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Is Coal Tar Too Old Fashioned?

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Coal tar is a relatively old fashioned treatment for skin conditions (it’s just a by-product of coal, one of the most common fossil fuels on earth).  But the fact that it’s been around a long time doesn’t make it any less legitimate as a treatment (I believe emergency room doctors still use charcoal consumption to treat ingested poison).  In any case, as is typical in the medical industry, scientists are always coming up with better chemical compounds.

At this point, the psoriasis industry seems to be slowly moving away from coal tar as a primary treatment for psoriasis and similar skin conditions.  Neutrogena, for example, has created a cleaner derivative of coal tar called “Neutar” for their T-Gel (an anti-psoriasis shampoo).

Other ways to treat psoriasis include salicylic acid,  UV rays and basic moisturizers.

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What is Coal Tar?

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Coal tar is a by-product of regular old coal (what Santa leaves in your stocking if you’ve been bad).  For a person with psoriasis, if they could get Santa to bring coal in the form of coal tar, this would actually be the best Christmas present ever!

To give you an idea of how potent this thick, dark substance is, it can also be used in construction, for sealing roofs, fixing leaks or to make paint more durable.   In a similar way, coal tar can be used to increase a fabrics ability to hold up against sunlight.  It can also be added to dyes to reduce their tendency to fade in the sun.

There are a variety of theories about how and why coal tar works on psoriasis irritations, but it seems to work on a cellular level to reduce itching and cut back on excessive skin cell production.

One of the detriments of using shampoos that contain coal tar is that they tend to have a pungent smell.  I have grown used to the smell over the years but, when I first started using T-Gel, for example, the smell was suffocating.  It has much the same effect as ammonia (contained in many window washing formulas), which seems to fill the air with a lung-irritating chemical vapor.

All things considered, a person who is familiar with exacerbating itch of psoriasis will confirm that the smell and extra expense of using coal tar shampoo (or any any other derivative of coal tar) is well worth it to make everyday living far more bearable.

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Another Day Battling the Psoriasis Itch

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Today was a regular shampoo day, which means I am giving my scalp a break from medicated psoriasis shampoos (I use only over the counter varieties such as Neutrogena’s T-Gel and T-Sal).  This is important to let all the “good” skin to recover as well as to do a general cleansing of any build up that of coal tar or other dirt that might have developed (the active ingredient to Neutrogena’s T-Gel is coal tar).  I am a firm believer in cleansing my scalp to help relieve the itch of psoriasis, while at the same time avoiding too much washing, which would dry out my skin and scrape off all traces of moisturizing, natural oils.

Having used only regular shampoo today, I can notice a slight increase in my scalp’s itchiness.

For the regular shampoo that you work into your rotation, I would recommend something that rinses off clean, leaving as little residue as possible.  A decent quality shampoo such as Fructis or TRESseme will do the trick.  I like to leave the shampoo on my head for a least a few minutes to let it cleanse thoroughly.  Conditioner can also help to moisturize your scalp (depending on the brand you choose), which can also help to ward off the itchiness of psoriasis.

In any case, you will have to decide for yourself what works best for you, including what is most affordable.  Of course, if you have an pressing issues with psoriasis (or something you suspect is psoriasis) consult a dermatologist ASAP.

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Disadvantages to Using Topical Psoriasis Treatments For Extended Periods of Time

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Keep in mind that not all of the skin affected by psoriasis is “bad,” or needs to be treated.  For this reason prolonged use of many topical treatments can harm healthy skin as much as it treats infected / irritated skin.

Some of Neutrogena’s psoriasis shampoos in particular can really irritate the scalp after a while (such as T-Gel, Extra Strength or Stubborn Itch Control), which is why they print on the bottle that you shouldn’t use it for long periods of time without first consulting a dermatologist.

On a similar note, it is also possible that the disease can adapt to the same treatment that is repeated over and over for months or years.  I have found that mixing up my shampoo usage between different types and none at all helps to keep my scalp as healthy as it possibly can be.

With something so irritating as a chronic itch, it is tempting to over-medicate in an attempt to beat the disease into submission.  However I am sure that this will not work nearly as well as for battling psoriasis as will maintaining balanced, reasonable habits over long periods of time.

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