September 3, 2009
Scalp Psoriasis Symptoms Vs Dandruff
It’s often very difficult to tell the difference between scalp psoriasis and dandruff. It’s because they both share the similar symptoms of itchy scalp and white flakes of dead skin cells. However, there is a difference between these two scalp problems.
The first thing to note is that psoriasis may be the underlying cause of dandruff. Psoriasis is thought to be caused by immune system and a genetic predisposition to psoriasis. You have a strong chance of inherting the genetic predisposition towards psoriasis if a member of your family has the disease. However, not all people who have a genetic tendency towards psoriasis go on to develop the disease. Psoriasis is a skin disease that can affect people of any age. Males and females equally tend to be affected by psoriasis.
As mentioned, both scalp psoriasis and dandruff can cause similar symptoms. Scalp psoriasis symptoms are often triggered off from seemingly innocent cuts, abrasions, scratches and even sunburn. Quite often a flare up of psoriasis will happen during the winter months because of lack of natural sunlight. Scalp psoriasis commonly affects the back of the head although other areas can be affected and in some cases affect the entire scalp. Psoriasis may not be confined just to the scalp. The scaly, silvery patches can appear on your knees, elbows, lower back, groin and other body folds.
Dandruff, however, is thought to be mainly caused by the Malassezia yeast, a naturally occurring fungus, that feeds on the natural oils of the skin. Because of this, the skin starts to shed too quickly and causes it to itch. Other suggested causes are not brushing the hair regularly, not enough shampooing, dry skin, poor diet and too much stress. Mild dandruff often occurs after puberty, usually between 20-30 years, and tends to affect more men than women.
The treatments for both scalp psoriasis and dandruff tend to be similar. Commonly prescribed treatments are coal tar and salicyclic shampoos or topical steroid creams to reduce inflammation. Using an anti-fungal shampoo will normally sort your dandruff out since the main cause of dandruff is fungus.
The only difference between calp psoriasis and dandruff is that it may be more resistant to regular treatment. Your physician or dermatologist may recommend exposure to ultravoilet light if shampoos or steroid creams don’t work. As a last resort, when all else has failed, oral retinoids may be prescribed.
Now that you are aware that even though scalp psoriasis and dandruff have similar symptoms, the causes are different and may require differing treatments.
Having scalp psoriasis or dandruff is not the end of the world because there are so many effective products available. If you think you have scalp psoriasis or any other form of psoriasis, study the psoriasis symptoms and consult your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. You should be aware that as well as conventional treatments, there are also natural psoriasis treatments.
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1 Comment on Scalp Psoriasis Symptoms Vs Dandruff »
September 9, 2009
Barbara Toth @ 9:42 am:
I never really thought I would have Scalp Psoriasis… but reading this article I may have more than just the scalp psoriasis.
This has been a situation for several years(maybe 10)… and I’m almost 40 years old.
Every so often, I start itching or scratching(I don’t really know which comes first) the back of my head non-stop. It seemed when I was nervous about something, I would begin scratching my head. Once I started it was difficult to stop. And anything, like sweeting or nerves, or even scratching my head for an itch would set it off. To this day, I’ve never treated this because I always thought it was nerves.
In the last 4 years, I’ve grown my hair longer and noticed more flaking in my hair. I stopped washing it as much, simply becuase it’s so time consuming to wash and dry it every day. Now, after reading the article, I realize my body oils can be producing much faster and creating the flaking. So obvious treatment would be to wash my hair more regularly.