Psoriasis on my scalp, any advice on natural treatments?

[Xenastrah]

Hello all,

A little background:
In 2010 on the run up to my Handfasting I developed a stress induced Psoriasis on my legs and my back and sides of my body. The doctors were baffled at first, and after some skin scrapings and courses of anti-biotics, skin creams and the likes I was told it was Psoriasis. However, after my Handfasting it disappeared within a few weeks so we put it down to stress. Flash forward to spring last year, it appeared on my scalp, making it itchy, sore, red, and little scabs started forming. After a trip to my GP she diagnosed Psoriasis and gave me a steroid lotion to put on daily to bring the inflammation down and a shampoo to use twice a week. The inflammation comes and goes and I no longer use the steroid lotion. The shampoo I am still using and I have also swapped over to another shampoo that the doctor suggested called Simple, I use that on days I am not using the Ketopine which the doctor prescribed. The problem is, my scalp is no better even with the medicated shampoo.

I was wondering if anyone knew of any natural things I could try, I have been trying to find a decent recipe to make my own more natural shampoo but I can't find anything and I really have no idea where to look. I doubt that the shampoo I have been using is helping much, it soothes my scalp for perhaps 12 hours at most, and then the itching and soreness comes back. I am at my wits end with it, and I am not overly stressed so I don't think it is stress induced.

Any help and advice would be wonderful!

Imbolc Blessings.

[Lily]

I happen to do my current work in the psoriasis area.... now I am not a healer but I know the underlying cause is inflammation. So.... anything that is anti-inflammatory will be good.

how about honey and olive oil - not so sure about the beeswax in your hair ;-)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15022655

also stress exacerbates... try to live as healthy and stress-free as you can

[katie bridgewater]

I had a similar problem with extreme itching, burning sensations, scabs forming and very fine powedery dandruff. I tried EVERYthing, from Simple shampoo (it's full of the same crap most other shampoo is, I later realised), medical shampoos (they are full of similar crap too), whacky herbal stuff (often full of the same crap), rinses (ineffective until the whole problem was addressed both internally and externally) and all.
In the end I gave up using shampoo and in fact, using anything, however 'natural' except occasional light rinses with water. My scalp took some time to recover (the first few months were radical but it took about a year to really feel recovered, and I still am finding my skin is affected the more I do to eradicate processed foods, refined sugar, yeast ....) but 13 years on I haven't had anything like that happen again. Reducing sugar and refined foods has also had a good effect. Eating a handful of unsalted nuts each day has a good effect. Exercise has a good effect.
There is no quick fix. Reduce the crap you expose your scalp to, both internally and externally through diet, body products and stress, and increase the things it needs to heal and function properly like nutrients (omega 3's, zinc, fresh vegetables), rest, a natural self-greasing cycle (it will find an equilibrium once you stop stripping your scalp of oils), and being outdoors.

Good luck - I hope you manage to restore the balance.
This thread may be of interest:
http://www.druidry.org/board/dhp/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=34929

[GreenOak51]

Hello, Xenastrah -- sorry to hear about your psoriasis, it's not nice.

I hesitate to give any advice without knowing people and the cause of their dis-ease but let me ask a few questions. You said the lead up to your handfasting was the first onset. Yep, sounds like stress induced. Then it went away and the inflammation comes back occasionally though you're still using the shampoo(s). Your doctor diagnosed you with psoriasis ... did s/he work with you to find out why this is happening now? It's easy to point the finger at 'stress' in our lives but stress gets a bad rap more often than not. It's simply the way our body responds to things that are different from its norm. Psoriasis is the symptom, not the cause. From a holistic perspective, you need to find the cause and treat that. If it's stress, what's causing it and why and how do you cope with it? If it's dietary, what has changed, why has that changed, how can you bring it back to what your body requires? Could it be an allergic reaction? There are many possibilities that cannot be answered here.

Let me suggest three things - 1) Do a check in with your body over the past two years and find out what has changed in all areas. If you approach it that way, you may see what's happened right away or observe a few possible reasons - you can start the healing process yourself. 2) See a naturopathic doctor. That person will treat the symptoms but get to the cause of them to treat that also. Everyone has an opinion but the reality is that most of our allopathic doctors are not trained to heal holistically. I don't know the conversations between you and your doctor but if s/he is not taking a holistic approach that could be why the psoriasis is still present. 3) Check your diet and do healthy things for your liver. Our skin is an organ of elimination and very often skin problems are result of our body's attempt to detox.

