Scalp psoriasis is the most common form of the disease. It does not threaten health, but spoils the patient's appearance and becomes the cause of psychological complexes. Treatment of psoriasis of the scalp begins with finding out the causes of the disease and eliminating them.
Psoriasis is treated in a complex, using medicines, physiotherapy and spa treatment. Therapy with folk remedies is effectively supplemented.
Drug therapy
Medical treatment includes general and local therapy. Treat psoriasis at home.
General treatment is carried out:
- sedatives (infusion of motherwort and valerian);
- antihistamines;
- hyposensitizing agents;
- antibiotics;
- immunomodulators;
- nonspecific immunotherapy drugs (aloe, ATP);
- aromatic retinoids;
- glucocorticosteroids;
- cytostatics;
- biological medicines;
- calcified autologous blood;
- hemodesis solution (administered drip);
- diuretics;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- tranquilizers;
- pyrogenic therapy;
- antidepressants;
- psychotropic medicines;
- fortifying agents (vitamin complexes).
Diuretics can cure exudative diathesis, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - psoriatic arthritis. With a protracted process, pyrotherapy may be prescribed.
Antihistamines and sedatives can help relieve itching and anxiety in the scalp. In severe cases, tranquilizers are prescribed.
Corticosteroids and cytostatics treat the disease if it is severe and its symptoms are too severe. But you should be very careful when using medications, as they can aggravate the course of psoriasis. Antibiotics are only prescribed if psoriasis is complicated by an infection on the scalp.
Psychotropic drugs cannot cure psoriasis, but they eliminate anxiety, relieve depression, increase resistance to stress, normalize sleep, and reduce itching. Vitamin complexes will help improve metabolism.
Unfortunately, psoriasis cannot be completely cured. But it is possible to significantly improve the patient's condition, slow down the inflammatory processes and transfer the disease to the stage of remission.
Local treatment
From local drugs for the treatment of psoriasis of the head are used:
- keratolytic ointments (salicylic, sulfuric, sulfur-salicylic, mercury-salicylic, naphthalonic, sulfur-tar, tar, ichthyol, resorcinol);
- glucocorticoid ointments;
- lotions containing vitamin D3;
- lotions with dithranol;
- shampoos;
- tar soap.
The composition of ointments for the treatment of psoriasis includes tar, zinc, naphthalene, valicill. Ultraviolet irradiation will help to increase their effectiveness.
Non-hormonal ointments are used to treat the initial stages of psoriasis. Glucocorticoid ointments treat the disease only if it is severe, if other drugs do not give any results. These medicines are very effective. They are able to quickly remove the inflammatory process. But hormonal ointments lower skin immunity, and after they are canceled, the rashes appear again.
Shampoos by themselves are not capable of fighting psoriasis. But as part of complex therapy, they have an effective effect: they reduce inflammation, relieve itching.
You can treat psoriasis at home with 3 types of shampoos:
- tar;
- containing ketoconazole;
- for children.
Medicated shampoos contain tar, sulfur, zinc pyrithione and salicylic acid. Sulfur inhibits inflammation, and salicylic acid restores the stratum corneum of the epidermis. Thanks to zinc pyrithione, medicinal substances remain on the scalp even after shampooing. It is recommended to treat with shampoos twice a week for 2-3 months. It is advisable to apply the shampoo to the hair 2 times and keep it for 5 minutes.
Physiotherapy
An excellent result in the treatment of psoriasis on the head is provided by the use of physiotherapeutic procedures:
- hydrotherapy;
- hirudotherapy;
- cryotherapy;
- acupuncture;
- herbal medicine;
- ultraviolet radiation;
- irradiation with an erbium laser;
- PUVA therapy;
- hemosorption;
- plasmapheresis;
- paraffin applications;
- vacuum therapy;
- acupressure.
Spa treatment
Treatment of psoriasis of the scalp is carried out in sanatoriums.
Patients are prescribed:
- climatotherapy;
- hydrogen sulfide, sulfite and radon baths;
- mud therapy;
- heliotherapy;
- thermal springs.
Treatment of psoriasis using traditional medicine
An effective result in the treatment of psoriasis on the head is provided by alternative methods, if they are used as an adjunct to drug treatment. Lotions with celandine, aloe and celery, rinsing hair with broths of burdock, amaranth, string, chamomile, thuja, white willow, juniper berries, blackberry leaves, lovage roots, tinctures of Japanese sophora, seeds of barley or celery, sea buckthorn and viburnum, andalso treatment of the scalp with birch tar and grease.
