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Psoriasis is a skin condition that is more prevalent than most people think. In fact, approximately less than 3% of Americans are diagnosed to have psoriasis and thousands of new cases are expected to turn up every year.

Affected areas – referred to as plaques by dermatologists – often feel dry and hot, making suffering invidividuals feel the intense urge to scratch. Psoriasis can lead to more serious complications, however, if pruritus – or itching and scratching – isn’t controlled.

Possible Effects From Scratching

Besides having more and worse problems with psoriasis, uncontrolled scratching may have other medical and non-medical effects on the affected individual:

Addiction – Once you start scratching, it’s possible that you’ll never be able to stop. Consequently, the urge to scratch may become a condition that you won’t be able to resist indulging in. This addiction is also known as the itch-scratch cycle.

Distraction – Scratching can occupy your whole mind to the point that it will distract you from accomplishing whatever your objectives are efficiently, thoroughly, and on time.

Lack of Confidence – Individuals who scratch one time too often in public are often viewed as people with embarrassing hygiene problems. And since you can’t explain the reason why to each and every stranger seeing you scratching, your confidence might suffer when you’re the recipient of not-so-friendly looks.

Relationship Problems – Constant scratching can irritate people around you such as your family, friends, and even your partner. Even though they know why you’re scratching, that doesn’t mean they have to understand and tolerate what you’re doing, especially since scratching isn’t at all advised in your condition.

Skin Infection – Besides the development of new plaques in your head and body (referred to as the Koebner phenomenon), pruritus can also create openings in your body which may allow bacteria to come in and cause you to suffer from all sorts of infection.

Temporary Measures to Keep from Scratching Yourself

Curing yourself out of the scratching symptoms of psoriasis is one that requires long-term treatment. If, however, you need to stop your fingers from clawing its way to your skin pronto, here’s what you should do:

Using a Cold Compress – Place a cold compress or anything clean and intensely cold next to affected areas can succeed in keeping the urge to scratch at bay…for the time being.

Topical Medications – Also known as topical steroids, this type of medication is usually the initial treatment you’ll receive from your physician for psoriasis. Some topical ointments are sold off the counter while a few may require you to have your doctor’s permission. When applied to affected areas, topical ointments can soothe away the burning sensation for a short period of time. As topical ointments vary greatly, it’s best that you consult your physician prior to trying anything so as to prevent yourself from having undesirable reactions to the treatment.

Take a Bath – Taking a warm and soothing bath is usually effective for people who want to get rid of their scratching urges in an instant. Of course, stepping out of the tub may allow the irritating feeling to surge back after a few minutes.

Skin Love – Taking care of your skin can also help relieve you from feeling scratching. Keeping your skin moisturized, for instance, will significantly reduce the burning and irritation.

What to Do to Stop Yourself from Scratching

The best way to get rid of your scratching and itching problems is to solve the root problem itself: psoriasis. If you’re able to treat psoriasis effectively, there’ll be no reason why you’ll feel the need to scratch because there IS nothing to scratch!

Methrotrexate – This particular medication can either be taken orally in pill or liquid form or intravenously. Caution must be exercised however as this drug can cause liver or bone trouble.

UVB Photography – UVB light is used to eliminate visible effects of psoriasis. To avail of this treatment, a person may have to spend approximately half an hour in a life booth and attend as much as thirty sessions.

Psoriasis may be a lifelong condition and without cure, but this doesn’t mean it can’t be managed effectively. Having a healthy lifestyle, a cheerful disposition, and continuous medication can go a long way in relieving you from psoriasis trouble…and scratching.

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Scalp psoriasis continues to be one of the most socially embarrassing of conditions, affecting as much as three per cent of the population.

“People stare at you, and mistakenly think psoriasis is contagious,” says one sufferer. “I feel so self-conscious.”

