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Hair
“I saw a trichologist after 3 years of suffering with scalp psoriasis, and this is everything I learned”
2 years ago
7 min read
Dry, itchy, irritated scalps aren’t fun – but after years of endless scratching, freelance beauty journalist Lucy Partington has finally got hers under control.
Anyone who’s suffered with a dry, itchy, irritated scalp will know the telltale signs. The tightness that happens just before the desperate need to scratch and scratch and scratch hits. And then, the sweet, sweet relief that immediately follows, but somehow, never lasts long enough.
For me, that was a feeling I’d never experienced until November 2020. I can’t remember exactly when it started, but I can distinctly recall when it got bad. It was just above my left ear, and when I parted my hair, my scalp was red raw, flakey and horribly uncomfortable.
From then on, things never seemed to improve. I couldn’t wear anything black, and I left flaky trails in my wake. I tried everything: specialist shampoos, gentle masks, scalp scrubs, scalp serums, pre-wash masks and gloopy oils. I went to my GP, who told me to invest in a scalp massager before sending me on my way.
Eventually, I managed to book in for a (virtual) consultation with trichologist Dr Sharon Wong. There wasn’t really much she could do over Zoom, but after seeing my pictures, she prescribed Diprosalic, a salicylic acid-based steroid lotion that I immediately went and bought from my local pharmacy.
I diligently applied it twice a day onto the most problematic areas and it worked for a while, but when I stopped using it, the itch came back almost instantly. I was also incredibly aware that using steroids long term isn’t a good idea, and so the cycle continued. A few months later, I was lucky enough to see another trichologist as part of my job as a beauty editor. She took one look at my scalp and told me I had psoriasis. “How can I make it go away?” I asked her.
“You can’t – once you have it, you have it for life. It’s about managing the symptoms,” she said.
It was during that conversation I learned that I’d likely developed psoriasis due to stress – something that can take around three months to show in the hair and scalp. When I worked it out, the timings added up: I went through a period of redundancy and job uncertainty in July and August 2020. Then there was the ongoing pandemic and the endless unpredictability and rules that came with it, and while I don’t recall feeling particularly stressed on the surface, it was clearly showing in my body.
Things carried on as they were. My symptoms didn’t improve, and no products seemed to help in the long-term. On the plus side, nothing I was using seemed to make things worse, which was a small relief, but my scalp was as flaky as ever. I even started to feel a dent just behind my left ear where I’d scratched so much.
Philip Kingsley Clinic review
In July of this year, I decided enough was enough, so I booked in to see consultant trichologist Susie Hammond at the Philip Kingsley Clinic in London. It’s not cheap – the initial consultation and clinical treatment start from £345, with follow-up appointments costing from £150 – but I can’t deny that going has had a positive impact.
The appointment started with a thorough chat, during which Susie asked me about everything from allergies and my medical background to diet, supplements, family history and even any contraception I might be on – all things that could be potential causes or that might trigger scalp issues.
I also learned that my GP’s advice to use a scalp massager was terrible (in fact, Susie said it was the worst thing I could do), that most cases of scalp psoriasis are stress-induced and that UV light can seriously help improve symptoms – which explained why I’d experienced a brief period of respite during my summer holiday in Spain.
I then had an in-depth scalp examination using a microscope, which I was able to watch on screen. Susie pointed out where I’d broken the skin and drawn blood, but overall, it wasn’t too inflamed. Most of the focus was on the areas where I’d been scratching, which makes sense.
Then, the final part of the appointment saw me head upstairs to the in-clinic salon for a bespoke treatment. For me, that was having somebody scrape my scalp – which yes, is as satisfying as it sounds. It involved having a coal tar-based mask applied to soothe the inflammation and loosen flakes, then I was put under a steamer for half an hour before somebody went through my hair section by section and removed the scales.
I also left with a treatment plan that included Philip Kingsley TCS Shampoo, NS Scalp Treatment and #1 Tonic, all of which you can only buy in the clinic itself, along with Philip Kingsley No Scent No Colour conditioner. I was also given a jar of vitamin D supplements, which studies say can help manage and control psoriasis symptoms.
Credit: philip kingsley clinic review
The products themselves took a few uses before I saw or felt a real difference, but I did notice immediate relief from the extent of the itching soon after I incorporated them into my hair-washing routine. On Susie’s advice, I also carried a little bottle of the tonic around with me, which I applied onto a cotton pad and pressed into my scalp whenever the urge to itch occurred, which worked wonders – although I might have received a few funny looks on the Tube.
The only downside is that I used up the products fairly quickly and, because they’re not available to buy online, I decided to try a different coal tar-based shampoo in the hope that it might help. And it did.
So, for the last few months, I’ve been using Polytar Scalp Shampoo to wash my hair. At first, I applied it to damp hair and let it sit for 10 minutes before washing. After a few weeks, I switched to double shampooing and leaving it for two or three minutes before rinsing out, and now I use it once a week even if I don’t feel like I need to – and I cannot tell you how much difference it’s made.
I’m no longer mindlessly scratching, I don’t have as many flakes (although there are still a few, which I think is potentially just a dry scalp rather than any irritation) and I’ve started wearing black again. I know this is something I’m going to have to contend with for the rest of my life, but knowing that there is a solution when things get bad is a huge relief.
The best products to help ease scalp psoriasis symptoms
Polytar Scalp Shampoo
This is the shampoo I bought. It’s not glamorous, but it’s also not as drying as some coal tar-based products can be – and I don’t find that it smells too bad. My advice is to first apply it onto damp hair, really massage it into your scalp and focus on the worst areas, and leave it for around 10 minutes before washing out. Or, double shampoo with it. However you use it, I found the key to success is just ensuring it sits on your scalp for a decent length of time so the ingredients have a chance to work.
Necessaire The Scalp Serum
OK, this is expensive, but I haven’t found any scalp serum that offers relief from dryness quite like this one does. It looks, feels and smells like water, but it’s packed with hyaluronic acid and a peptide blend for instant, deep hydration – plus, it has green tea extract in it to help provide (short-term) relief from itching. I also really rate the brand’s shampoo and conditioner – both are incredibly gentle and fragrance-free, but feel luxe to use.
Philip Kingsley No Scent No Colour Conditioner
I can’t deny that yes, this is incredibly boring to use (I never realised how much joy I got from using nice conditioners until now) but if you aren’t sure what your triggers are, this is great. As its name suggests, it’s an incredibly basic formula that conditions the hair, but regardless of how simple it may be, it does a great, fuss-free job.
Shop Philip Kingsley No Scent No Colour Gentle Conditioner at Marks and Spencer, £24
Solgar Vitamin D3 1000 IU Softgels
These are the same vitamin supplements I left the clinic with, and while I’m aware that I won’t see any results from taking them for a few months, there is research to suggest that taking vitamin D daily can be helpful in easing psoriasis symptoms. It’s also the supplement that pretty much all experts agree we should be taking.
Images: Getty; Lucy Partington; courtesy of brands
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