4 yrs, 12 mths ago

Psoriasis on Scalp – Help!

I suffer with horrible psoriasis on my scalp and it’s driving me crazy. I’ve tried anti-dandruff shampoos but they don’t seem to work. Has anyone found a shampoo that works well for psoriasis? Preferably, if possible, one that won’t strip the colour from my hair.

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Replies

  • 3 yrs, 1 mth ago

    I have a bit of psoriasis on my face. I found and used right away CeraVe Psoriasis Cleanser. All in all, this cleanser provides fast relief from bothersome psoriasis symptoms, from mild flaking to distractingly painful peeling. It turns your rough, cracked plaques into smooth and soft skin.

  • 4 yrs, 11 mths ago

    Thank you everyone for commenting and giving your recommendations. I bought MooGoo’s shampoo a couple of days ago and that seems to be helping. My scalp is still a little flaky, but is no where near as irritated or sore as it was. So, hopefully the flakiness clears up soon. xx

  • 4 yrs, 11 mths ago

    Hi, I don’t have psoriasis, but heard good things about Kerastase. They have a psoriasis line.

  • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

    Shampoos with tea tree oil do work & using the conditioner helps too. Use these until all clear then use a milder shampoo & don’t have water too hot as that dries your scalp. I also changed to goat milk soap which is much milder as I also don’t particularly like the smell of tea tree oil but it is better that suffering, and it definitely works to rectify the problem.

    I lived with this problem when I had a lot of stress which just makes it worse.

  • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

    I’ve had psoriasis on my scalp for about 25 years. I currently have it under control with Head & Shoulders, but at its worst I have found Neutrogena T-Gel (a coal-tar shampoo) to be helpful. Another one that is supposed to be very good is Thursday Plantations tea tree shampoo, but I haven’t tried it as I hate the smell of tea tree oil. Unfortunately, anything that is going to help will be hell on hair colour.

    Another approach that can make a big difference is diet – my dermatologist warned me that grapes encourage the psoriasis, something to do with fungus. At the time, I was eating a lot of grapes, but now that I have cut way back, the psoriasis has improved. She also advised me to stop putting my hair up in a towel after washing – creates a warm, damp climate. I’ve stopped doing this, and it has definitely made a difference.

    It’s definitely worth going to a dermatologist for advice and to rule out any underlying cause.

    • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

      I thankfully have a healthy diet and avoid foods that I`m intolerant to. But that trick about not putting your hair in a towel is interesting! I will have to see if that helps. Thank you so much!

    • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

      Wow that`s fasinating. I have never heard that grapes can contribute before. Or the towel trick, it makes sense really.

  • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

    I have had an itchy scalp to varying degrees for many years. I’m not sure what causes it, but it may relate to my many complex health issues. I’ve been experimenting with a wide variety of products to calm the itching. I find that washing my hair often relieves the itchiness. Now that I use sulphate-free shampoos, some of them don’t cleanse the scalp well which makes the itching worse, so it’s been trial and error for me to find a low-sulphate shampoo that works well. When the itchiness is severe, I dab a small amount of tea tree oil, lavender oil or eucalyptus oil onto my scalp. Please do a patch test before you try this just in case you have any sensitivities to essential oils. Sometimes I do a pre-treatment before washing my hair with jojoba oil. Sometimes this calms the itching, and sometimes it doesn’t work.

    I recommend a brand called MooGoo for their range of natural-based skin and hair products. They have a shampoo for irritated scalps:

    https://moogoo.com.au/hair-and-scalp-care.html

    Some people are sensitive to shampoos that contain sodium lauryl sulphate which is a surfactant that’s in many mainstream brands. You could try experimenting with a sulphate-free shampoo to see if that calms your scalp. If you prefer a shampoo with less harsh chemicals, no synthetic dyes etc, you can find them at your local health food store or online from stores such as Nourished Life:

    https://www.nourishedlife.com.au/natural-hair-products/

    Nourished Life has a popular shampoo bar from Ethique which is good for irritated scalps. I’ve just bought the shampoo but I haven’t tried it yet.

    De Lorenzo has a range of shampoos and conditioners called Tricho for scalp issues:

    https://www.delorenzo.com.au/product-category/tricho-scalp-therapy/

    You could also try a shampoo with salicylic acid, an ingredient which may help exfoliate your scalp.

    The Body Shop has a ginger shampoo for irritated scalps which contains willow bark.

    • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

      This has been amazing, thank you! I`ve tried The Body Shop`s ginger shampoo (I used to work there) and it worked okay, but during certain seasons it wasn`t enough. I will have a look through the others and give them a go. Thank you again!

  • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

    I can’t really recommend anything other than a medicated shampoo HeidiJoann, although I know they could strip colour. I’m currently dealing with scalp dermatitis & my dermatologist put me onto a specialist shampoo called Clobex, which you’ll need a prescription for.

    I think it may also help with psoriasis, but the only problem is it’s not cheap (between $40-$50), you have to chuck the bottle out after 28 days and you have to use it every day (although I don’t; I just use mine whenever I go to wash my hair, which is once or twice a week). I will say that it gives results though. I’ve only used it twice so far & my scalp feels less itchy, plus the redness & flakiness around my temples has just about disappeared. My colour hasn’t really disappeared too much since using it, which is a bonus.

    • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

      It probably wouldn`t be a bad idea to go see a dermatologist and see if they can prescribe a shampoo. I`m just hoping to find something on the market that works well so I don`t have to spend so much on something as small as shampoo. Thank you for your help!

      • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

        I have had scalp psoriasis for about 10 years and it`s at it`s best with clobex. Certain patches cleared up entirely but certain are still there but smaller than ever. As seashells had said, it`s costs, meant to be used daily (I also don`t wash my hair that much, especially in winter when it`s at it`s worst) but it`s the best I have used. I use tgel sometimes when it`s not so bad. Something more gentle that was good was moogoo shampoo and their scalp cream. You could give that a go, relatively inexpensive and doesn`t strip hair color.

      • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

        Thank you so much! I might have to try the moogoo shampoo, I have always been interested in their products

  • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

    Yeah I agree, anti – dandruff shampoo always strips colour , I don’t think it matters what brand, they just all strip colour, it’s recommended for fading hair in forums and my hair group on Facebook.
    My dad had psoriasis and used selsun for years.

  • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

    Bump!

    I can’t help you, HeidiJoann, I don’t suffer from psoriasis.

    I have oily hair & I find that any shampoo that doesn’t strip the colour also doesn’t clean the oil away. My personal compromise is to use deep cleansing shampoo to keep my hair clean & just put up with the colour being stripped. I recolour my regrowth more often. You might have to make a similar compromise.

    • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

      I have definitely had to get used to shampoos stripping the colour from my hair – especially because it`s red and easy to fade. Any recommendations for a good deep cleansing shampoo?

      • 4 yrs, 5 mths ago

        Hi HeidiJoann, I totally hear you. I really love the ELEVEN Deep Clean Shampoo. I use it probably once a week, and don`t find that it flares my skin up. I have blonde and ash brown streaks, so can`t say how it would react with red colour. I spent ALOT of money in the past year or so thinking that sulphate free shampoo was the way to go, and would totally fix everything ( even though intelectually I know there is no cure as such). I tried some very expensive brands, some of which made my skin react terribly, and was way worse. I find that I rotate a few brands and types of products within brands, and this seems to help. I found T-Gel to be awful on my hair, and not good for the skin either. That could just be me. Through alot of trial an error, I use the products that I know don`t irritate my scalp, and make my hair feel how I want it to feel. I like a few Redken products, and Goldwell seem to be good as well. I still rely on prescription lotions for flare ups. I have tried to go without, but have had to be realistic and realise that I need them….sometimes more than others. Good luck 🙂

      • 4 yrs, 5 mths ago

        Hi HeidiJoann, I totally hear you. I really love the ELEVEN Deep Clean Shampoo. I use it probably once a week, and don`t find that it flares my skin up. I have blonde and ash brown streaks, so can`t say how it would react with red colour. I spent ALOT of money in the past year or so thinking that sulphate free shampoo was the way to go, and would totally fix everything ( even though intelectually I know there is no cure as such). I tried some very expensive brands, some of which made my skin react terribly, and was way worse. I find that I rotate a few brands and types of products within brands, and this seems to help. I found T-Gel to be awful on my hair, and not good for the skin either. That could just be me. Through alot of trial an error, I use the products that I know don`t irritate my scalp, and make my hair feel how I want it to feel. I like a few Redken products, and Goldwell seem to be good as well. I still rely on prescription lotions for flare ups. I have tried to go without, but have had to be realistic and realise that I need them….sometimes more than others. Good luck 🙂

      • 4 yrs, 12 mths ago

        I love TRESemmé Deep Cleansing shampoo, but as I mentioned I don`t get psoriasis.

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