Should I shave my hair if I have psoriasis?

Q: Is shaving or waxing better for psoriasis?

Dont wax or use hair removal cream – Shaving is the only method of hair removal recommended if you have psoriasis.

Q: What should you not do if you have psoriasis on your scalp?

DONT use hot water Like the rest of your body, the scalp can be negatively affected by hot water. It can also be counterproductive for your condition, drying out your skin and making you more prone to having a flare. For scalp psoriasis, I recommend using lukewarm water, as a nurse once suggested to me years ago.

I have severe scalp psoriasis. I also have plaque psoriasis, thought not nearly as bad, and also psoriatic arthritis. Methotrexate did not work and side effects were pretty bad for me. I'm due to start biologics, but my co-pay is about $250/month, which is a lot of money for us right now, but if we had to, we could swing it. That said, I am looking for an alternative to help my scalp, which is the most bothersome right now.

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Does shaving make psoriasis worse?
Is shaving or waxing better for psoriasis?
What should you not do if you have psoriasis?
What should you not do if you have psoriasis on your scalp?

Has anyone tried shaving their head to achieve better results with topic oils and foams? I have nice, thick hair, but would be willing to forgo vanity if it provided some relief.

Thanks.

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LilBudyWizer

Jul 2, 2012 • 3:16 PM

Personally, unless you've totally trashed your hair I would recommend you split the differance. Try starting with just half the length it is now. If that doesn't help then chance are a crew cut wouldn't either. If it helps then shorter might help even more. It's pretty certain you're going to have this the rest of your life. So you have plenty of time to try less drastic things before getting into extremes.

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CraigL

Jul 2, 2012 • 10:14 PM

There is no question that the biggest problem with treating scalp psoriasis topically is getting the medicine on the scalp and not the hair. However, I cannot understand where the shaving the head strategy goes in the long run.

Do you continue to shave your scalp and wear a hairpiece? Or do you hope to get it under control and then transition to a more hair-friendly treatment that will control the disease?

There might be a few ways to improve your your MTX experience. You could inject it (subcutaneously). This usually reduces side effects such as nausea.

As for the cost of biologic therapies, did you sign up for one of the patient assistance programs? Some very effective drugs for skin and joints are available to many for just a few dollars / month. This depends on your insurance and financial status.

HTH

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purpleturtle

Jul 2, 2012 • 10:27 PM

Shaving your head will not help. I have had p for 6 years and not long ago shaved my head. The lack of hair / ability to apply products directly to my scalp has not helped much. The only small help has been the increased sun exposure.

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hope_4u2

Jul 3, 2012 • 12:29 AM

In reply to CraigL's comment

My son had severe scalp psoriasis and his grandmother (who is half Native American) suggested an old Native American mixture of herbs (found in the Soutwest region of the U.S.) used for head sores. He tried this reluctantly, but was willing to try anything that would help him. Within 3 weeks his scalp was back to normal. His scalp psoriasis was very severe. This remedy requires soaking with this herb mixture three times a week. This also helps the body as it reduces itching and clears your skin within 6 weeks via soaking. This herb mixture was a godsend to my son who was devasted with this condition. He was diagnosed with psoriasis 3 years ago and had one severe outbreak (the first one) and two others that have been minor. He now sleeps better knowing that if he flares up again he knows what to use to clear it up. If you would like, I can send you this herb mixture which has no side effects since it is not injested. What I want to know if indeed my son's skin cleared due to this remedy or was it just a fluke? You could help me find this out by trying it. I can send this herb mixture to you to try it out at no cost. The mixture does stain your bathtub especially if it is plastic based, however it is worth it instead of the drugs you injest which have more dangerous side effects. We don't have a cure yet for psoriasis, but this did work. My son's dermatologist was in awe of his skin clearing so quickly and told my son to continue using this remedy rather than him prescribing other medication.

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tink3473

Jul 3, 2012 • 6:06 AM

I had the worst case of psoriasis that my deem had ever seen on a scalp and living in Seattle that ought to say something and I recently started humira I am one month in and scalp is also completely clear have doctor give script for humira and they have a copy assistance program my deductible dropped from 300$ to 5$ you have to reapply every year but not a long process

I believe enbrel has a similar program almost all do have a copay assistance program

They are there for those of us that can't afford high copays but need the beds I could not afford my meds without help so my doctor directed me where I needed to look for the information

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Reruho

Jul 3, 2012 • 12:07 PM

I too have wondered if cutting my hair shorter would help my scalp psoriasis (scratch, scratch). I have wondered fo rthe same reasons. I asked on another forum about washing my hair daily, good or bad. One of the comments given was the daily washing reduced the scales and helped to reduce the itching. Perhaps with a shorter style, you could let it air dry.

