Although it may seem like a different problem altogether, it can be easy to forget that dry scalp problems are like any other dry skin issue.
A dry scalp treatment will work exactly the same as any other treatment for dry skin around the body. So that we can find the best dry scalp treatment for you, we should look at common dry scalp problems, their causes and what treatment options are available. Common dry scalp problems leave your scalp overly dry which results in flaking of the dry skin, redness, irritation a in some severe cases scaling or pain.
The most likely cause of a dry scalp is because natural oils that is produced under your skin has been over stripped thus leaving the skin without a form of hydration and protection. Over stripping of these oils can be due to a number of reasons
- Using harsh or overly aggressive cleaning shampoos
- Medicated shampoos
- Washing your hair under extremely hot water (use warm water instead)
- Excessive blow drying of hair
- Weather or temperature. A cold winter can rob your scalp of hydration.
- It is important to know that the cause of dandruff and dry scalp can be different and often times unrelated. Dandruff can occur even on an oily scalp. The cause of dandruff can even be due to fungus, which in that case a proper treatment for dandruff will be very different to that of a normal dry scalp.
Common Dry Scalp Treatment
Because your dry scalp is due to over removal of natural skin oils, the first step is to have a good look at all the products your scalp comes into contact with. If possible swap out aggressive cleaning shampoos for something much more gentler.
Avoid hot showers and use luke warm water instead and consider switching to a shampoo with added oils. Any shampoo that has added moisturizer so that it can work on the scalp and help restore hydration instead of taking it away.
You can also find new types of shampoos that have been reformulated to clean without drying out your scalp. For example you can find shampoos that work without using sulfate. This is the main ingredient used in most shampoos that helps the shampoo lather and sud, unfortunately it can very easily strip all the moisture of your scalp.
Other treatment options are
- Look for dry scalp moisturizers
- See your dermatologist for medical diagnosis and prescription. You may have dandruff or psoriasis. In which case a simple case of adding extra moisturizers to your hair care will not be sufficient as a dry scalp treatment.
- If you want to try a cheap and effective home remedy for dry scalp treatment of all the different home remedies olive oil is a good first step.
Olive oil dry scalp treatment
You will need
1 Tablespoon of Olive oil
Warm up the olive oil very quickly in a microwave, you do not to heat it up so its boiling, just warm enough so that it spreads easily over your skin.
Massage the oil into your scalp and leave it for at least 10 minutes, then hop into the shower and rinse of with a mild shampoo.
How does this work? Olive oil contains a lot of vitamin E, which is known for its moisturizing properties.
Scalp Psoriasis Treatment Information And Advice
Scalp psoriasis treatment was something that I was discussing with a close friend of mine. She said there was generally a lack of any good information on the web, so I thought I would check my sources and write up what ever I could find. I was surprised to find a really informative pdf put out by the national psoriasis foundation. Here’s a summary of the most important factors.
Firstly, before thinking about any form of scalp psoriasis treatment we better start at making sure we have the same condition in mind. Basically, its a condition that stays with people for life. Fortunately it is not contagious so it means sufferers can interact with everyone on a normal daily basis.
Scalp psoriasis is pretty common and 50% of those who have psoriasis experience the main problem on the scalp. Basically with psoriasis the skin cells replicate too quickly and in doing so cause red kind of growths that look like they are covered by scales.
Scalp psoriasis breakouts can be mild with only slight scaling or some instances very thick, and accumulates on the scalp with a white crusted look.
Psoriasis can actually extend past the hair line and is commonly seen extending onto the forehead, back of the neck or around the back of the ears.
Scalp psoriasis scales appear powdery and have a shiny white almost silver look to it.
Scalp Psoriasis Treatment
Luckily as I found, there are many treatment options for people that suffer from scalp psoriasis. However, for a lucky few people treatment may not even be required as the psoriasis spontaneously clears up its own. The types of scalp psoriasis treatments include but are not limited to:
Salicylic acid based products.
These products are used on people with very mild scalp psoriasis. Salicylic acid works by soften the scales and making it easier for them to be removed. Extremely high concentrations of sal acid in products can cause irritation.
Tar based products.
These can be effective for most people, however the biggest downside is that it is tar. Tar has a strong odor and it can stain your bedsheets and pillow coverings. If you have light shades of hair then the tar will also taint the color of it. However, a shampoo with tar in it is known as an effective product for treating scalp psoriasis.
More severe cases of psoriasis may require a range of treatment options
- Topical ointments
- Anthralin
- Calcipotriene
- Tazarotene
- Topical steriods
- UV light treatments
- Antimicrobial Therapy
- Steroid scalp injections
Sometimes many scalp psoriasis treatment are rotated because they lose their effectiveness after a while. Unfortunately a lot of the psoriasis treatments that are taken orally or by injection are not very effective for just targeting scalp only psoriasis.
Scalp Psoriasis Treatment Tips For Removing Scales
There are a couple of simple steps that you need to take in order to start treating your scalp psoriasis
Remove any existing scales. Use scale softeners to assist in this step. You need to remove existing scales so that any ointments you use can work directly on the affected skin under the scales. You can use a fine tooth comb or brush to work out the scales from your scalp.
As you loosen and remove the scales reapply and rinse of with a shampoo to keep the process going.
Be gentle. If you remove the scales to quickly you risk breaking the skin and leaving it open to infection. You can also cause temporary hair loss from breakage at the scalp. Areas that are tender from over removal can actual encourage psoriasis to re appear over that damaged area.
Cover your head with shower caps, plastic bags anything. The idea is simply to protect your bedsheets and pillow cases while you have any form of scalp psoriasis treatment that can stain, such as tar shampoos.
Here’s the link to the by the national psoriasis foundation pdf ebook.
