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Hair Loss Caused by Psoriasis

Friday, December 18th, 2009

One of the most unsettling effects of psoriasis, aside from chronic physical discomfort, is the hair loss that can occur for those who have problems with their scalp. The scalp is one of the most commonly affected areas for people with psoriasis.  For those who are thus affected, hair loss can be a major concern for the simple reason that scratching the scalp damages the hair follicles, causing hair to fall out at an abnormally fast rate. This can mean that, not only does a patient have to cope with an irritated and itchy scalp, but also experience the cosmetic issue of hair loss.

In general, treating the underlying issue will bring hair loss under control.  There are, of course, different treatments for preventing and/or restoring hair loss, but for our purposes, the first step is to identifying the main problem, which is psoriasis. Note: if you are experiencing suspicious new scalp problems you probably should visit a doctor who can positively diagnose if this is psoriasis or another scalp condition.

For people suffering from psoriasis, treating the problem can be as simple as finding a moisturizer for a dry scalp, in which case heavy conditioners or hair oil treatments can be massaged in to bring almost instant relief.

Medicated shampoos designed to combat psoriasis on the scalp can be the best good way to stop itching and, by extension, hair loss.  I have had a lot of success using two medicated shampoos by Neutrogena – T/Sal (which contains salicylic acid) and T/Gel – Stubborn Itch Control (which contains coal tar and menthol).

The skin under your hair is more difficult to reach for obvious reasons, and thus topical treatments can be difficult to apply.  In any case, for those who are determined enough (or possibly for those who are willing to shave their head), steroids can be effectively applied to the scalp for relief from itching, irritation and swelling.

Unfortunately, hair loss is a common issue among people suffering from psoriasis on the scalp.  This symptom, which results from damaged hair follicles, can have a major impact on a person’s self esteem and social life. If you need more information about finding relief, don’t hesitate to visit your dermatologist with a list of questions in hand.  Researchers are constantly on the lookout for a cure for psoriasis, so there is a good chance that there will be new options at your disposal all the time.

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What Is Salicylic Acid?

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Salicylic acid, which comes from the willow tree, is a beta hydroxy acid. It can be used in topical treatments to soothe joint and muscle pain. It is also used in ointments, creams and gels to improve a variety of skin conditions that include acne, psoriasis, calluses and warts.

Salicylic acid helps open pores, shed dead skin cells and neutralizes bacteria.  As a result of this exfoliating effect, new skin cells are allowed to grow back unhindered.

Salicylic acid or coal tar are the main active ingredients of many over the counter topical psoriasis medications.  Both ingredients are common in several shampoos developed to treat dandruff as well as scalp psoriasis.

Salicylic acid by itself is not a direct treatment for psoriasis, but it is used to help other medications reach the live, younger skin that is inflamed, below the surface by dissolving the dead skin or psoriasis plaque build up on the surface.  Thus, salicylic acid can be used to complement other topical treatments designed to treat mild to moderate psoriasis symptoms.

Salicylic acid can also be applied as a preparation for UV light therapy for moderate to severe cases. If lesions associated with psoriasis become infected by various types of growths this ingredient is also used as an antiseptic and disinfectant. Concentration levels vary by use.

The percentage of concentration in over the counter products for psoriasis is usually about three percent.  In excessive concentrations it can irritate the skin.  The fact that wart removers may contain up to 17% salicylic acid gives you an idea of how potent salicylic acid can be.

In some cases salicylic acid can actually increase, rather than decreases skin inflammation (though nothing like this has ever happened to me).

Products that combine this ingredient with sulphur are not approved for the treatment of psoriasis. The FDA considers this an effective treatment for dandruff only. Moisturizers containing this ingredient should be applied immediately after bathing for best results.

Note: Using moisturizers throughout the day can control psoriasis symptoms between treatments. Though the FDA has deemed salicylic acid safe, there are some safety considerations to keep in mind. Use sparingly, for brief periods on young children as they are more likely to develop skin irritations. Read the instructions for use carefully. Do not exceed the recommended dosages when referring to concentration and length of treatment. This could result in adverse side effects that include severe skin irritation and poisoning. The treatments containing this ingredient are meant for topical use only. Using in or near the mouth, nose or eyes could result in over absorption by the skin.

