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Mon May 28, 2012 2:44 pm  |
Bingo!  Scalp is probably seborrhoeic dermatitis which is an inflammatory condition caused by an overgrowth of a yeast on the scalp. A pharmacist can 'diagnose' that for you. If it is you want an antifungal product such as ketoconazole shampoo, use intensively for two weeks then once a week thereafter. The rest of the time switch to a gentle shampoo that does not contain any sulphate surfactants and preferably no anionic surfactants. The hair loss could be male pattern baldness which requires pharmacy stuff to deal with. *Some* types of hair loss can be improved by quitting sulphate surfactants and using a ketoconazole shampoo so there is overlap in treatment.
Two options for your regular shampoo, plain/ gentle option
http://www.naturallythinking.com/products/Shampoo-SLS-free-Extra-Mild.html (pay by Paypal, the customer service is patchy)
Pricier tailored to hair loss option
http://www.regenepure.com/our-ingredients.html/
This is the ONLY ketoconazole shampoo that is also sulphate-free AFAIK.  Cheeks ... could be just xerosis (clinical dry skin) could be atopic eczema - also an inflammatory condition - because it is pretty common for two forms of dermatitis to co-exist. Get the pharmacist to 'diagnose' that too.
Other than that what leaps out at me is a body under stress: mental health issues can take their toll on the body, and things like being sedentary/ poor diet/ bad sleep patterns also put the body into a state of physical stress. Stress increases the body's need for every nutrient and, crucially, causes low grade inflammation. Not telling you off just explaining where I think you are at - been there done that got the t-shirt.  I actually got into lifestyle healthcare after being ill myself and making myself well again, before that I worked in pharmacy and laboratories.
Please learn from my mistakes: firstly get your depression and stress treated, with medication if required. It's common to try a couple of different medications before you hit the one that works for you. If you are struggling physically with the stress (eg. sleep disturbance, feeling nervy, panic attacks) I highly recommend asking your doctor about a low dose beta blocker. These will not make you drowsy, not addictive, don't have to be taken all the time, and have little to no side effects - in fact they are often prescribed to students with exam stress. Make a double appointment with a different GP in the practice, write lists of what you want to discuss, take charge of your NHS experience because that is what you have paid taxes for!! Secondly get physically active again, the more intense the better. Get out of doors and/ or do a group activity and/ or an activity to music. Exercise is scientifically proven to be effective in both depression and stress as well as benefiting your skin. It is easier to motivate yourself when your symptoms are somewhat controlled with medication.
Whilst your diet is fairly decent compared with the average Brit, it's a long way from optimum nutrition for either mental health or for your skin. Which is great, because you have stuff to work on! Essential fatty acids and certain minerals (esp. magnesium) are key for producing the hormones that control mood and stress levels, also in skin hydration, the normal exfoliation process, sebum production, reducing inflammation. Eat oily fish daily OR take a triple concentrated supplement supplying 3g of combined DHA and EPA. Also eat other healthy fats twice daily from my earlier list - forgot to include omega eggs. Minerals: particularly found in wholegrains, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds none of which you are eating regularly so choose one at every meal.
As well as stress, the other thing that contributes to damaging inflammation, feeds the scalp yeast and negatively affects mood is peaks in blood sugar levels. Surprisingly these are caused by white/ refined carbohydrates in some cases more so than sugar there is actually a list of the 'good' and 'bad' guys called the glycaemic index. The other thing that causes blood sugar to peak is eating carbohydrates without enough fat, protein or fibre to slow the digestion. Lower glycaemic index carbs (good  ) include beans and lentils, most vegetables, berries, tree fruits, sweet potatoes, brown pasta, barley, brown basmati rice, stoneground bread, granary wholemeal bread, brown pitta bread. Higher glycaemic index carbs (bad  ) include white rice, white pasta, white noodles, white bread, refined breakfast cereal, most potatoes especially mash, tropical fruits, most fruit juice.
Linked in with that is working up to nine portions a day of fruit and veg which is not nearly as boring nor as difficult as it seems initially. You must start at breakfast with two portions (fruit or baked beans, say). Salad: you need to eat a piled soup plate full of leaves to hit just one portion - try weighing 80g of lettuce.  So include dense foods like canned lentils and raw carrot because an 80g portion is quite small. Most people enjoy stir fries, chicken and vegetable curries, cheesy vegetable bake, minestrone soup, chilli con carne with hidden extra veg, stews made in the slow cooker, frozen fruit smoothies, massive fruit salad with canned evaporated milk or coconut milk, fresh fruit with cheese, veg sticks and dips. Beans and lentils count once per day, if you chuck extra tomato puree in baked beans you get another portion!
Sorry about the essay, I type almost as quickly as I think!!  |
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Sensitivity, forehead pigmentation & elevens, nose & chin clogged pores. Topicals: Aloe vera, squalane, lactic acid, Myfawnie KinNiaNag HG: Weleda calendula, Lanolips, Guinot masque essentiel, Flexitol Naturals, Careprost. Gadgets: Vaughter dermarollers, Lightstim. |
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