What does lichen look like on the head? This is a common question, so we will examine it in more detail.
The concept of "lichen" hides a lot of different skin diseases. Some of these pathological processes are highly contagious and can be transmitted to humans from infected people or animals. This disease affects the skin on any part of the body, however, lichen is most commonly found on the head, arms, stomach, legs and back.
Forms
We can distinguish the main forms of this disease:
- Pityriasis.
- Tinea.
- Flat red.
- Ringworm.
- Pink.
The last two varieties of lichen species are not contagious and manifest as autoimmune disorders. The rest are infectious in nature and are caused by various pathogens.
Depriving a person on his head is a very unpleasant disease. People of all ages suffer from it, gender does not matter in this case. By the way, children get sick much more often than adults. Doctors cannot give an unambiguous answer to the question of why some people become infected with lichen, while others do not. The main role in the occurrence of this disease is played by the immune defense. If the person's immunity is strong enough, then he is able to withstand infection. An organism that is weakened by constant stress, poor nutrition or bad habits is more likely to suffer from such diseases.
Pityriasis versicolor
Pityriasis versicolor versicolor on the head is an infectious form caused by opportunistic Malassezia fungi. This pathogen can for a long time be on the surface of the skin of an infected person, without showing any symptoms, but as soon as the immune system weakens, the disease begins to actively progress. It does not pose a threat to health and life, but it gives a person significant physical and psychological discomfort. The best environment for the development of the parasite is wet skin, the use of ointments based on hormonal substances, endocrine disorders in the body, and long-term infectious diseases.
First of all, light spots form on the scalp, which over time acquire a yellowish or pink hue. They can appear not only on the head, but also on any part of the body. Lichen on the head is not accompanied by hair loss.
The main difference between this disease is the absence of uncomfortable and itchy sensations. The spots are not inflamed, do not rise above the surface of the skin, do not peel, but can increase in size or merge into one large spot, affecting large areas of the head and body. Gradually, these spots can change color, turning into darker, with a brown tint.
The disease, as a rule, proceeds for a long time, and in the absence of treatment can affect very vast areas. When conducting adequate therapy, the spots acquire a light color and the patient is not disturbed.
The treatment of this type of lichen in humans on the head consists in the use of antifungal agents and immunomodulators.
Lichen planus
The reasons for the development of such a disease are still unclear, the same applies to the causative agents of this pathology. Red lichen can be considered non-contagious, although this information has not been proven by science to this day.
This type of lichen belongs to diseases that are autoimmune in nature, when the body attacks its own cells with antibodies. In order for the disease to progress, a certain provoking factor must be present. These factors may include:
- Chronic viral infections.
- Constant stress.
- Bad habits.
- The occurrence of endocrine pathologies, etc.
For this species, lichen on the head of an adult is characterized by the formation of a specific rash in the form of nodules having a shiny surface. Gradually, such rashes begin to acquire a bluish tint.
This type of lichen is accompanied by severe and intolerable itching. Moreover, the entire body is itchy, and not just the affected areas. The rash can appear on any part of the skin, including on the head, but such lichen is much less common.
This kind of disease has several main forms:
- A bubbly form of flat red lichen, in which the rashes look like bubbles filled with a clear liquid.
- An annular form in which the rashes look like an arc or a semicircle and rapidly spread throughout the body.
- Warty variety - the rash looks like warts.
- Spiky red lichen, when the rash can resemble sharp spikes.
- The typekeratic type, characterized by damage to the mucous membranes. Lichen affects the entire skin or is located on a specific area of the body.
Pink lichen
The cause of pink lichen on the head is also unknown. However, there are three possible prerequisites for the development of this disease: allergic, bacterial and viral. Initially, an infectious agent penetrates into the body, an allergic reaction develops, which manifests itself in a similar way. A single pink maternal spot forms on the skin, and after a certain time, infected foci begin to appear throughout the body, including on the head. Sometimes they increase in size, while there is severe itching. After this, the spots turn yellow mainly in the central part, and a pink border remains around them. A little later, the lesions begin to peel off strongly and leave dark spots that disappear after proper treatment. The initial stage of depriving on the head is difficult to recognize in a timely manner.
This type of lichen can occur on the face, head, limbs, back, stomach. In addition to spots, vesicles and nodes can form, which, as a rule, is associated with the individual characteristics of the human body.
Pink lichen on the face is much less common than in other parts of the skin.
This disease is not treatable and belongs to the category of chronic. It can occur without any reason and also suddenly disappear. Exacerbations can sometimes be associated with changing seasons.
Ringworm on the head
A very common disease that relates to subspecies of lichen is considered ringworm, localized on the scalp. The symptoms of this disease are very difficult to confuse with other types.
