Having psoriasis can have many challenges as it can affect the physical, social, and mental aspects of ourselves. Despite the obstacles you may encounter, there are ways to help manage this condition. Having a balanced lifestyle, regularly applying treatment techniques, and even stress management can help improve your quality of life. In line with this, CBD products, especially topicals such as shampoos have been well-known to help treat conditions such as psoriasis. How does it work? Read to learn more.

 

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition that creates a rapid buildup of skin cells, causing scaling on the surface of your skin as well as inflammation. The reason psoriasis happens is because the immune system becomes overactive and speeds up skin cell growth. An average skin compared to those with psoriasis have skin cells ultimately grow and fall within a month, while those with the disease experience this every three to four days. Instead of shedding, it keeps piling up on the skin, causing stings, burns, or itches. 

 

In addition, having this can also have signs of psoriatic arthritis, a condition that causes swelling and achy joints. Between 10%-30% of people with psoriasis often have this joint condition.

 

What are the Symptoms?

Symptoms of psoriasis are dependent on what type of psoriasis you have. Even so, there are common signs that you could look out for, such as:

  • Patches of red or rashes on the skin.
  • Inflamed skin covered in silver-coloured scales.
  • Painful, itchy skin that may crack or bleed.
  • Small areas that are bleeding due to the skin being scratched.
  • Fingernail and toenail problems:
  • Discoloration
  • Pitting (tiny dents in your fingernails and toenails)
  • Nails crumbing or detached from the nail bed
  • Scaly plaques on the scalp.

 

Psoriasis can appear in any part of your body, but a common place can be located on the scalp.

Having scalp psoriasis affects your scalp, the forehead, the hairline, and even on the nape and around your ears. Symptoms include the following:

  • Fine scaling that looks like dandruff.
  • Thick, crusted plaques cover the entire scalp.
  • Red, bumpy patches
  • Burning or soreness
  • Itching
  • Hair loss

 

Although scalp psoriasis does not necessarily cause hair loss, scratching and picking hard on the irritated parts of your scalp and stress can result in temporary hair loss.

 

Treatment for Scalp Psoriasis

There is no cure for psoriasis. Fortunately, there are a lot of forms in which you can manage it.

Treatments depend on a couple of factors, including:

  • How severe the psoriasis is.
  • If treatments were made before and how it responded.
  • If there is psoriasis elsewhere on the body.
  • The amount of hair you have.

Having scalp psoriasis can range from having mild scaling to crusting on the overall scalp and parts of the head. Often mild scaling can get better, but some cases may require treatment. If your scalp psoriasis has caused severe dandruff or you already have severe dandruff, it may take months or more to get it under control. 

 

Standard methods for this treatment are medications that are directly applied to the scalp. Your doctor may prescribe medicine and even combine other forms of treatments that can help manage scalp psoriasis. Shampoos and moisturizers can be an ideal aid for this. CBD Shampoo may even help.

 

CBD Shampoo on Scalp Psoriasis

CBD made a name for itself on the market due to the many benefits it possesses for our bodies. Cannabidiol, mostly known as CBD, is a chemical compound in cannabis or hemp plants. Although located in hemp, CBD is not psychoactive and does not make people “high.” That is what THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol does, known to be responsible for most of the psychological effects of marijuana. 

CBD is a prescription to aid the treatment of epilepsy, ease anxiety and reduce inflammation. With a lot of benefits it has to offer, how can CBD shampoo help with psoriasis treatment?

 

  • Reduces itch and inflammation
    • A problematic aspect of having psoriasis is the itch that can be intense and non-stop. It can even be too much so that a burning sensation could be felt. Although you may feel a temporary relief in scratching, it could break your skin and cause wounds that could be painful and bleed.
    • CBD is an anti-inflammatory known to reduce dryness, itch, and inflammation in the body. A study was conducted on patients with mild to moderate scalp psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. They were given CBD shampoo to test its effects on these patients. After using it for 14 days, the itchiness and redness levels decreased, making it manageable and a great relief.

 

  • Helps with Dry and Flaky Scalp
    • The overproduction of skin cells building up to become plaques can cause dehydration, making your scalp dry and flaky. It’s another problem that increases the risk of damage to your overall hair and causes dandruff.
    • CBD affects sebum production, which is responsible for hydrating the skin. The interaction of CBD on the scalp influences the sebum levels to reduce dandruff and helps in hydration. In addition, CBD has antimicrobial properties that reduce risks of scalp infections as well as heal flaky patches that are present.

 

How does it work?

CBD can affect the body thanks to the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). This system is responsible for regulating and controlling most of the body's critical functions, such as memory, sleep, pain control, eating, and even immune and inflammatory responses.

 

We also have cannabinoids in our bodies. With the ECS, these two receptors are called Cannabinoid type 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2). These receptors mainly interact with CBD within the system, especially CB2, the receptor involved in anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive actions.

 

Once the receptors interact with CBD, it activates the signals in your body that cause inflammation to subside. Regarding psoriasis, CBD stimulates the secretion of cells that are crucial in removing skin cell debris and allows your skin to properly mature and heal.

 

When it comes to the amount of CBD applied for better usage of its benefits, one can start with 10mg of CBD and increase its dosage to 20 or 30 mg.

 

Final Thoughts

Living with psoriasis may give particular challenges that can make life more complicated. Even if that’s the case, having self-love by promoting your overall health and managing your condition can make things easier.

 

Know that you are not alone. Treatments help you have a good quality of life despite having psoriasis. CBD Shampoo is a great idea if you have psoriasis, especially on the scalp, and since your scalp is the extension of your body’s skin, it can also help the areas in your body that have psoriasis. Always consult your doctor before trying new treatment to ensure no adverse side effects happen and that life with psoriasis can be even more manageable.