Scaly Scalp
What to Do about a Scaly Scalp
Having a scaly scalp can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Often it will flake like dandruff and coat the shoulders of your shirt forcing you to avoid dark colors and be careful about touching your head. You might even find that your scaly scalp causes your head to itch and sometimes even become painful. If you have a scaly scalp, you have probably been dealing with this problem for a while and are quite sick of it.
What is scaly scalp?
Scaly scalp is usually a form of scalp psoriasis, a common condition affecting millions of Americans every year. Psoriasis is a dermatological (skin) problem that happens most often on the scalp and genitalia, although it can occur over the body. The main symptom of psoriasis is the development of scaly reddish pink patches or scales over the affected area.
If you scratch at the red scaly patches they will come off, leaving behind a painful red patch of easily infected skin, so physicians do not recommend that you itch at your patches regardless of how itchy they may feel.
What causes scalp psoriasis?
Although you can get some similar conditions from certain dietary practices or from certain types of shampoo, scalp psoriasis has different causes. The medical community broadly agrees that scalp psoriasis comes from an immunological deficiency. The prevalence of scalp psoriasis in family clusters suggests that scalp psoriasis may have hereditary causes. Certain neurological conditions (such as Parkinson’s) and diseases that affect the immune system (like HIV) also predispose sufferers to outbreaks of psoriasis.
If one has a hereditary predisposition to psoriasis, certain conditions may help to contribute to outbreaks. As with many immunological conditions, stress can act as a catalyst for “flare-ups” as can any condition that affects the immune system. For this reason, those who are prone to scalp psoriasis will typically have more extreme symptoms during intensely emotional periods (like mourning, divorce, or financial troubles). They will also find their conditions worsen when they have colds or are going through medical treatments (like chemotherapy).
Suffering from scalp psoriasis also increases the chances that an individual will have psoriasis affecting other parts of his or her body. There are also certain types of psoriasis that may mix with other kinds of skin conditions. Commonly, for example, a physician might diagnose a patient with sebopsoriasis, which is a mix between a type of dermatological yeast infection and your typical psoriasis of the scalp.
Treatments for Scalp Psoriasis
Disclaimer: The information you find in this article is meant only to generally educate the reader and should not be taken as a substitute for medical diagnosis. If you suffer from conditions that are similar to these, you should consult your physician to get a valid diagnosis from a medical professional. Skin conditions may also indicate other more serious problems that only a medical professional is qualified to diagnose.
The first step in treating scalp psoriasis is determining whether your condition is severe or not. If your scalp is not that scaly, then you may be able to treat your condition by simply using a shampoo that is especially made for scalp psoriasis.
However, if your condition is more severe and the scaling is very intense, then you have to take it to the next level. The first thing you have to do if you have intense scaling is to remove the scales with a special type of cream and wet towels. Once you have removed the scales you can treat your scalp with a special anti-psoriasis cream that will keep the condition from recurring right away.
Even after you treat your condition, however, it is likely that it will return at some later date. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for it, especially when you are experiencing stress or have a weakened immune system.