Keep us posted ... be well.

Peace,
T
/|\

[DaRC]

I like GreenOak's approach.
I have Psoriasis which is treated by a mild steroid cream.
Over the years I've had well meaning advice from all sorts of people but they typically reflect the persons own particular focus' or concerns.

I've tried various things but actually flying to somewhere sunny# for a holiday with the subsequent improvement in my skin suggested that it was probably sunlight and thus Vitamin D related.
This winter I've been taking Vit D supplements and there has been a noticable improvement. OF course this isn't scientific at all but just my experience.




#yes I self flagellated myself harshly and paid the eco-tax for the flights.

[Xenastrah]

I happen to do my current work in the psoriasis area.... now I am not a healer but I know the underlying cause is inflammation. So.... anything that is anti-inflammatory will be good.

how about honey and olive oil - not so sure about the beeswax in your hair ;-)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15022655

also stress exacerbates... try to live as healthy and stress-free as you can

Thank you so very much! I will definitely give it a go!

[Xenastrah]

I had a similar problem with extreme itching, burning sensations, scabs forming and very fine powedery dandruff. I tried EVERYthing, from Simple shampoo (it's full of the same crap most other shampoo is, I later realised), medical shampoos (they are full of similar crap too), whacky herbal stuff (often full of the same crap), rinses (ineffective until the whole problem was addressed both internally and externally) and all.
In the end I gave up using shampoo and in fact, using anything, however 'natural' except occasional light rinses with water. My scalp took some time to recover (the first few months were radical but it took about a year to really feel recovered, and I still am finding my skin is affected the more I do to eradicate processed foods, refined sugar, yeast ....) but 13 years on I haven't had anything like that happen again. Reducing sugar and refined foods has also had a good effect. Eating a handful of unsalted nuts each day has a good effect. Exercise has a good effect.
There is no quick fix. Reduce the crap you expose your scalp to, both internally and externally through diet, body products and stress, and increase the things it needs to heal and function properly like nutrients (omega 3's, zinc, fresh vegetables), rest, a natural self-greasing cycle (it will find an equilibrium once you stop stripping your scalp of oils), and being outdoors.

Good luck - I hope you manage to restore the balance.
This thread may be of interest:
http://www.druidry.org/board/dhp/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=34929

Thanks you so much! I actually eliminated refined sugar from my diet last year when my husband and I switched out diet over to a low GI diet, so I am one step closer! I have been trying to let my hair do its own thing and not wash it with anything, but a few day into it my scalp itches like mad and so I stupidly use the shampoo, I guess I should just ride it out and try plain water!

[Xenastrah]

Hello, Xenastrah -- sorry to hear about your psoriasis, it's not nice.

I hesitate to give any advice without knowing people and the cause of their dis-ease but let me ask a few questions. You said the lead up to your handfasting was the first onset. Yep, sounds like stress induced. Then it went away and the inflammation comes back occasionally though you're still using the shampoo(s). Your doctor diagnosed you with psoriasis ... did s/he work with you to find out why this is happening now? It's easy to point the finger at 'stress' in our lives but stress gets a bad rap more often than not. It's simply the way our body responds to things that are different from its norm. Psoriasis is the symptom, not the cause. From a holistic perspective, you need to find the cause and treat that. If it's stress, what's causing it and why and how do you cope with it? If it's dietary, what has changed, why has that changed, how can you bring it back to what your body requires? Could it be an allergic reaction? There are many possibilities that cannot be answered here.

Let me suggest three things - 1) Do a check in with your body over the past two years and find out what has changed in all areas. If you approach it that way, you may see what's happened right away or observe a few possible reasons - you can start the healing process yourself. 2) See a naturopathic doctor. That person will treat the symptoms but get to the cause of them to treat that also. Everyone has an opinion but the reality is that most of our allopathic doctors are not trained to heal holistically. I don't know the conversations between you and your doctor but if s/he is not taking a holistic approach that could be why the psoriasis is still present. 3) Check your diet and do healthy things for your liver. Our skin is an organ of elimination and very often skin problems are result of our body's attempt to detox.

Keep us posted ... be well.

