A certain percentage of people on earth suffer from psoriasis. First of all, psoriasis appears right in the scalp, which is recommended to be treated at the first symptoms. The causes of the disease have not yet been identified, but the symptoms are clear. It is advisable to consult a doctor for treatment, to treat comprehensively and to observe preventive measures.
Reasons
Psoriasis is a disease whose causes remain a mystery to humans. Numerous studies are being conducted on this topic, new results, new causes and theories are emerging that raise even more questions. In psoriasis, the rate of formation of new cells increases, as a result of which too many of them are formed, the skin begins to harden and an inflammatory process begins.
So far, the following fact has been recognized as the cause of the disease - in psoriasis, the process of cell division is disrupted, the rate of keratinocyte formation increases, which leads to the appearance of the disease.
The increased rate of cell renewal causes an inflammatory process, and the inflammatory process in turn leads to an even higher rate of cell division, which is a vicious circle. Hereditary predisposition leads to a high rate of division.
Sometimes a disorder of the immune system, which occurs as a result of stress, after an infectious disease, leads to such a process. For example, among people infected with the immunodeficiency virus, the number of patients with psoriasis is three times higher than among healthy people.
Hundreds of years ago, people with psoriasis were thought to be cursed and could pass these diseases on to others.
Other factors leading to the development of psoriasis:
- Genetic diseases formed when viruses and bacteria enter the body, which leads to a change in the structure of chromosomes.
- Skin infections, purulent inflammation.
- Disorders of lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.
- Chronic inflammation - sinusitis, otitis media, tonsillitis and others. In many patients with psoriasis, high levels are observed in the analysis of the number of lymphocytes and leukocytes in the blood.
- Too dry or too humid air where the patient is constantly.
- Stress, anxiety, depression.
- Taking antibiotics, immunomodulators leads to deterioration of immunity and, as a result, psoriasis.
- Increase the risk of alcohol and tobacco use.
- Lack of vitamins and minerals in the body, unhealthy diet, eating foods with allergens, overweight.
- Endocrine diseases.
- Diseases of the internal organs.
If a person has noticed the appearance of symptoms of psoriasis, localized dry skin, roughness, redness, then you should immediately contact a dermatologist for diagnosis.
Psoriasis occurs on the head for some reason, which is noted by the special structure of the skin, frequent microtraumas resulting from scratching the skin at this site.
According to statistics, one percent of people in the world suffer from psoriasis, while in eight out of ten patients psoriasis is localized in the head, in four out of ten it is localized only on the head. In six out of ten people, the disease is not limited to the scalp, but spreads to the elbows, knees, palms and other areas.
If the patient has a predisposition to psoriasis, then his symptoms may occur unexpectedly at the slightest stress or anxiety. Allocate a risk group of patients. Symptoms of psoriasis usually appear first in patients between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.
Types (forms)
Symptoms can vary depending on the type of psoriasis. The two main forms of the disease are mild and severe.
- The lung is characterized by the formation of small lesions that are covered with the same small psoriatic plaques.
- In severe forms, psoriasis affects the entire scalp, the lesions are combined, the skin is dry, psoriatic plaques form in large plaques, and the skin becomes much rougher.
Stages
Scalp psoriasis occurs in several stages.
- The progressive stage is characterized by the development of the disease, the formation of new lesions.
- During the inpatient stage, the symptoms of the disease do not change in any way. The new ones do not appear, the old ones do not change.
- With the regressive stage, the symptoms are eliminated. It can last up to two years.
Symptoms may vary seasonally. In winter psoriasis, the cause of the disease may be the lack of ultraviolet radiation, but if the symptoms worsen in the summer, then the cause is the opposite - an excess of ultraviolet radiation.
Symptoms
Dermatological diseases affect not only the physical condition of the patient, but also his psychological stability. Psoriasis, which is a chronic, incurable disease, is particularly difficult to tolerate. To improve the quality of life, it is necessary to constantly eliminate the symptoms of the disease, which takes a lot of time, effort and sometimes money.
If psoriasis on the body can be hidden with clothes, then with psoriasis on the scalp this trick will not work. Patients usually begin to develop psoriasis in this area. Sometimes psoriasis does not spread further, especially if its symptoms are constantly treated with good and effective drugs, but the disease can spread to other parts of the body.
Scalp psoriasis is also called seborrheic. The disease is characterized by severe scaling of the scalp, which resembles dandruff. Also, the patient suffers from itching, the formation of psoriatic plaques in this area.
An important fact for patients with psoriasis is that the hair in the scalp does not fall out either at the beginning of the disease or during its development.
The skin under the psoriatic plaques may bleed when scratched, so patients should not scratch their skin. The affected area may become red due to the inflammatory process.
