My Psoriasis
I was diagnosed with plaque psoriasis on my scalp in 2003, though I had been developing the symptoms for approximately one year and had been trying to treat it with over-the-counter dandruff shampoos with very little success.The first Dermatologist I saw correctly diagnosed me, and prescribed an oil to be rubbed onto my scalp, and then I had to wear a shower cap for 3 hours after oiling it up! This was to be repeated every day for about a month. Needless to say this was tedious and I did not get the results for which I was hoping (although admittedly I didn’t stick to the plan as strictly as I could have). In addition, he instructed me to begin using any one of the over-the-counter coal tar shampoos. Again, I stuck with these for many months and did not get the results that I was hoping to gain.
Like most stubborn men I basically gave up, and had begun to accept that I’d just live the rest of my life with the painful itching, embarrassing trips for my haircut, and only wearing light colored shirts. I began jumping from one over-the-counter dandruff shampoo to another. If I found one that seemed to relieve the itching a little bit I stuck with it for a few months. The problem was, I didn’t realize how irritable and miserable I was, especially during the cold weather months when the dryness and itching can become much worse.
One day a friend of mine told me about a Dermatologist that had worked wonders with a friend of hers. I was apprehensive because I didn’t want to take the time and spend the money to see another Dermatologist to “manage” it, I wanted it gone!
I finally scheduled an appointment with the Dermatologist, and we talked about all of the things I had tried but didn’t work, and she prescribed a topical solution, Clobetasol Propionate, and a type of shampoo, Ketoconazole, and told me to use them twice a day. Within a few days I noticed that it was going away, and the itching was becoming less of a problem. After about 2 weeks it was gone completely, my scalp was 100% normal with no itching or flakes! I simply shampoo my hair (haven’t used the topical solution since week 2), and have had no symptoms or flare-ups since then, and I’ve been doing this since the summer of 2006. I also thought the true test would be the winter weather, but my scalp is still 100% psoriasis-symptom free!
I’m not saying that Ketoconazole and Clobetasol Propionate will cure the plaque psoriasis on your scalp, but it sure got rid of mine! Tell me about your experiences.