My Story: Psoriasis sufferers will know how infuriating a flare up can be and how much more infuriating it can be when nothing is soothing it. As a psoriasis sufferer myself, I know what flares mine up. From food, allergies, weather and even stress levels but if there’s one thing I can always count on, it's my hair care to calm it down and to eliminate as much irritation as possible.
When I first got diagnosed I thought there was nothing but steroid treatments or shampoos from the chemist/supermarkets to help. I was constantly flaking and being a hairdresser and wearing black all the time it was embarrassing. I delved into research of different products and what impact parabens and sulphates had. Should I go with scalp health shampoos or anti-dandruff shampoos? Should I wash my hair more or less? Should I go for completely organic or just go for minimal chemicals?
At the time I was using the Trichovedic Hydrospa range which was beautiful when it came to the condition and nourishment of my hair but it was doing absolutely nothing for my scalp. Trichovedic have a hair and scalp range and that was my lightbulb product. All other products were needless to me after discovering the hair and scalp range. I first started with just their hair and scalp shampoo which soothed my scalp unlike any other. I had no irritation, my scalp felt clean and properly cleansed. Yet I still had such bad flaking. I happened to be studying scalp conditions at trade school and while I knew there was a difference between dandruff, dry scalp and psoriasis, I also knew per the text books anti-dandruff shampoo should NOT have helped, but in my case it did. I invested in the Trichovedic anti-dandruff shampoo and although it was a milky consistency and quite difficult to use as it has zero foaming agent, it was my miracle shampoo.
I found anti-dandruff shampoos to be most useful in ensuring less intense flare ups for me. After discovering Original Mineral’s Detox shampoo which has a peppermint scent I’ve always loved and the B5 vitamin which I very much welcome. It has less chemicals and more organics, I use this as my 1st shampoo as it does have a bit more of a foaming agent and Trichovedic’s anti-dandruff as my 2nd shampoo to fully remove any build up on my scalp.
Shop the O&M range at loveblushgirl.com
Haircare is so important in general but it’s so super important when it comes to the health of your scalp. If you suffer from any scalp conditions such as: psoriasis, oily scalp, dandruff, dryness, dermatitis etc. then these are the steps I encourage you to take:
1. Find out what flare’s up or triggers your condition. (remembering whatever we put into our bodies comes out in our skin and hair) I encourage you to do this as it just makes you more aware of whether it's seasonal/environmental, stress related or consumption related.
2. Do NOT use any products that have parabens and sulphates in it.
3. Start with using a shampoo that is for scalp health, I highly recommend something with peppermint scent. (this does not necessarily mean go for an anti-dandruff product, if you only have a very mild condition or flare ups are occasional you may not want to be using something heavy all the time).
4. After using that shampoo for 6 weeks you should see and feel a noticeable difference. If your condition has not improved, switch the shampoo for another more targeted shampoo and trial again.
5. Wash your hair less. 1-2 times a week.
My product recommendations:
Trichovedic Hair + Scalp range
Original Mineral detox shampoo (pair with conditioner that suits your ends condition)
Nak Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
Oribe Serene Scalp range
R+Co Crown scalp scrub and Acid Wash (for oilier conditions)
Ali Lucia