Psoriasis treatment: Dr Ranj explains how to tackle a flaky scalp – Express.co.uk

Dr Ranj and Dr Sara Kayat joined This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby to give the callers a second opinion on their health concerns.

Laila called the GP to talk about her scalp, which she described as extremely flaky.

She said shampoos arent easing the symptoms of the condition and sought advice from the GPs.

Dr Ranj said Laila could be suffering with psoriasis.

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He said: It usually occurs on the arms and the trunk or the legs.

A lot of people have scalp problems.

Some people that have scalp psoriasis can try their treatments can move them around, as prolonged treatment can mean some shampoos will stop working.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterised by thick, flaking patches of skin.

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Resist the itch - Eczema is almost always itchy no matter where it occurs on the body and although it may be tempting to scratch affected areas of the skin, this should be avoided as much as possible

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A lot of people have scalp problems

Dr Ranj Singh

These patches normally appear on elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, but can appear anywhere on the body. Most people are only affected with small patches but the skin can become itchy or sore.

Intense itching of the scalp can affect sleep and everyday life - and it can lead to hair loss.

Psoriasis occurs due to an over-reaction of the immune system, which causes inflammation and rapid growth of skin cells.

Skin cells are normally made and replaced every three to four weeks, but in psoriasis this process only lasts about three to seven days.

NHS Choices said psoriasis affects around 2 per cent of people in the UK. It can start at any age, but most often develops in adults under 35 years old.

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The GP said people can go to their GP to try different creams.

Vitamin D, which people can get from the sun, is it vital for bone health as well as obesity and diabetes, but it can also help with psoriasis.

The other thing I will say is some people find sunlight is beneficial, he said.

If itch is a problem, control stress as much as you can, he said.

NHS Choices said: In most cases, the first treatment used will be a topical treatment, such as vitamin D analogues or topical corticosteroids. Topical treatments are creams and ointments applied to the skin.

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Psoriasis treatment: Dr Ranj explains how to tackle a flaky scalp - Express.co.uk