Contagious it is not. Unsightly without doubt however, a non-infectious inflammatory skin condition which typically develops as patches or ‘plaques’ of red skin topped by thick silver-white scales

Once developed it tends to come and go throughout life. A flare-up can occur at any time with varying frequency and there may be times when the psoriasis clears for long spells.

The severity of psoriasis -   often misspelled psorasis, psorisis, psoriosis, or psoraisis -   – also varies greatly. For some it is mild with a few small patches that develop but are barely noticeable. In others there are numerous patches of varying size. For perhaps the majority the severity is somewhere between these two extremes.

Scalp Psoriasis:

This may occur in isolation or in association with any other form of psoriasis. It may not trigger any symptoms at all, or may be extremely itchy.

The most common area is the back of the head, but it can occur in other and sometimes far more extensive areas. It tends to be a chronic problem lasting many years.

It affects about half of all people who succumb to plaque psoriasis. A strong hereditary link has been noted. Scalp psoriasis can also occur alone without any other part of the skin being affected, and can sometimes look like severe dandruff.

Psoriasis is a growing and chronic condition – there are five recognized types – and no known cure, although there are numerous ways to treat it. It continues to be one of the more difficult skin conditions to treat and no one treatment will work for everyone. Regardless of which type you have, treating and controlling psoriasis should be your primary objective.

The Natural Method

There are a number of ways to deal with the condition including both traditional medical as well as all-natural alternatives. Fortunately, the majority of cases can benefit from natural treatments and bypass the need for medications that often produce unwanted side effects.

As with many chronic conditions, it is advisable to approach treatment naturally, and from a number of angles. Start by dealing with psoriasis in a holistic manner by making changes that affect your entire body and lifestyle. In other words address the problem from the ‘inside’.

But since your immediate concern is the external outbreak of skin lesions, you should also deal with the condition topically to reduce the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing.

Some of the best-known natural psoriasis treatments are remarkably effective. In fact, natural treatments are increasingly recognized as suitable solutions with more and more commercial psoriasis treatments incorporating natural ingredients in the formulations.

If you’d like to learn more about how natural treatments can help your psoriasis condition — without the side effects associated with other medications – you owe it to yourself to check out http://psoriasisofthescalp.blogspot.com for this eye opening new Report.

David Anson is specialist writer on health and related issues.

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Yesterday, I received a question on my blog where I was asked if psoriasis can be the cause of hair loss, thinning, or shedding.  The reader did not often find this condition listed as one that caused hair loss, but felt that the timing between the two was too coincidental to ignore.  I’ll tell you what I told her in the following article.
Psoriasis Is An Autoimmune Condition:  Many people mistakenly think that psoriasis is very similar to dandruff or other conditions that involve excess sebum or androgens.  In fact, this is an autoimmune condition in which excess skin production causes scaly patches that sometimes take on a silvery white appearance. You’ll often see areas like the elbows and knees affected, but the scalp is not at all off limits.
It’s pretty well known that there are many autoimmune conditions that cause hair loss including alopecia areata, lupus, and Hashimoto thyroiditis.  Many doctors are reluctant to place psoriasis in this category, but  I personally think that you can make this argument as the timing between the two will often suggest a connection. The treatment for these conditions vary.  But in terms of hair loss, there is a European study that has shown promise using and rotating specific essential oils rubbed into the scalp.
Other Theories On Hair Loss, Hair Thinning, Or Shedding Along With Psoriasis:  Many doctors will tell you that when this condition occurs on the scalp, the plaque and scales can choke out the hair follicles and keep healthy hair from growing (only while there is a flare in place.)  Often, this doesn’t not occur over the entire scalp.  There will more often be patches that you can clearly see being affected and that is where you’ll see the hair being compromised or thinning.  (This process is pretty hard to miss and is pretty obvious upon close inspection.) However, typically when the area heals, the hair will become normal again.
The other possibility is that a flare has placed stress upon the body.  The body in turn will often shut down some functions to conserve.  One of these function is the hair growth cycle and what you will get as the result is a condition called TE (or telogen effluvium.)  This happens when a large number of hairs move from the growth cycle to the rest cycle. This is followed by a shedding of the hair.  What you’ll see is a lot of hair falling out at one time all of a sudden.  This is the same thing that happens to women after they give birth.  Typically, the shedding will stop in a few weeks or months and as long as their are not scales or patches on the scalp, regrowth should be fine.
Stopping Hair Loss Related To This Condition: Obviously the best course of action to stop the loss is to effectively treat the condition.  Often this happens with trial and error with your doctor.  Some doctors use medications and some use a laser or alternative therapies.  However, some folks find that treating the symptoms isn’t doing anything for the hair.  In these cases, you may want to look at lessening the inflammation on and in stimulating your scalp to produce healthy regrowth.  Sometimes, you will have diffuse thinning that doesn’t really present like TE shedding and / or doesn’t occur in the effected areas.  In these cases, you may want to look at other possibilities. It’s not inconceivable that the hair situation does not relate to the psoriasis in some cases.