Neutrogena’s T/Sal is a common over-the counter salicylic acid shampoo, which I use on a regular basis with very good results.

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Psoriasis Shampoo Update – Using a T/Gel, T/Sal and Selsun Blue Rotation

Monday, October 26th, 2009

I switched back to Neutrogena’s T/Gel (Stubborn Itch Control, active ingredients: coal tar and menthol) as of about 4 days ago… and what a relief it is.  T/Gel – Stubborn Itch Control continues to be the most effective shampoo for suppressing the deep itch that would otherwise have me scratching my scalp all day.   Constant scratching all day can lead to scalp damage over time, including hair loss.

I tried out Selsun Blue (active ingredients: selenium sulfide and menthol) for a few days to see if this well-known dandruff-treating shampoo, would have a positive effect on my psoriasis, which tends to flare up only on my scalp.  For a about one-and-a-half days my scalp seemed to react well, but soon after that my psoriasis itch came back in full force.  Thus, Selsun Blue might be an acceptable shampoo to rotate in with T/Gel (the current reigning champion for battling psoriasis in my case).

A method I use to keep the pruritus (itchiness) at bay is to “keep it guessing,” as it were, by changing shampoos around every other day.  For example, my shampoo rotation tends to include T/Gel, T/Sal and regular shampoo.  Using regular shampoo gives my scalp a break and is also significantly less expensive.  Now I will most likely use Selsun Blue in the rotation as well, probably for however long it takes to use up this bottle (which cost me almost ten bones).

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Expensive Psoriasis Shampoos Vs. Holistic Treatments

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

psoriasis shampoos

You don’t have to be a math whiz to figure out that medicated psoriasis shampoos are a lot more expensive than standard shampoos.  Whereas basic shampoo brands such as Suave can go for about 99 cents for a bottle, you would be lucky to find any kind of psoriasis shampoo for five bucks (or less).  Occasionally my local grocery store, Fry’s, puts T/Gel on sale for about 5 dollars a bottle, but I have come to expect about 6 dollars a pop.  As you can see in the picture above, such pricing leads me to leave the shampoo bottles upside down until I can squeeze every last drop out of them.

Included in the picture above:

  • T/Gel — Extra Strength (4% Neutar) and Stubborn Itch Control (2% Neutar as well as menthol)
  • T/Sal — Active ingredient: Salicylic acid.
  • Selsun Blue, with menthol and 1% selenium sulfide, which is a common dandruff medication

Cost is a major factor that must, by necessity, be calculated into one’s daily psoriasis-battling regimen.  If insurance doesn’t cover a certain medication, if copays add up to too much or if you don’t have any insurance at all then, short of taking up a life of crime, you will have to seek out other options to treat your psoriasis.  It is because of such resource limitations that holistic treatments (changing your entire lifestyle to treat psoriasis) are sometime necessary.  This can be a good thing much of the time since treating psoriasis generally involves becoming more healthy all-around.

In addition to being more affordable, holistic, herbal and generally more natural treatments can be more effective in the long run for treating your psoriasis.  If your body is equipped from the inside-out to fight off this condition, then additional brute-force drugs such as steroids or immunosuppressants will become unnecessary.

This is similar to the effect that drinking less caffeine has on my ability to concentrate and work effectively.  It’s nice to get that jolt of energy, but there is inevitably a let-down afterward, during which work seems even more difficult than before.  During the let-down phase I feel compelled to drink more caffeine, thus increasing my dependence on this drug.  But, when I opt for sleeping enough and drinking more water, my brain works better over longer periods of time.

The theory behind holistic psoriasis medications is similar to the principal of sleeping more rather than drinking caffeine.

Modern medicine is adapting to the fact that the body is, much of the time, better equipped to deal with biological issues than any man-made drug.  This points to the general fact that you, if you are suffering from psoriasis, should use shampoos such as those listed above but, at the same time, keep exercising, eating right and maintain a healthy state of mind to the best of your ability.

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