The disease periodically progresses and regresses. In case of recurrence, the symptoms of the disease return, in which case the patient must use medication to eliminate the symptoms so that the time of remission begins. In remission, the symptoms of psoriasis are not clear.
The length of each period depends on many factors. The duration of remission can be up to two years.
To understand what scalp psoriasis looks like, let's move on to the section with photos of the symptoms.
Treatment
So far no one was able to send in the perfect solution, which is not strange.
There are many medications to treat the symptoms of psoriasis. As a result of the use of drugs and folk remedies, complex therapy, the patient's quality of life improves.
First of all, you need to contact a dermatologist to diagnose the disease. The doctor will perform all the necessary tests and analyzes to establish an accurate diagnosis.
Folk remedies
Folk recipes are used to treat psoriasis of the scalp. They are recommended for use as part of a complex therapy to enhance the effect of drugs.
The independent use of recipes of traditional medicine is prohibited. These should be discussed with your healthcare professional and should only be used after approval.
The following medications are often used to treat scalp psoriasis:
- Celandine is effective in relieving the inflammatory process. The herb is washed and dried, red wine is added and the skin is treated with the resulting product.
- Tincture with white wine is made from sunflower baskets. The juice is squeezed from the sunflower and the skin is treated with this product.
- Elderberry is also effective in relieving itching, inflammation and redness of the skin. The inflorescences are soaked in water for two hours. The solution is taken orally.
- The honey with egg white and shampoo are mixed, applied to the affected areas, washed off with water.
Medicines
Drugs for the treatment of each patient are selected in the presence of the attending physician, according to the test results, stage of the disease, the level of immunity. He will tell you how to treat psoriasis of the scalp.
Not always a drug prescribed by a dermatologist, even an experienced one, may be appropriate for a patient. Many products have no effect at the beginning of use. It is recommended to take drugs in complex therapy, ie to combine several forms of drugs.
There are several groups of medications for psoriasis and different treatments.
Hormonal agents contain active components - hormones that have a very effective effect on the body and quickly relieve symptoms, but it is not recommended to use for a long time.
Steroids may be systemic, taken orally in tablet form, or administered intravenously / intramuscularly. Ointments with hormones in the composition are much less effective. But they can not be used for a long time, as the skin at the site of application of the product can change the pigment, becomes thin, traumatic, susceptible to secondary infection.
In addition, withdrawal symptoms are common after the use of hormonal drugs. This is when after prolonged treatment and discontinuation of the drug, the symptoms return, but with even greater symptoms.
Therefore, it is not recommended to use hormonal preparations for a long time, to apply on areas with sensitive skin, to apply on large areas of skin, as well as to cancel the use of the drug, it is necessary to gradually reduce the dose.
Non-hormonal drugs are often used to treat psoriasis. They are used to relieve symptoms, inflammation, itching, redness of the skin. They have a much smaller list of contraindications and side effects.
The main active ingredients of this group of drugs relieve inflammation, constrict blood vessels, soothe the skin, moisturize and soften. The active components include zinc, tar, salicylic acid and other substances.
They can be used at any stage of the disease. In addition, such drugs have many different forms of release. They also differ in effectiveness and recommendations for use, reviews of their effect in the treatment of scalp psoriasis can be explored in the forums.
Zinc can be used as often as needed, but tar-based products are not recommended more than twice a week. In addition, they should be used in conjunction with moisturizers, because tar dries the skin.
Patients often choose ointments to treat psoriasis of the scalp.
Cosmetics are also very popular among patients because they improve the appearance of the scalp, but at the same time have no therapeutic effect.
From cosmetics, consumers choose oils and shampoos that moisturize the skin, eliminate itching and dandruff in the scalp in psoriasis.
For the treatment of psoriasis are used drugs that suppress the immune system, metabolism, stop the process of renewal and division of skin cells.
These drugs can be taken only under the supervision of a physician, as they have a long list of contraindications and side effects.
It is also necessary to improve the general condition of the patient by following a special diet that excludes foods with allergens from the patient's diet. It is recommended to take vitamin and mineral complexes.
Patients may be prescribed physiotherapy. For example, ultraviolet radiation is indicated for "winter" psoriasis.
Prevention
For prevention purposes, the following recommendations should be followed:
- You need to take good care of your skin, wash it more often with baby or other hypoallergenic soap.
- Quit alcohol and smoking.
- Don't get into stressful situations. Depression, anxiety can cause relapse.
- Follow your daily routine.
- Take vitamin and mineral complexes.
- Follow a special diet that excludes allergens from the diet. Also, the diet is chosen individually for the patient and the required amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates.
Many people wonder if scalp psoriasis is contagious. The answer is no, this disease is not contagious.