I’ve had psoriasis all over my scalp since birth. I used to get it on the sides of my nose and in my eyebrows too when I was a kid, but that long since seems to have cleared up.
For most of my life, I’ve been to any number of dermatologists who’ve given me tons of different lotions, creams and shampoos to use. They all had little, if any, effect. On good days my scalp is not flaky at all, but is always a little reddish and irritated-looking. I have to wash my hair daily to help keep the problem at bay. If I go even every second day for washing it flares up big time.
The air this winter seems to be particularly dry and is irritating the condition. No amount of shit I put on my head or hats I wear is helping this time. I have a seemingly endless supply of big, chunky flakes that I have to keep brushing out of my hair. It’s incredibly ugly and embarrasing. It also doesn’t help that various people keep telling me, “Oh, you’ve got a bit of dandruff there.” Yeah, thanks, like I didn’t know. As if it were any of your business, jerk. I mean I don’t going around telling people with, for example, bad acne, “Oh, you’ve got a huge zit on your nose.” I don’t know why people can’t just shut the fuck up. I only wish it was dandruff. Dandruff doesn’t come off in chunks, and turn an angry shade of red, and sometimes bleed. Dandruff would be a fucking blessing.
So I just wanna say: Fuck you, psoriasis. I had to deal with kids in school treating me like I was a diseased freak because of you. I’ve been stuck with you for 25 years. Why the hell won’t you leave me alone???
I’ve got psoriasis of the scalp as well, though not as bad and I didn’t get it until I was an adult. I totally feel you on the flaking and the embarrasment.
Hace you tried this shit called Dovanex? It’s the only thing that’s worked for me but it cleared me right up.
Ah, my fiance has psoriasis as well. His flares up all over his face (especially the forehead) and the knees and elbows. I can’t personally empathize, but from what he’s told me it’s awful. When it’s at its worst, the skin will get red, puffy, and start flaking off all over the place - and when it’s right on your forehead, it’s difficult not to notice. And apparently, quite difficult for other people not to comment on it. :rolleyes:
Right now he’s using some hydrocortisone cream, which is not helping at all. But Diogenes the Cynic, are you talking about Dovonex? If it’s helped you, perhaps I can convince my fiance to look into it.
Dovonex, yeah. I got the spelling wrong. It’s just an ointment. It worked for me like a charm. The problem went away and hasn’t come back yet. Your fiancee should look into it.
Oh boy - I do feel for you especially on the “comments by strangers” bit. I 've had it spread to my hands and forearms before, which, of course, led to all sorts of “kind” people pointing it out to me.
I’ve got it over the whole body, including, at times, the glans, though it’s been a number of years since I went through that particular hell. Throw in psoriasis arthritis too and you can start picturing what it’s like.
I’ve got a stoic POV nowadays, but when it comes to the scalp, I’ve found that the shorter the hair, the lesser the problem. I got the impression that the OP is female, so shaving might not be an option, but really short hair might be something to try.
If dovonex is the brand name for daivonex, which we have here, then I think it’s only available as cream or ointment.
Stupid fucking flakes! I’m weary of this shit too. And February to April seems to be the worst.
And the biggest problem with this crap is that remedies (there is no fucking cure) what work for some people don’t do shit for others.
I can keep mine managable this time of year but it takes work. I use a UVA tanning panel every day, the Dovonex or steroid oitments at night, and vitamin supplements for skin. The vitamin supplements (fish oil and flax seed oil caplets) are new but seem to helping a lot. Problem is, it takes about four months to tell if they are working. In fact I had given up on the supplements when my doctor told me that the oil supplements where good cardio helpers.
You might check out here to keep up with latest remedies.
I find that whenever some new treatment pops up, it works great - for a time. Then it’s as if the damn psoriasis gets immune and flares up again.
And yes, late winter to early spring is the worst period, at least in northern climates. A long time since the body got exposed to natural sunlight. UV panels work, but you need to get sunlight to the retina, too, if I understand the whole vitamin process correctly.