This lichen is caused by fungi of the species Trichophyton tonsurans, which, unlike others, can live in the nail plates and the human lymphatic system. From the moment of ingestion to the manifestation of the first symptoms of the disease, several months can sometimes pass.
Ringworm on the head is manifested by specific rashes that do not have even boundaries. The size of these formations varies from one to three centimeters. Such foci never merge with each other, and if it is a rash on the scalp, then they are characterized by breaking off hair at the very roots, which is why this disease was called ringworm. This disease is extremely contagious and can progress to the chronic stage.
The main symptoms of head deprivation are as follows:
- The formation of severe itchy rashes.
- Severe swelling in the lesion.
- The absence of clear boundaries at the spots.
- Damage to the structure of the hair on the head.
Most often, this type of lichen is observed in the following categories of people:
- Children.
- Persons not hygienic.
- Immunocompromised Persons
- The presence of latent chronic infections.
- Endocrine Disorders
Shingles
This type of lichen in the hair on the head is provoked by the Varicella zoster virus, related to herpes infections. Most often, this disease affects people over 40 years old. In the cool season, outbreaks are more common. Children, as a rule, do not suffer from this disease.
Initially, malaise occurs, the temperature rises, a pronounced pain syndrome and aches in the body appear. After a few days, specific bubble rashes with liquid form on the surface of the skin. In this case, unilateral rashes on the body or on the head are characteristic, although other options are possible.
This type of lichen on the skin of the head or face is usually extremely rare. In most cases, such a rash is located in the abdomen and back. In a mild form, the disease completely disappears after about a month. More severe forms can be accompanied by serious complications. These include:
- Trigeminal inflammation, which is characterized by temporary symptoms in the form of facial paralysis.
- Damage to the ear canals, which is accompanied by severe ear and headaches, can sometimes lead to complete hearing loss.
- Inflammation of the eyes.
- Gangrenous lesion that affects the deeper layers of the skin.
- Sometimes secondary infection is observed.
- A hemorrhagic variety of the disease, which is characterized by the formation of vesicles, sometimes filled with blood.
Causes of pathology
Regardless of what kind of lichen occurs in each individual case, the main factors of its occurrence are:
- Immunity reduction.
- Chronic infections are often hidden.
- Endocrine diseases.
- The presence of allergic reactions.
- Pathology of the digestive tract.
- Frequent stresses.
- Bad habits.
- Inadequate personal hygiene.
Common manifestations of the disease
These include:
- The formation on the skin of spots or blisters of a round, arched or oval shape.
- Redness, itching and peeling of the scalp.
- Merging of lesions among themselves.
- Rapid spread of rash.
- Symptoms of general malaise, fever.
If similar signs appear, you should contact a specialist for diagnostics.
Diagnosis of the disease
To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a diagnosis, which with various forms of depriving on the head includes:
- Visual inspection by a specialist.
- The study of history.
- Scraping from the area of the affected skin surface.
- Skin tests with alcohol and iodine.
After an accurate diagnosis is established, you can start the treatment of a particular variety of lichen on the scalp.
What to do with lichen on the head?
Treatment
Treatment of the disease should be aimed at eliminating its root cause. If it is a specific infectious agent, then antifungal and antiviral medications are prescribed.
If red flat or pink lichen appears on the scalp, the situation is much more complicated. In this case, it is necessary to clearly establish the cause of the development of these diseases. When treating red lichen, additional examinations are carried out, which are:
- Assessment of the digestive tract.
- Assessment of the activity of the nervous system.
- A blood test to determine glucose levels.
- Check your blood pressure.
Which ointment to choose for lichen on the head?
In the period of exacerbation of such diseases, the following medications are taken: Tetracycline, Neomycin, as well as antibiotics from the macrolide category. The dosage of these drugs should be established only by a specialist.
Additionally, some anti-allergic drugs are also prescribed as a treatment for depriving on the head. In cases where there are some problems with the functions of the nervous system, it will be advisable to take sedatives. If pathological rashes become inflamed, doctors prescribe hormonal drugs, for example, Dexazone, Prednisolone, Urbazon.
Treatment of pink lichen is not always carried out, since this disease has the property to go away on its own. Nevertheless, during periods of exacerbation, there is a risk of another dangerous infection joining the lichen, and pink lichen can go into streptoderma - purulent skin damage. To alleviate the symptoms, do not wear synthetic clothing, take a bath, or use hard washcloths. As for nutrition, you must follow a special hypoallergenic diet. Patches of affected skin should be treated with special solutions and ointments. The best prevention of such diseases of the scalp is considered to be strengthening immunity and careful observance of personal hygiene.
Ringworm can be treated with antifungal medications. In parallel, ointments of local effect are prescribed. If the disease is severely neglected, treatment is carried out with general antifungal medications, which are usually used orally. The pityriasis form of lichen is treated similarly.
We examined how lichen looks on the head, and what needs to be done to get rid of it.