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Psoriasis and Dandruff

Oddly, there are people walking around with psoriasis who are completely unaware of the condition. There is no cure for the condition, but it is possible to treat it to the point of controlling symptoms for months, even years. In some rare cases, psoriasis symptoms have disappeared completely—never to return. However, in some cases and especially when infection is present, the symptoms of psoriasis can be very severe and cause a great deal of discomfort and irritation. The most common symptom of psoriasis is the appearance of skin patches Often pink-red (or "salmon-colored"), these are dry and covered with silvery scales, layered, and can spread and grow. In 10% of cases, only the nails are affected and may experience pitting, thickening, or separation of the nail from the base, or the appearance of yellow-brown spots under the nail itself. In 30% of the cases, people with psoriasis develop arthritis and the condition is then known as Psoriatic Arthritis. When infections (especially those with strep) develop and psoriasis is present, it can lead to the development of small lesions of psoriasis known as Guttate Psoriasis.

Under normal circumstances, it takes around one month for new skin cells to make their way up from the lower layers to the surface of your skin. With psoriasis, this cycle is sped up, and the skin cells regenerate in just a few days. This in turn causes dead skin cells to pile up on the surface, which forms the thick, silvery scales commonly associated with psoriasis. The most common areas to find patches of psoriasis include the back, elbows, knees and scalp.

Researchers still cannot pinpoint the true cause of psoriasis. While the current consensus is that the immune system is attacking skin cells, none have isolated what actually causes this destruction. Instead, researchers have concentrated on isolating “psoriasis triggers,” which are known to cause an outbreak in symptoms. The most common triggers are stress, injury or irritation (cuts, burns, insect bites, and rashes), excessive alcohol consumption (especially prevalent in men), sunburn, conditions of dryness, certain medications (e.g. beta blockers and lithium), viral and bacterial infections, and skin care products that cause release of free radicals.

It is not uncommon for someone to develop problems with dandruff when having a psoriasis outbreak. Dandruff itself is caused by skin cells regenerating too rapidly, which results in the shedding of large flakes of dead skin from the scalp. While it is often caused by bacteria and fungi, dandruff can also be a symptom of seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis.

Contrary to popular belief, dandruff is not caused by dry skin. In fact, the dryness and irritation, just as with psoriasis, are side effects or symptoms of dandruff. Far too often, people believe that avoiding shampoo is the answer because they think it causes the dry skin. In fact, this is the last thing you should do. It is important to find a shampoo that will restore the internal balance and kill off any bacteria or fungi that may be responsible for the dandruff, such as DHS Zinc Shampoo.

Scratching at dry skin spots on the scalp caused by dandruff is perhaps the last thing you should do—just like psoriasis. Scratching may lead to a break in the skin surface and your nails are filled with harmful bacteria that will invade and cause an infection—perhaps even cause dermatitis. Just as with psoriasis, you want to avoid infection at all costs, because this will only aggravate the condition and make symptoms more severe.

Limiting or completely avoiding exposure to any known triggers of psoriasis and dandruff is an important step in limiting outbreaks and controlling the condition and any dandruff that may result from the condition. For existing symptoms, doctors often recommend corticosteroid creams and ointments, such as AmLactin 12% Moisturizing Cream; prescription creams and ointments made with vitamin D (calcipotriol) and vitamin A (retinoid); ointments and shampoos made with coal tar, such as DHS Tar Gel Shampoo; moisturizers to limit dryness and irritation; creams made with salicylic or lactic acid to remove the scaling, such as DHS SAL Shampoo Maximum; and antibiotics to help remove scaling and control dryness and Psoriasis symptom outbreaks so that you can get back to living normal again.

Article posted 5/14/2007.

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