Peace,
T
/|\

Yeah the first time I had a problem with psoriasis was summer/autumn 2010. It started as a dry patch on my leg and quickly got worse. At first the doctor thought it might be a fungal infection and she took a scraping and sent it off for testing and that came back clear. She tried treating it with a steroid cream but it spread right up my back and sides of my body. After the Handfasting, roughly 2 or 3 weeks it was completely gone. Then last year I noticed that my scalp was starting to dry out, and became a bit flakey. At first I thought it was dandruff, but then my scalp became pink, sore and then went red around the hair follicles. Not long after that the scabs started forming. My doctor just took a look at it and told me it was psoriasis and prescribed my a steroid lotion to rub on to my scalp and a shampoo too use twice a week, alternating it with the Simple shampoo. This works for about 12 hours and the itching and inflammation comes back. She hasn't really done anything else but this. The last 19 months or so have been rather worrying but I wouldn't say I was overly stressed. My husbands health hasn't been too great and I have become his full time carer. He has a chronic pain condition that doctors haven't been able to diagnose and osteoarthritis of the spine. His mobility has been severely effected by it and he was recently registered disabled. We changed our diet last year to a Low Gi to help with his diabetes and to hopefully help with the symptoms of my pcos. So a few things have changed recently! Thank you very much for your advice, I will definitely has a shot at your suggestions! I will try anything at this point!

[Xenastrah]

:grin: I like GreenOak's approach.
I have Psoriasis which is treated by a mild steroid cream.
Over the years I've had well meaning advice from all sorts of people but they typically reflect the persons own particular focus' or concerns.

I've tried various things but actually flying to somewhere sunny# for a holiday with the subsequent improvement in my skin suggested that it was probably sunlight and thus Vitamin D related.
This winter I've been taking Vit D supplements and there has been a noticable improvement. OF course this isn't scientific at all but just my experience.




#yes I self flagellated myself harshly and paid the eco-tax for the flights.

I might give Vitamin D a try! I don't get as much sunlight as I should to be honest so it might help! With my husbands chronic pain condition getting out can be difficult, so is probably worth a shot!
Thank you for the advice! I will give it a try!

[Xenastrah]

Thank you so very much for all of your advice! I am sorry I took so long to get back to you all. We had a surprise visit from my mum over the weekend and she has only just left! I will have a bash at everything suggested! As I already said earlier, I am willing to try anything at this point!

[Paula Netto]

Hello,

I may have some sugestions for your problem, but I need to now a little more. Do you have any breathing problems? Digestive? What other sinthomes do you have? Does your problems get worst in Spring and in the warmer months?
Do you fell tired? Are you taking any other medication?
Anyway, to begin a natural treatment I sugest you start a desentoxication program for your liver to clear your body from toxins that accumulates by stress, nutrition, etc. and can affect your skin. I can tell you some plants very usefull (but first I have to find an English name for them) You can start by drinking a glass of warm water first thing in the morning, everyday, and be carefull with food, avoid fats, sauces and red meat.

Chinese medicine use to have very good results in psoriase, have you tryed?
I'll be around if you want my sugestions.

All the best!

[Xenastrah]

Hello,

I may have some sugestions for your problem, but I need to now a little more. Do you have any breathing problems? Digestive? What other sinthomes do you have? Does your problems get worst in Spring and in the warmer months?
Do you fell tired? Are you taking any other medication?
Anyway, to begin a natural treatment I sugest you start a desentoxication program for your liver to clear your body from toxins that accumulates by stress, nutrition, etc. and can affect your skin. I can tell you some plants very usefull (but first I have to find an English name for them) You can start by drinking a glass of warm water first thing in the morning, everyday, and be carefull with food, avoid fats, sauces and red meat.

Chinese medicine use to have very good results in psoriase, have you tryed?
I'll be around if you want my sugestions.

All the best!

Hey,

I do have Asthma, but not any digestive problems. The psoriasis so far just seems to be there all the time, I haven't really noticed it being much different through out the year. I do have low iron, and I am allergic to Ferrous Sulphate that they prescribed to bring my iron levels back up, so I have been doing it pretty much through diet. I do feel very lethargic quite a bit, especially recently. I haven't tried anything in the way of herbs, just the shampoo and lotions that the doctor prescribed which is full of chemicals Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated!

