Friday, November 17, 2006

Ten top tips

Here are my ten top tips for coping with psoriasis of the scalp:
1. Get plenty of sleep - my scalp is worse when i'm tired
2. Try to minimise stress
3. Try not to sctatch. This can actually spread the infection across your scalp (though it is obviously not infectious to another person).
4. If you can't do no 3.. I know it's difficult especially if your scalp is going through a particularly bad phase. It's easier not to scratch your scalp in public, but I find evenings very difficult particularly after a long day at work. If this is the case it might help to limit 'scratching time' to 5 minutes in the bathroom, so your lovely friends/ family don't have to witness it.
5. When you have a shower use warm water not hot. I recently found out that the heat can irritate the scalp.
6. Don't use styling products, if you use conditioner but it on the ends of your hair. I can arrive back from the hairdressers with all their lovely products in my hair but a burning scalp.
7. Combing and brushing is good according to the Psoriasis Association, but be careful not to scratch with the brush!
8. A shorter hair cut means that the air can get to your scalp, and the psoriasis is better. This is easier for boys than girls!
9. Try swimming in the ocean, the salt water is amazingly healing.
10. I find the sun really good too.

Shampoos I use!


I thought I'd tell you about some shampoos I use that aren't actually perscription ones but are really good and soothing. There's the Body Shop Olive Glossing Shampoo, it contains organic olive oil and honey which really seems to nourish my scalp. It's about £8 for 400ml, and I consistently find it good. I also tried the Manuka one which is supposed to be good for a troubled scalp, but it didn't work.

The other one I find good is Original Source Mint and Teas Tree Shower, I actually use this as shampoo although it does not explicitly say that you can do this on the bottle. I find it really refreshing.

I have tried baby shampoos too which can sometime work. Let me know any that you find good. Generally anything that is made with natural ingredients tends to work best.

X Elise

Monday, November 13, 2006

Random cures...


A few things that I have tried which may not be the most obvious solutions...
1. Recently I discovered that Hand hygiene gel works! I've been using Cutacura. Normally you use it to clean your hands if there is no water available (I used it on my Gap year in South Africa!) It's sposed to kill 99.99% of germs, and it is amazing on my scalp. It really calms my scalp down, it works because psoriasis is a fungal infection.
2. Soap! sounds random, but this only worked when I had mega short hair and I washed it for a while just using soap, it seemed to really neutralise my scalp.
3. Olive oil, this is next on my list to try, apparently it works -i'll let you know.

Please keep me posted of any random cures you know. Has anyone tried coconut oil?

Medicated Shampoo


One of the types of treatments you can get are shampoos.

Have tried Nizoral shampoo. Actually, this made my scalp WORSE ) : However, it does say 'dandruff shampoo' on the bottle which may be why. It is also red in colour... why add colourings for a sensitive scalp?

That's not to say the product is no good, i'm sure it works really well for some people. It was recommended to me by my dad, who gave me this condition! That's the thing. Even though this condition is genetic, me and my dad find that different things work for us.

There are also some rather weird things that seem to work which i'll tell you about!

X Elise