
Also good is "Argan oil", but difficult to source in Ireland.

DonFred · 29-11-2007 11:24pm

Food plays no part in the cause of psorasis!

MizzLolly · 30-11-2007 12:09am

Deal with it naturally, don't put any chemicals near your skin if it's already irritated. And don't worry about your diet, I can't see it affecting anything like that really. Get yourself into Lush and try a lil bar called 'snake oil'. It's less than a tenner and works well. Good luck!!

Feelgood · 05-12-2007 12:34am

DonFred wrote: »

Hey Feelgood, how is the Cocois working for you now? I also have scalp psorasis and its driving me mad!! Do you use a special shampoo like capcal or just normal head and shoulders?

Hey Don Fred,

Have to say Cocois is the Sh!t. Working out really well for me to be honest. It hasn't clear it all up to the point that its not there anymore though I can't even notice it now, plus its not itchy or flaky at all....

Only thing is I gave up smoking about 6 weeks ago too, so I dont know if this has maybe contributed to its healing also?.

I would definitely give Cocois a try, like I said I only have very small patches though it has really helped. Nothing to lose really. You might get a good deal on Ebay if your looking for it.

Paid about £13 Sterling for 2 tubes.....

luckat · 05-12-2007 7:37am

Dunno if it works - sounds a bit unlikely - but the Turks have a system for psoriasis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_fish

Tea Leaf · 16-12-2007 12:58pm

Too say that food has no impact is folly.
Food has a lot to do with how we grow, how we age, what our moods are etc.

After years of trying to get rid of psoriasis from the outside in, I opted for the inside out approach which was eliminating certain foods from my diet and sticking to that discipline.

I have been psoriasis free for three years now.

Just sayin'.

Susannahmia · 16-12-2007 2:11pm

Hey this might be a long shot but I only get psoriasis when I'm stressed or run down. Since I started taking echinacea and pharmaton, I haven't gotten any.

ntlbell · 16-12-2007 6:35pm

it might be a bit over the top for your issue but a guy i worked with had an operation to treat very bad psoriasis and was completely "cured"

N8 · 17-12-2007 2:03pm

Amateur scientist hits on cure for 14-year itch

a Sligo man might have part of the answer????

donaghs · 17-12-2007 3:04pm

Interesting about the Argan oil. Olive oil and Johnson's Baby Oil have traditionally been used for Cradle Cap on children, to sooth the itch, and loosen the scaling. Then it can be washed out.

Scalp Psoriasis

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