The company who invented Dovonex (it’s the same stuff, btw) now has Daivobet (which would be Dovobet, I bet :snort:) on the market. It’s a mixture of the Dovonex stuff and stereoids and it’s helped me a lot.
I used to have my hair short and spiky a few years back. It didn’t seem to help - it only helped the flakes be more visible :eek:. So now I’ve grown it out to just a bit past my shoulders. The only thing I’ve noticed that really affects the condition is the weather. The dry air right now makes it flare up something awful.
There’s been quite an ad campaign on TV over the past month or so for a new and allegedly awesome psoriasis medicine. I can’t remember the name of the stuff, though, nor whether it’s taken internally or applied to the skin itself.
When I was at National Jewish Hospital in Denver for allergies and asthma, there were several kids there being treated for psoriasis. IIRC, they would put an ointment on their skin after they soaked in a bath, wrap them in wet bandages and then have them wear wet sweatpants and a wet sweatshirt. Even their faces would be wrapped.
In 2 weeks, I saw a little girl go from being a red, itchy, flaky mess to looking almost completely normal.
It might be worth giving them a call to see if they could explain this better to you.
There are actually several options available for the OP and anyone else that suffers from The Heartbreak of PsoriasisTM.
UVA light. Best done at a derm office, but apparently available for home use. Especially effective used in conjuction with Oxsoralen tablets or gel. (Never use the ointment on the scalp as it’s a bitch to wash out of hair.)
Clobex shampoo. Can be very effective. You, OP, should call your doctor and try it. I’ve heard of excellent results.
Enbrel injections. Very expensive, only covered by insurance if a majority of the body is affected, which may not help the OP but maybe others here. Probably the new medication you’ve been seeing the commercials about. Extremely effective in most cases- can cause complete remission, even. There’s also Raptiva or Methotrexate, but my derm office favors Enbrel.
I agree, but not because I have it, but for my husband
Damn you, psoriasis, for making my husband so self conscious of his skin he won’t even wear short sleeve shirts anymore.
Damn you, psoriasis, for making my husband never feel comfortable. Always itching, hurting, bleeding.
Damn you, psoriasis, for being so resistant to treatment. Yes, this will help, for a while…then the flare up – sometimes worse than what it was. Then something else will help, for a while… lather, rinse, repeat….
Damn you, psoriasis, for running in both of our families, in his getting progressively worse each generation that we decided not to pursue any thought of having children. (He would make such a wonderful father)
Damn you, treatments, for the side effects that just getworseandworse .
And finally…. Damn me. For every time I get aggravated at his itching and scratching when I know he can’t help it.
Another good site for information is here.
Psoriasis. It sucks. I recently discovered that I have it as well. But only in one part of my body. There is nothing sexier than a dry, flaky rashy thing on the penis. It ensures that my wife goes no where near me. I went to one dr. who assured me that it wasn’t an STD, but she’d never seen anything like it. And she works part time doing inbound physicals at San Quentin. I don’t want to know what she’s seen, but I didn’t like having something she’d lever seen. That’s really scary. So I went to a Dermatologist. 2 weeks of hydrocortisone 4 times a day and its cleared up. It can always come back, but I can make it go away fairly quickly. Good luck.
I am embarrassed to admit that I have occasionally had psoriasis…er…down there…as well. As in your case, it clears up with some regular applications of hydrocortisone or Dovonex but I have also noticed that the…um…application of the cream can have some unintended consequences which may…um…necessitate a little extra bathroom time in the morning.
Can we damn eczema, too? My dad had a terrible case - his hands were so scaly any finely-woven fabric would get caught on them - and was kind enough to pass it on to me.
I had it on my joints, calves and feet when I was little (hands, feet and calves now), and endured everything from cold baking soda baths to cortisone creams to olive oil. My little nephew (he’s three now) has it, too, and the sight of his little chubby legs and arms covered in a raw, red rash just brought tears to my eyes. Poor little guy. Elidel (a fairly new prescription med) has helped him a lot, and I hope he won’t have to endure the stares and comments of others.