Reta

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Skyvalley (Inactive)

Jul 3, 2012 • 1:54 PM

I used to have bad scalp Psoriasis years ago, but for whatever reason when I cleared it, it never came back there very bad. I used to use the Tgel shampoo. I would apply it all over, and leave it in my hair all night under a shower cap. On the weekends, if I were home, i might leave it on all day. I did this every night. I was also doing uvb light treatments at the time so I'm not sure how much of a role that played in this. Oh and Olive oil is also great.

Personally, I would not recommend shaving your head. I don't think it would be worth it. Good luck to you.

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MamaShari

Jul 3, 2012 • 5:39 PM

In reply to hope_4u2's comment

hope, what herbs?

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brn123

Jul 4, 2012 • 8:21 AM

I have plaque P's on my scalp I use glycerin & witch hazal mixed in 50% glycerin & 50%

witch hazal in a spray bottle has worked for me no more plaque build up ON my scalp

the redness is fading and my scalp is clearing up what a big difference on my scalp

this solution really works 4 me I have to say mahalo to juila in Fla ! I saved a lot of $$$

on my derm . I should fire my derm lol.

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brn123

Jul 4, 2012 • 8:26 AM

And by the way I use it 3 x a day.

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HRBarbie

Jul 5, 2012 • 4:37 PM

My 2cents would be don't shave the head. When I went to a seminar in Philly put on by the National Psoriasis Foundation, the dermatologist answered a woman's question about scraping her psoriasis placques. He said, "Although it may give temporary relief, the scraping actually causes more psoriatic reaction in the long run, so you will be fighting an uphill battle." I tend to agree as I have many smaller spots on my legs and when I shave them, I eventually have many more. My frustration is, I also am dealing with peripheral neuropathy in my legs from a previous auto immune disease and the touching of the hairs on my legs on my slacks that I wear to work feels like sandpaper grating on my legs. So if I shave my legs, no irritation, but eventually, more psoriasis...

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gailW

Jul 5, 2012 • 9:39 PM

hope4u2 i am interested in trying the remedy because my entire scalp is covered and i cant use to much otc because my skin is so sensitive every thing makes it hurt or break out with p i have guttate btw

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JaimeLyn

Jul 8, 2012 • 8:22 PM

Thanks all for your advice. Enbrel has a program with 6 months free co-pay, so I may give that a try. That, and an herbal remedy :) Thanks!

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Mischif78 (Inactive)

Jul 9, 2012 • 4:24 AM

I shaved my head in March to get rid of the build-up. It wasn't easy, but I got used to people being confused at the sight of a bald person in a dress and not knowing if they should call me sir or ma'am. if it is bad enough, it is worth growing your hair back.

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jeniqua

Jul 11, 2012 • 7:14 PM

Try a scalp treatment called derma-smoothe, I think you might really like, it works for me, and it's not that expensive. Good Luck.

Does shaving make psoriasis worse?

Shaving and other hair removal treatments may cause even more skin irritation that will trigger a psoriasis flare. This reaction is called the Koebner phenomenon and occurs when a minor skin injury like a cut or sunburn results in a new psoriasis plaque on the site of the affected area.

Is shaving or waxing better for psoriasis?

Don't wax or use hair removal cream – Shaving is the only method of hair removal recommended if you have psoriasis.

What should you not do if you have psoriasis?

Many common skin care products can help you manage psoriasis, but others can cause irritation and flare-ups of symptoms..

Lotions with alcohol. ... .

Fragrance. ... .

Sulfates. ... .

Wool or other heavy fabrics. ... .

Tattoos. ... .

Too much sunlight. ... .

Hot water..

What should you not do if you have psoriasis on your scalp?

DON'T use hot water Like the rest of your body, the scalp can be negatively affected by hot water. It can also be counterproductive for your condition, drying out your skin and making you more prone to having a flare. For scalp psoriasis, I recommend using lukewarm water, as a nurse once suggested to me years ago.