Scalp Psoriasis Symptoms

Psoriasis is a skin disease or condition which is thought to be induced due to problems of the immune system. It is a chronic, common, inflammatory skin disease. It is quite painful and stressful. Psoriasis as such is more common in adults as opposed to kids. As of date, there has been no sure shot cure for psoriasiswhich can make the patient get rid of psoriasis completely from the roots.

Though there are many treatment options available which can help manage psoriasis from growing or aggravating further, help to reduce the severity of psoriasis and soothe the skin. Psoriasis is a skin condition which branches out into many types of psoriasis. Here, let us know a little about scalp psoriasis which is one among the many types of psoriasis that are prevalent.

Scalp Psoriasis

So, what is Scalp Psoriasis?
Well, as the namesuggests it is the psoriasis of scalp. It is a common, chronic, inflammatory skin disease seen in either patches on the scalp or on the entirety of the scalp and at times even spreads to the forehead, neck, back and inside of the ear as well. Scalp psoriasis appears as a raised reddish pink or purplish patch with either white or grey scaling.

Due to varied skin tones its appearance varies from one person to the other person. In lighter skin tones the patches could appear either pinkish or reddish with white color scaling, but in darker skin tone the appearance is a purplish tone with grey color scaling. Treating scalp psoriasis is quite challenging due to the presence of hair.

Treatment Options For Scalp Psoriasis

As mentioned earlier, there is no sure shot cure to completely nullify psoriasis, but with advancement in the field of science and medicine, there has been tremendous growth in new, innovative, wonderful treatment options to manage psoriasis.

There are many over the counter (OTC) medicines which are usually the first step of treatment for psoriasis. These can be medicines which are applied topicallyor medicines for intake. Topical applications include good quality shampoos as well as creams to heal, reduce, and soothe the skin.

Next step usually is prescribed medications which could be in the form of topical applications, injectables, as well as intake of medicines which may be steroids. There are also treatment options like phototherapy (UV combs, UV 311, and laser tool), systemic and biologic medicines, some natural home remedies (ACV, tea tree oil, turmeric, etc).

Scalp Psoriasis Symptoms

As we know, Scalp psoriasis is a common, chronic, inflammatory skin condition which affects the scalp, causing formation of raised scaly skin patches on the scalp which sometimes spread even to the forehead, neck and the back and inside of the ears.

Scalp psoriasis symptoms varies in severity from mild to moderate to severe and most often include these symptoms listed below. Let us have a quick look at these:

• Redness: The scalp area which is affected appears pinkish red. The area would be inflamed which is often accompanied with severe itching.
• Soreness: Due to the raised and inflamed skin patches, there is tenderness or soreness in the areas affected by scalp psoriasis.
• Temporary Hair Loss: Inflammation of the scalp leads to damaged hair follicles causing temporary hair loss as well in some of the scalp psoriasis cases. Irritation and itchiness makescombing or brushing the hair very uncomfortable and difficult to manage hair leading to hair loss.
• Flaking and Scaliness: Due to raised skin patches and excessive dry, thickened skin, there is dandruff like flaking of the scalp. There is greyish or whitish scaling making it more evident and visible on clothes, in the hair, etc., when they flake off.
• Dryness: The affected areas of the scalp may become excessively dry and flaky which leads to cracking of skin and open wounds making the treatment more challenging.
• Itching or Burning Sensation: The scalp may sometimes feel itchy and also may haveburning sensation, leading to discomfort and pain.
• Bleeding: Excessive dryness, itchiness, and flaky skin can sometimes lead to bleeding or oozing in extremely severe cases of scalp psoriasis. This is one of the scalp psoriasis symptoms which is seen in quite severe case of scalp psoriasis.

Scalp psoriasis symptoms differ from person to person, and it is not mandatory that the person suffering from scalp psoriasis skin condition necessarily experiences all of the above symptoms. Some may have all of these above stated scalp psoriasis symptoms or some may witness only a few of these symptoms.

Irrespective of the symptoms, when scalp psoriasis is being suspected, it is prudent to consult the right practitioner for correct diagnosis and for right treatment options to manage it better. It is advised to start early and not delay in approaching proper medical help.

With innovations and breakthrough findings in the field of medicine, psoriasis management has become easier. An array of brands are offering a wide variety of treatment products in terms of oral medicines, local applications (creams, soaps, shampoos), tools and equipments (phototherapy: UVB combs and lamps), the list is endless.

Some of the leading brands committed to providing both corrective and preventive options for scalp psoriasis are C Cube Advanced Technologies, Philips, Cureka, Glenmark, etc.