But before you start treating psoriasis with folk remedies, you need to consult with your doctor.
Oil compress
Treatment of scalp psoriasis with folk remedies usually involves the use of oil compresses. Stir in equal amounts of peanut and olive oil. The mixture is warmed up and the affected parts of the scalp are rubbed in with massaging movements. Insulate with a shower cap. Leave until morning. Remove with apple cider vinegar, listerine or glycotimoline (dissolve 60 milliliters of the product in 500 milliliters of water).
Onion compress
Most often, scalp psoriasis is treated with folk remedies using onions. Chop the onion with a fine grater and apply it to wet hair, rubbing it into the scalp. Insulate with a plastic bag. After 15-20 minutes, the head is washed with tar soap. During the onion treatment, you will have to stop using shampoo.
Celandine in the fight against psoriasis
Celandine will help cure psoriasis at home.
To prepare the infusion, dry celandine herb (60 grams) is poured with medical alcohol (500 milliliters) and left to infuse for several hours. Then the areas of the scalp affected by psoriasis are gently lubricated.
The infusion is highly effective but can irritate the scalp. If unpleasant sensations arise, then the head is washed and rinsed with chamomile infusion.
Sunflower basket tincture
For the treatment of psoriasis with folk remedies, sunflower baskets are often used. Baskets (2 pieces) are finely chopped, poured with white wine (100 milliliters) and left for 2 days. Then the juice is squeezed out and used as a compress.
The tincture is recommended for use in the presence of infectious lesions of the scalp. It is able to slow down the further multiplication of bacteria.
Homemade ointments
Solid oil ointment will be more effective in treating the disease if herbs are added to it. It is combined with tincture of eleutherococcus, celandine herb or western thuja in a ratio of 5: 1.
Home-made ointments are not inferior in their effectiveness to store-bought ones. They will help you quickly defeat psoriasis on the scalp.
There are several recipes for making ointments using folk methods:
- Solid oil or petroleum jelly (300 grams) is mixed with egg whites (2 pieces), lime honey (20 grams) and pounded celandine herb (20 grams).
- Rosehip branches are dried and burned. Ash is mixed with petroleum jelly in equal proportions. Within a week, psoriasis plaques will disappear from the skin.
- A raw egg is placed in a 200-gram jar and poured with vinegar essence. The jar is closed with a lid and left for a day. Then the egg with the shell is thoroughly ground and mixed with unsalted pork fat (20 grams). The ointment is used to treat the affected areas of the scalp, avoiding healthy areas (burns will appear on them under the influence of the ointment). After an hour, the remnants of the ointment are wiped off with a cloth, and the plaques are smeared with baby cream. After several treatments, the psoriasis plaques will be scaly off the skin.
- Eucalyptus oil (30 grams), freshly squeezed Kalanchoe juice (10 milliliters) and honey (10 grams) are mixed.
- Blue clay is diluted with water until thick sour cream and combined with sea salt. Used to lubricate affected skin.
- Pharmacy birch tar (50 grams) is thoroughly mixed with crushed ascorutin tablets (50 pieces).
Homemade shampoo
Honey (20 grams) is mixed with egg white and baby shampoo. Apply to the affected hair area for 15 minutes.
Fees for internal use
Decoctions and infusions for internal use, prepared at home, effectively help in the treatment of scalp psoriasis:
- Elderberry flowers (20 grams) are brewed with boiling water (450 milliliters) and infused for 1. 5 hours. Drink 120 milliliters an hour after eating.
- The roots of elecampane and calamus, black elderberry flowers, lingonberry leaves, horsetail, St. John's wort and celandine are combined in equal quantities. The resulting mixture (10 grams) is poured with boiling water (250 milliliters). Consume 120 milliliters.
Folk remedies effectively treat psoriasis.
Diet for psoriasis
Diet is also important for the treatment of scalp psoriasis.
To successfully cure psoriasis, you should give up fried, smoked, spicy and spicy foods, seasonings, preservation, limit the consumption of sugar, carbohydrates, fats. At the same time, it is necessary to increase the content of plant and dairy products in the diet.
Flaxseed oil (20 milliliters), fish oil (12 milliliters) or vitamin A (the dosage should be indicated by the doctor) will help cure the disease.