Getting to Know Your Hairdresser Can Help With Your Scalp Psoriasis

I go to the barbers regularly, roughly every three or four weeks. Each time before I go, I check my scalp in my bathroom mirror for any plaques or scales which might cause whoever is cutting my hair some problems. It helps me to flag for any difficulties when I’m in the chair or while the barber is preparing to cut my hair.

Sticking with the same person

With psoriasis, you may be like me and prefer to stick to the same person or salon who you have been to for a long time. Over the years when I’ve moved house, I’ve had the arduous task of finding someone suitable to cut my hair, but each time I have found someone brilliant and understanding.

My current hairdresser has been cutting my hair for some time now, and it’s a pleasure to be able to explain my psoriasis and how the condition affects me. The barber usually comforts me by telling me stories about how other people’s hair he’s cut often had worse flare-ups than me. Other times, he asks me what treatment I’m on and what other treatments might be available from suggestions raised by other customers.

I used to hate going to the barbers

In the very beginning when I was a teenager and dealing with a pretty bad psoriasis flare-up, I hated going to the barbers. It was a traumatic experience. Not because I was particularly embarrassed by the condition per say, although, at times, I was. But because the scales were so thick, so red, and so angry that I was worried the barber may not be able to cut my hair because of the thickness, or that the plaques would bleed if he tried putting the razor anywhere near it. I was worried other customers may stare or make comments.

That consumed me just before going to university until I finally found relief. I had tried scalp treatments such as coal-tar shampoos, emollients and other products and never found anything that would work. Well, some would, but only temporarily. They would all cease being effective either some months on or when I tried to taper off it. A nasty rebound effect occurred sometimes too, where the scalp psoriasis would come back worse than before; the scales thicker, the patches redder and the lesions itchier.

What changed when going to university was because I had been on many treatments before, I tried biologic injections and the one I am on now has proven to be great. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t totally cleared my scalp psoriasis. I still have patches, new ones flaring and others clearing up, but it is much better than what it was.

That means when I see my barber now, although I always mention there may be psoriasis patches and scales, he’s always fine with it because it doesn’t risk bleeding and they’re not very thick.

Don't be embarrassed

So what you need to keep in mind if you’re going to the hairdressers is be open about your psoriasis. If it’s bad, don’t be embarrassed, as the staff are likely to have seen worse and dealt with a lot worse. And remember that psoriasis isn’t contagious and there’s not huge amounts you can do about it. Yes, you can treat it, but it will never leave you totally. If your hairdresser asks about your condition, try and be open and mention medications you’re trying or what you’ll tell your health team at your next dermatology appointment. The more you feel comfortable having this condition, the easier your haircut will go.

For those whose patches are thick and at risk of bleeding, explain this to your barber. If you don’t feel comfortable explaining it in the salon, phone them and explain over the telephone. There is a high chance they would have dealt with a range of skin conditions affecting the scalp and seen a lot worse than whatever it is you’re presenting, no matter how bad you view the situation.