Should I shave off my hair??

[Abracadabra2]

This has been in the back of my mind for a while but I’ve finally reached my limit tonight and I’m fed up

should I shave off all my hair?

I have psoriasis which is horrendous all the time. At best my scalp is covered in layer upon layer of white crusts. At worst those crusts all burst open and become infected. I’ve had 5 separate staph infections in it this year alone. 9 courses of antibiotics. I’m permanently embarrassed, in agony and leaving blood or bits of scalp on anything my head leans against. the only thing that somewhat controls my psoriasis is extremely strong steroid treatments but even they aren’t great either tbh. But they’re the closest to controlling it. Unfortunately they destroy hair- my hair is dry, frazzled and completely split ended. It’s ruined beyond belief. My hair dresser said the condition it’s in is equivalent to bleaching every week for 6 months. It’s destroyed and getting worse

so do I decide to shave it all off? All I’ve ever wanted was nice hair (mine has always been frizzy, damaged because of steroids and caked in crusts that have come off my scalp) and it’s always been my dream to have long beautiful hair. I could get a professional wig and I might finally have my dream hair. It also might mean my psoriasis heals better but maybe not

but shaving off my hair seems so definite and scary and I don’t want to do it, but I keep thinking about the nice hair I could have 😭 I don’t know what to do !

I shaved all my hair off earlier this year. I've always had short hair but was curious to go 'bald'. Went for No 2 on the clippers so very very short. I liked it and I wish I had done it when I was younger, less wrinkles and saggy bits 😂. It grew back pretty quickly and I'm glad I did it . Go for it, you're not happy with your hair and it maybe the best thing to start again ?

I had chemo and lost all my hair. I didn't like it, and it has taken 18 months to grow back to a full head of shoulder length hair.

Human hair grows at about 3mm a week.

Instead, you could try a short cut, and buy a wig as well. Decent quality wigs are expensive (£300 ish) and normally last 3-4 months, no matter how well you care for them. They are also hot and can be itchy, so I'm not sure would be good for your condition. Mine was ok in January but too hot by May.

I wore a cotton headscarf rather than a wig whenever I was alone.

What causes your psoriasis? If it is stress induced, can you make a complete lifestyle change and try to improve things that way. Move somewhere rural, slower lifestyle, whole foods, less pollution? Or have you tried all of that?

Yanbu. I have a friend with scalp psoriasis who keeps his hair extremely short, he says it’s the only way to keep it under control.
You can always let it grow again later if you want.

Shave it!

My son suffers with terrible psoriasis. He was rushed through to a specialist after finally going to the GP. He's an adult had years and years of potions and lotions. It covered his entire body and they said he was at risk of death. If anybody dare question that, I shall look up the specifics.

He was put on some immunosuppressive drugs that are given to cancer patients. Cleared up miraculously. Then Covid hit and he didn't want to be immunocompromised, so stopped taking them.

It's back to a certain extent. His hair is very very thick and he keeps it long to hide his patches, but his scalp is so much healthier when his is short and - I don't know, I was going to use the word breathe. Scalps don't breathe, but you see what I'm getting at.

I've just shaved off dreadlocks - well 3 months ago because I could dig my nails in to my scalp and bring out huge chunks of white skin I guess, it certainly wasn't flakes.

I still have it on my neck and behind ears, I've been given fusidic acid cream.

I'm off to bed now but PM me if you like or Google cancer drugs for psoriasis. I don't think they'd be prescribed though unless an emergency. We both know lotions don't work though. I'm sorry that you are going through this.

unfortunately mine isn’t stress related and lifestyle changes have no effect. I’ve tried it all over the years but it’s had no change at all.

I’ve actually tried methotrexate etc which helped a little but I had to stop taking it for a while unfortunately

I found it really liberating to shave my head when my alopecia was getting so bad that it started to seem daft to keep all the ugly straggles. As well as the feeling of 'taking back control' from the illness by making my own decisions, there was also the advantage that the stubble hair in the remaining patches felt stronger, healthier than it had when long.
Although you have a different auto-immune problem, I wonder whether you might be able to find some small joy in being able to keep your scalp healthier, and in replacing frizzy, dry hair with strong anf healthy stubble.

Also, once you have made the leap to wigs they can be really great. It is such an agonising transition, but at the other end of it you will have really nice looking 'hair' that may well give you a huge boost.

Wigs can be a bit hot and sweaty, so you may need to take extra care of your poor scalp, but without your own hair it may be easier to give your scalp all the nurture it needs.

Also, wig suppliers tend to have a good range of comfy, cool turban-style headwear, so if your psoriasis made it hard for you to wear a wig all day, you can choose something lovely and breathable to wear around the home so that you can take good care of your scalp.

Have you ever tried UV treatment? I worked with a chap who had it and that worked for him, it was also a lot better if he’d been on holiday somewhere sunny.

I had chemo and lost my hair, and it was strangely liberating. I had a wig and a lot of scarves, but the hair grew back.
I have also had a lifetime of eczema, which while no wear near as miserable on my scalp as your psoriasis, did make me very self conscious of the fall of flakes everywhere.

