I have psoriasis in several places. But in the past few weeks, it's gotten worse on my scalp. It often gets crusty and bleeds. I use a medicated shampoo/conditioner and also skin zinc. But it doesn't seem to be getting better. Does anyone have suggestions?
By Leah Carlson from SC
I am the friend that Crafter Mary mentioned in her feedback.
My problem was so bad that my hair was coming out in the front in big chunks. I tried all the usual, tar shampoo, etc. Nothing helped. My hair was getting very thin from the hair loss. I read about Vicks in Dr. Peter Gott's column in our local newspaper.
By this time, my doctor had made me an appointment with a dermatologist, but I was not looking forward to that because I was almost certain they would use steroids or something. So when I read the newspaper column, I figured that I had nothing to lose. As Mary mentioned, I first used plain old vicks. I just rubbed it all over my scalp and then put a plastic shower cap over it. I left it on for about 4 hours, then washed it out. My scalp was absolutely clean with the first application.
But what a mess with the vaseline part. It would not wash out. But I remembered the dry shampoos of the 50's and sprinkled baby powder all through my hair and massaged it in, then brushed it out. It took all the sticky stuff with it. I shampooed it a second time and it was clean. I had a few stubborn spots near my temples that would begin to build up. By this time I had discovered the Vicks lotion in a tube. The active ingredients are exactly the same as in the old product except it doesn't use the petroleum base.
When I found a place that was forming again, I would just put a dab on my index finger and rub it into my scalp and it would disappear. It has been almost 2 years now since I have had to do anything. My scalp is normal. My Doctor was amazed at my remedy and told me that I could cancel my appointment with the dermatologist.
I get psoriasis on my scalp from time to time. Sometimes, Vicks helps me, but sometimes it doesn't work. If it's the "weepy" kind, I use Listerine mouthwash and it clears it right up. (I actually use the generic store brand "brown" version of Listerine most of the time.)
I read something recently that said that psoriasis is a reaction to something you eat, so you might want to experiment with your diet and see if that helps. For me, if I eat a product with gluten, I have a psoriasis outbreak within 12-24 hours, so I do my best to avoid all forms of gluten.
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Psoriasis on the Scalp. How do you get rid of psoriasis on the scalp?