An introduction to scalp psoriasis

• Psoriasis is a recurrent skin condition that affects about one in every 50 people in the UK
• It is characterised as raised red patches of skin covered with silvery scales
• The condition can occur on any part of the body although elbows, knees and the scalp are usual sites
• Many patients also experience severe itching or soreness and a feeling of tightness

• Up to 80% of psoriasis sufferers have scalp involvement
• Sufferers often feel it is more visible to other people and they worry about social stigma
• Presence of hair can impede treatments

Even the experts don’t fully understand what triggers psoriasis, but it’s known that it involves your immune system – the body’s natural defence against disease.

For some reason, in people with scalp psoriasis, the immune system attacks perfectly healthy skin cells and this in turn triggers the body to produce new cells much more quickly than normal. These dead skin cells then lie on the surface in thick, scaly patches.

If the immune system is affected by certain diseases (e.g. streptococcal throat infections, viral respiratory infections, boils), scalp psoriasis can worsen or appear for the first time.

Scalp psoriasis can run in families – but exactly how this happens still isn’t fully understood.

It may also be triggered by certain events or substances. Triggers can include stress, a skin injury, some medicines, alcohol and smoking.

Scalp psoriasis normally appears on the back of the head. However, it can occur on other areas of your scalp, on the whole scalp or behind the ears. Red patches of skin become covered in thick, silvery scales. Some find that it’s extremely itchy, but others aren’t affected in this way. It can sometimes cause hair loss, although this is not permanent.

Normally, your doctor will examine you and make the diagnosis from the appearance of the affected areas of skin. Occasionally, a small sample of skin scrapings will be sent to a laboratory so they can look at the skin cells under a microscope. This will help to clarify the situation in case your doctor thinks you might be suffering from another condition that looks like scalp psoriasis.

Click here to learn about the things that can trigger scalp psoriasis.