My grey hair and scalp psoriasis go hand in hand.
Ok, I’ll be honest. It’s not a spot of grey hair. It’s more like a huge patch of grey hair.
Many people I encounter every day don’t realize that I have scalp psoriasis. Since my plaques are not at my hairline and are covered by my thick, curly hair, they are easy to hide. But that doesn’t mean they are hidden from the symptoms of psoriasis: painful inflamed skin that cracks, bleeds, and itches. I often lose clumps of hair when plaques are removed.
Unfortunately, my biologic medication and methotrexate aren’t doing enough, and my scalp continues to be my biggest nemesis. So, for now, I’m stuck with topical scalp medications that often burn, smell, drip, are greasy or over drying, and just downright annoying. I HATE THEM!
Yes, I’ve tried coconut oil, tar shampoos, tea tree oil, witch hazel and glycerin… All of these helped with the itch and some even gave my hair a healthy glow, but none helped the build-up of plaques. Any relief I feel is always short-lived.
A friend recently gave me samples of Aveda, which worked very well for his scalp psoriasis. I’m happy to give it a try, but honestly, at this point, my expectations for a good outcome are low. We’ll see. (I’ll be sure to let you know how well it worked for me. Remember, each patient is different and what works for one person may not work for another. And, please, check with your doctor before starting, stopping, or adding medications or supplements to your treatment regimen.)
I've found that the symptoms of my scalp psoriasis are so severe at times, that I've seriously considered shaving my head to be able to treat the psoriasis more effectively.
You may be asking what all of this has to do with my grey hair. Well, with painful plaques that bleed and build up on my scalp, it is difficult to color my hair correctly. I have yet to find reasonably priced hair color that covers the grey, gives me a nice, shiny glow, and doesn’t irritate my scalp.
I’m not a vain person at all. I rarely wear makeup (partly because of psoriasis on my face, too), and I usually just throw my hair back into a ponytail. But once in a while, I do like to get dressed up from head to toe and go out on the town. It would be nice if I could color my hair, especially now that it is extremely visible in the front and cannot be styled to hide the grey.
Until my scalp psoriasis is managed better, I will continue to have patches of grey. And, I guess that is ok. After all, as I’ve been frequent reminded, I’ve earned this grey. I have a teenager. Need I say more?