[Kima]

I have eczema on my scalp and have stopped using shampoo which made it terribly itchy. I rinse my hair with nettle infusion and a dash of apple cider vinegar about once a week, let it sit for a few minutes and wash it out under water. It's helped.

I would personally stay clear of steroids (was once prescribed a cream on my fingers where I also have eczema - it certainly did nothing to help).

[blue pig]

Don't know if I can help but I have been hairdressing for 30 years and seen a few scalps!
Most of my opinions are formed through experience rather than by product company spin although I also had the benefit of working with product development for a few years (with professional and consumer brands).

You really need to research before using anything on your scalp, especially shampoo. It' s primarily a detergent. Find a shampoo with as low a level of detergent as possible. Sodium Laureth Sulphate is the most common and I'd generally steer clear. Also good old salt, Sodium Chloride, is often used as a thickener; can't see that doing much good!

Conditioners undo the damage that water and shampoo does; may help to soothe but rinse really well. So many people can be sensitive to fragrance, natural or not.
There's a good company here in Sweden that produces a Hawthorn capsule with omega 3, 6,7 and 9, vitamins A and E. Designed for skin but scalp is skin too. I'd recommend it. They also produce Hawthorn serum, easy to massage into the scalp and a 'Suppressing Cream', Hawthorn Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil, vitamin E, vitamin B5. (And no, I don't work for the company!!!)

Sadly cheaper brands seem to be the ones that do the most damage but we can all develop a sensitivity to any product at any time.
Psoriasis is one of those things that may develop internally but is clearly affected externally.
For some people basic shampoos and steroids work just fine.

Eastern medicine might be something to look into; I imediately think about reducing the 'heat' in your head.

Also I agree with less stress, less alcohol (maybe the odd ), more vitamin D...

Blessings

bp

[Nemoryn]

I agree: Keep looking at the detergents and find out what is irritating your skin!
I cite what I've written in the eczema-thread, maybe it helps:

Usual cleanser (if for hair, hands, body or laundry) often dry out. I found out that mainly two ingredients are outdrying: At first, the category of the sulfates (SLS, ALS ... - everything on the INCI-list with "sulfate").
Natural cosmetics use instead of these very aggressive detergents oftens detergents on the basis of coconut, often coconut sulfates. That is the second very outdrying ingredient.
Most products for cleansing use at minimum one of the two, often more.
My solution for my body and hair is natural soap (contains only saponified natural oils and sometimes essential oils or perfume) without coconut oil. For my hair I use an Avocado oil based soap, for my face I love the sheabutter-seasalt combination.
I found my solution through a research on the German LHN ("Langhaarnetzwerk" - a forum for people who want to grow healthy hair). At the english forum LHC (Long Hair Community) you can find similar threads, too.

I'd add that sulfates and coconut products are sometimes contained in skincare products like creams, too - have a look at the package.

Sadly cheaper brands seem to be the ones that do the most damage

I don't agree with that point. The german "Stiftung Warentest" and "Ökotest" test regularly all kinds of products and often find that the quality of the cheap house brands of drugstores and supermarkets is very high and that pricier and more advertised products often are lower in quality and partly contain harmful ingredients. That's not the point for all products, you have to distinguish and read the INCI-list attentively.

[Aigeann]

Sadly cheaper brands seem to be the ones that do the most damage

It may be due to the specific country, Nemoryn. I would tend to agree the above would be usually the case here in the US. Welcome to the Board, btw!

[blue pig]

Sadly cheaper brands seem to be the ones that do the most damage

It may be due to the specific country, Nemoryn. I would tend to agree the above would be usually the case here in the US. Welcome to the Board, btw!

I'll add that my experience was purely UK based. I've heard that Japan has the most stringent testing for hair products, if that helps any. I also understand (right or wrong) that the US varies state by state...

bp

[katie bridgewater]

I have started the Shampoo-Free Jamoboree, a group on FB, for those who are or want to try being free of the shampoo for cosmetic, health or environmental reasons. I hope we can support one another and share our experiences there, and even post pictures of our lustrous locks! (well it was the only emoticon with long hair...)

http://www.facebook.com/groups/345121418932834/

[Ouroboros]

Turmeric aka Curcumin is very beneficial taken internally in inflammatory skin conditions. A minimum of 1 gram daily taken with ginger tea or fennel tea to aid digestion.

Hope this helps and everyone with skin conditions finds relief.
Ouroboros.