So I would say try it, see how your scalp feels, and if you don’t like it, then just cover up until it’s the right length for you.

Absolutely no help OP but I've always suffered from horrible dry itchy scalp that used to bleed a lot as a child but calmed down over the years. About 12 years ago a severe bout of psoriasis flared up and it was horrendous so you have my total sympathy. I remember wondering the same about my hair. It went all thin (it's thin anyway) and dry and it was awful. I do remember thinking if I had shaved hair would the lack of hair help sort the scalp out.

I am sure you have tried this but just on the offchance .. Betnovate Scalp lotion is the only thing that keeps my patch of psoriasis under control. By which I mean it's always there, and still flares up after any strong emotional upset, but it stops it getting flaky and itchy. It's been there for 30 years.

For your hair, could you keep your hair short instead of shaving it? It could look better then and if you wear a wig the short hair would protect the wig base from the creams etc.

If you go down the wig route, there are different types. Some have a kind of silicon base and some have strips of lace the hair is attached to and the cheaper ones are quite scratchy.

If you go to a wig supplier that supplies orthodox Jewish women they will have very good quality wigs (however generally designed for caucasion hairstyles I should add) with soft lace base strips, and the hair is attached in a way it looks incredibly natural. That type can be very breezy to wear as the air gets through.

The wig base will need washing more often than usual due to your creams. And the good ones are not cheap - think £2000 upwards - but they are amazing and last years.

I know you must have tried everything but, ive been suffering with a mild (compared to what your describing) but still annoying and itchy psoriasis on my scalp/neck and shoulders/back.

i went to see a pharmacist as couldn’t get into the gp. They advised

TGel Coal Tar shampoo (once a week) or
Capasal Therapeutic Shampoo (daily) the daily one worked much better plus
on my scalp rub in raw coconut oil (the type you buy for cooking with) once a week and leave on for 1 hour, this moisturises the scalp
skin ive been using AproDerm ointment which is an intensive moisturiser specifically for psoriasis

my scalp has completely cleared up and im alternating my normal shampoo with the medicated now, its just my shoulders/back im working on now as they are still itchy

I feel for you -the itching, sores drive you insane!

I'm sure you've tried everything but I thought I'd throw this out there anyway just in case it helps you or someone reading. A friend of mine had horrible psoriasis on her scalp and was at her wit's end trying to soothe it. It turned out to be a fungal infection, she treated it and it vanished and hasn't come back since. I'm not sure why a fungal infection wasn't considered earlier but if it hasn't been considered in your case it might be worth checking out.

In the meantime, shave your head! It will grow back.

You have my sympathies OP my psoriasis was pustular for a while but only one patch and it seemed to attract insects.

I would go with a short cut and try scarves before going for a shave.

Bad as it is OP mine cleared up for 6 months and then came back as arthritis.

I'm now permenantly disabled but if I had to choose between them I'm not sure which I would go for. Anyone who has not had this it really is debilitating and embarassing.

Not sure if methotrexate is a biologic - friend of mine had immunotherapy for psoriasis and her skin looks like she never had psoriasis. She didn’t have it on the scalp, tho @Abracadabra2

Just to add, re the price of wigs, you don't need to pay thousands. I believe the human hair ones can easily cost that much but mid-range synthetic wigs at around £300-£400 are really very good indeed, both in terms of natural appearence and comfortable construction.
I've had pleanty of experience of people being genuinely wrongfooted and surprised when I tell them I'm wearing a wig. I don't tendto trust compliments, but these episodes of genuine confusion do really reassure me!

My only concern would be whether shaving would hurt you by reopening wounds. Unless you mean keeping a small amount of hair like a buzz cut?

I have alopecia and have worn a wig for about 10 years. I keep my remaining hair short but not shaved. I'd go for it as there are amazing wigs out there. People often don't realise I wear one and I don't spend thousands - £200-£300 a time for a good quality synthetic one, they last about 6 months and look realistic. Human hair is much more expensive and I found harder to look after. www.simplywigs.co.uk is my favourite supplier

One of my local hairdressers is a wig expert especially in cases of ill-health

Try and see if there's someone like that near you that you can talk to. Also your doctor may have a view as to whether it could exacerbate your condition

Personally, I would shave it off and look into wigs. Your psoriasis will definitely be easier to manage on your scalp without hair - easier to apply lotions, easier to exfoliate etc - and your hair will have a chance to grow back hopefully more healthy than it was. You could wear a wig when you're out or working or whatever and then let your scalp breathe the rest of the time. I get that it's a huge step to take, and I completely understand why some people are saying 'Don't do it' but I personally would bite the bullet and get the clippers out.

Wow, great result pennydrop! Your hair looks so healthy. So much more effective to 'start again' with new, undamaged hair rather than trying to rescue old hair.

I'm sure you've tried everything, but an old flat mate of mine had bad psoriasis and the only thing that would help would be having a bath/ shower at her friend's house as they had a water softener installed.

We lived in a hard water area and it was that that used to cause most irritation to her skin. She would shower at her friend's every couple of weeks or so!