How do I know all of this? Because I lived it. Psoriasis was only one condition I looked at in my quest to end my hair loss, I looked at my triggers, my iron, my thyroid, my adrenals, my hormones, and my scalp’s health. It was a frustrating journey until I finally found something that helped quite a bit. You can read my http://stop-hair-loss-in-women.com/

very personal story at http://stop-hair-loss-in-women.com/

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Dealing with an itchy scalp and its embarrassing dandruff or flaky white skin can really drive a people to drastic methods to stop the itch. These raised silvery white plaques of scaling skin that cover the scalp along with dry patches of red skin irritation can be unbearable and even maddening to live with.
At times the constant itchiness of scalp psoriasis can be so consuming for people, they dig at their scalp obsessively until it bleeds and those observing this obsessive-compulsive behavior often regard it as repulsive. Some people even unknowingly fear psoriasis thinking it is contagious, and go to incredible measures in order to avoid body contact and interaction with the “neurotic itchers.”

There are old wives tales and home remedies to cure just about everything, with many having been around for centuries. Here are a few examples of myths said to cure one of an itchy scalp.
   
    In a clean spray bottle put 100ml of water and five drops of pure essential oil of lavender. Shake well. Use once in morning and once at night. Spray a little directly on the infected area and rub it in. After applying, try not to touch the treated area.
   
    Take and mix together an over ripe avocado, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Once mixed, rub into scalp and hair and then put a shower cap on for half an hour to an hour. Wash out.
     
    Mix ¼ cup of clay with a little splash of water then apply to the irritated area. Remove clay once it has dried and reapply fresh clay. Repeat several times.
   
    Pour apple cider vinegar over the scalp until it becomes saturated, then wrap a towel around head leaving for 30 minutes to one hour. After, rinse away vinegar and wash hair with a non- sodium laurel sulfate shampoo! Finish treatment by massaging scalp with aloe- vera or jojoba oil.
   
    Find a field and pick 4 marigold flowers or visit your local flower shop. Remove the stems and put marigold flower heads in four cups of boiling water. Allow flowers to boil for four minutes. Set aside, letting water cool to room temperature. Massage solution into the scalp. Wash with shampoo, rinse, add lemon juice or vinegar, rinse, and done.
   
    Boil one cup of water and then remove from head and add 1 teaspoon of sarsaparilla root. Let cool. Strain so that water is saved. Put a washcloth into strained solution. Squeeze washcloth out and apply to infected area.

While some of these old wives tales and home remedies may truly work and others may not, here are a two real myths: 
Myth one: if it works for one it works for everyone. Reality: there is no one thing for everyone.
Myth two: scalp psoriasis is contagious and can spread from person to person and on the body. Reality:   http://www.psoriasisreality.com/content/view/72/53/

Scalp psoriasis is not contagious. All types of psoriasis including scalp psoriasis will not spread to other people, and for that matter will not spread to other areas on the body.

Written by K. Lee http://www.psoriasisreality.com

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