Infuriated with dd scalp psoriasis

[harryhausen]

Can anyone give me any hints or tips to try?

Dd is 9. At 6 she developed severe guttate psoriasis that was so severe she was under several consultants and eventually ended up with UV light treatment for 4 months. She responded well to this and now we manage to keep on top of it with regular moisturising and dovabet gel.

The problem is her scalp. It's appalling. Covered in thick raised plaques and huge patches of itchy very flaky skin. It looks horrendously sore. When we had the UV treatment it cleared up, but has come back the most.

We were under a deem nurse as a follow up to UV. She recommended that we slather her head daily in emollient and she wears a shower cap. Not very practical for school! We've tried Polytar shampoo, t-gel shampoo, Capasal - nothing comes close. We've tried cocois ointment that is supposed to 'lift' off the dead skin which it does but then within 24 hours it's all built up and sore again. We've even tried just washing her hair in emollient cream with no shampoo whatsoever. That's not too bad but it never clears.

Does anyone have experience with this or have any idea of anything else to try? It's making our lives a misery. The Gp has drawn a bit of a blank I think - it's been a while since we saw the derm nurse and I reckon we'd have to be referred again. Sigh.

[ASmidgeofMidge]

I suffer from scalp psoriasis - it's the only place on my body I've ever had it. I've used various things with differing degrees of success, but have noticed a significant improvement if I take omega3 oils and multi vitamin supplements, and use Aveda Dry Remedy shampoo. None of the px'd medications/ointments/lotions have helped to the same degree. Weirdly (and I realise this isn't much help for your dd) it disappeared entirely during pregnancy. It does make me wonder if there's a hormonal component?

[exexpat]

I've had mine for about thirty years - not as bad as your DD's, by the sound of it, but it's always been there to some extent. The only two things that have made a difference for me are 1) steroid lotion, but that's just a short-term fix as you can't use it indefinitely and it comes back as soon as you stop using it, and 2) pregnancy…

None of the dozens of other shampoos etc I have ever tried have made a blind bit of difference. I just use mild shampoos/conditioners in an attempt not to irritate it, and try to resist the urge to scratch.

[harryhausen]

Thanks both of you for replying.

I'm hoping pregnancy will not her cure as yet.

I do have fish oil omega 3 tablets that I've flirted with giving her but tend to forget so haven't probably used them for long. Maybe I'll make a concerted effort to try again for longer.

I think I'll give up on shampoo and try and wash again with emollient instead and hope that eventually it helps.

I know that sunshine helps but she has really thick hair and favors the shade. The nurses tell me to tread a fine line of exposing her to sun but not to allow her to burn. I think she's been put off UV for life!

[Naicecuppatea]

Have you tried coconut oil massaged in? Obviously not on school mornings but would be ideal to leave in overnight. There is something called Good oil I think, that has an ideal ratio of omega 3 and 6, but she may have problems taking it from a teaspoon, perhaps mix it in with her food?

[peachdaiquirionmytoes]

I have this. Tried pretty much all the shampoos and not much success.
I find the best thing for me is coconut oil or even better, Epaderm, massaged in at night and then shampooed out in the morning. This softens the scales and lifts them. I find I can then gently comb them out with a very fine tail comb. Hair washing every day is essential - if I miss one day, if really builds up.

[TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain]

Selsun really removed a lot of mine. I am cleared up at the top of my head, its mainly confined to the nape of my neck now.

When it was at its worst and I had lost all hope from ointments, I read up online that coconut oil worked. I used it rubbed into my scalp and sat for hours with cling film and a towel wrapped around my head. I then combed out with a comb. I alternate selsun and the loreal mens anti dandruff shampoo. Not too hot water and I dry my hair with a dryer, not naturally as the scales increase!

[SoonToBeSix]

When I was in America I bought mg 217 shampoo it worked really well. I now get my friends to send it over but you may be able to buy it online. It really worked so much better than anything you can get over here just be careful not to get it in her eyes if you do get some.

[jalopy]

Is it worth trying Nizoral shampoo, just in case she has a secondary fungal infection excerbating her scalp?

[jalopy]

'exacerbating'

[Bonkerz]

My psoriasis on my scalp leaves me with horrid scabs. It bleeds and weeps constantly. Tried all tar shampoos and also selsun. Eventually I tried a loreal shampoo. It's actually been rebranded recently as a mans dandruff shampoo. Active selenium S shampoo it has an orange lid. Amazing stuff. Stops the itching and calms the scalp

[Airborne]

My DP had severe psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and crohn's disease. He had it for many years and also had very bad scalp with thick plaques . He tried a variety of creams and tbh nothing really worked for the long term. Then he went down the biological drug route, went on chemo and whilst this worked alright it was not good for him and made him quite ill. Now he is on humira as everything else failed - its a miracle drug, he is no longer in pain, has no psoriasis except very slight patches on his arms. Don't know how bad you have to be as a child to have it but its worth researching it, its an injection every 2 weeks.

[dawndonnaagain]

Another psoriasis sufferer here, 42 years I've had it. I too vote for coconut oil. A small tub of the solid stuff is about two quid in superdrug and it leaves my hair in great condition too!

[kazzawazzawoo]

I've had scalp psoriasis for forty years, since I was very young.

What helps me is shampoo without sls, cutting dairy and gluten out of my diet and occasional use of betnovate scalp treatment (a solution you supply).

[harryhausen]

With the coconut oil, how often do you treat? Do you wrap the head and leave for as long as possible? How do you wash out?

Thanks again for all replies x

[dawndonnaagain]

Hi,
I suspect we're all different and do what's best for us. For me, if it's really bad, coat scalp, leave overnight, three times first week, then once a week for a few weeks. When I was young, we always did it on Friday nights, and washed off on Saturday morning. Just used normal shampoo for washing it off. I won't use Polytar etc anymore. Just got too sick of the smell. I note up there I said I'd had it for 42 years, it's actually 52 years!

[RockinD]

Another vote for gluten and SLS free here.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I'm having some luck with etrivex shampoo.

[hollyisalovelyname]

I have it on my scalp. I think it's stress related . I use Betnovate ( it works) when I remember.
Disappeared when I was pregnant too but came back each time.
Your poor wee dd.

[EddieStobbart]

I have it too, worst on scalp but patches all over. Just noticed the tgel box said go back to doc if not clearing in 4-6 weeks - I've been using in one form or other for nearly 30 years! I'm going to try Exorex lotion on my scalp overnight as works well everywhere else.

Does she find it itchy? My scalp would probably feel that way to other people but It's been like that for so long for me that I'm used to it.