Tee Tree Oil

[jcsmom]

Hi there! I have a question for you all. My 16 month old son is newly diagnosed (2 weeks ago). I've read on here about people using Tee Tree shampoo for p on their scalps, I wondered has anyone used the oil itself on their skin? My little guy has what I think is guttate (derm didn't say) on his face, ears arms & legs. I think it's pretty mild but ??? I'd never even heard the word psoriasis until my regular doc suggested it 3 weeks ago.
The derm has given us protopic...I'm glad, no steroids! But, I have a friend who swears by the oil...not for psoriasis per say but everything else.
Just trying to wade through the massive amounts of info & keep from worrying myself straight into the looney bin!!

Thanks!
Katie

[PJ Leary]

Hi Katie,

Welcome to the board. I am sorry to hear about your baby's psoriasis. The protopic is a good choice for medication, you must have found a competent dermatologist.

NPF has loads of information in printed materials which they will send you for free about many aspects of dealing with psoriasis. This web site has the same. I encourage you to take advantage of this resource to educate yourself for your son's sake. Post here or on the General Board with any questions or concerns you may have, we're all here to help.

As far as the Tea Tree Oil and products, you always want to check with your Dr before trying anything, even and especially things that are otc ( over the counter ). Sometimes the most dangerous combinations can be a prescription combined with an otc. Herbal medications can be very powerful, and sometimes very harmful. Just to be safe, always check with the Dr.

That said, I love the Tea Tree products myself, and find lots of relief from using them for my hair, but not for my body.

Once again, welcome to the board. Let us know how we can help.

Regards,

PJ Leary

[Marielle]

Hello Katie
Welcome to our family. I am a mother of a 7 year old with P. I also have a 12 month old without P. I can not imagine if my 12 month old had P. Jessica (my 7 year old) has cleared up her scalp with using tea tree shampoo but we have not tried it on her body yet. I agree with PJ, don't try anything before consulting your derm first. My sister is a massage theorpist and she uses tea tree on everything for everything. She even sent my husband some tea tree stuff to help his sore neck. So I would say after checking with your derm and he says it is okay try it. I would love to know if it helps. Talk to you soon.
M

PJ love your icon.

[PJ Leary]

Hi Marielle,

Glad you like my little avatars. I decided back when I was so sick that I was going to get me some of them. The good news is that I finally felt well enough to make myself a little collection.

The avatar of the day or most recent post is a reflection of my feelings in the moment. I am having fun now. This one here is for Princess P and her gang!

Regards,

PJ Leary

[jcsmom]

Thanks everyone for your replies about the Tee Tree oil. We had a follow up with our derm on the 9th of June. The Protopic seemed to be working good, so he said to continue using it & come back in 3 months unless we felt we needed to seem him sooner. In the meantime, my little guy came down with a really nasty cough & since we were heading out on vacation I ran him to the our regular doc. Guess what? STREP....the doc thinks he's probably had it since the first of May when the p showed up. Thankfully he got the cough...nobody would have tested him.
Anway, it's been 20 days or something like that & he's almost completely cleared up. His face his completely clear & just a little on his arms & legs. They are just a little pink & getting better everyday.
I do have a question though: even though the the "sores" are gone, when he gets really hot or especially cold the redness returns, almost like a scar. Anybody else experience this?

Thanks!! You guys don't know what a help you have been to me. I was completely freaked out. It has been nice to read all your posts & see you all living normal full lives with your little people. It helped me realize, I could have been told my little one had something much worse.

Thanks again!
Katie

[MikeK]

Hi Katie,

I'm glad to hear that JC is doing better! :cool: I can't answer your question about the redness returning, but I can tell you that strep is a very common trigger for psoriasis. :eek: To add insult to injury, some people don't show any of the typical signs of strep -- i.e., a sore throat or fever. They only way that they can tell that they have strep is when their p starts to flair! :eek: Unfortunately, it sounds like JC is one of those people. You might want to have him tested for strep whenever you hear that he's been exposed to it or if you notice that his p has returned.

Good luck, take care and please don't be a stranger.

Mike

[Marielle]

Good Afternoon Katie
How are you doing? I also do not know about the redness. Jessie seems not to get red but then if might be a different type of P. About the Strep, Mike is right. Any time JC comes in contact with someone with Strep get him in. Jessie has had Strep at least 4 times since her P came out. She does not show any signs of the Strep. I had her teacher send home notes to me if any of the kids in class have Strep. I then take Jessie and Yep! she has Strep again. She would even say "but mom, I did not even sit or play with her." So anytime I hear someone near that has Strep she gets tested. I don't need her to be broke out at 95% again.
You can come here anytime and vent. If it was not for this site I think I would have lost it a long time ago. Well back to work.
M

PS
Mike I made an appointment for Jillie but her spots seem to have gone away. I think it was a reaction to sunblock. Worried Moms.......

[Barbi]

Hi all Moms, Dads and other Caregivers....

My daughter has not been left with the red spots (of previous writer's concern) but when her small P spots clear, she is left with small white spots.

She has been managing her P with sunlight (loving the chance to tan out back in the summer without me yelling at her) but when the spots fade, she has little white pathces where the new skin (untanned, I guess) resurfaces. She now has to explain the uneven tan sopts, if she isn't explaining the red P spots to the uninformed people around her....Whew!
Either way, she is trying to use the Derma blend (brand) make up for more noticeable areas, if there is occasion to warrant (new date, night out at the club etc.) a need to cover up.

Oh and thanks to all ....for the tea tree oil soap recommendation. i actually haven't checked the health food store for the tea tree shampoo, but will shortly.

My daughter had a tough time with scalp P and I tried a rinse of Apple cider vinegar first, then a light scrub of the tea tree soap, trying to get her scalp not just the hair,We followed a light scrub of the tea tree oil soap with a baby shampoo application (read that baby shampoo helps to restore an appropriate PH balance) , rinsed and dried.

And to my amazement, we were able to get a jump on the scalp plaques. it seemed to give the plaques a fair fight. We are still using the Olux on her scalp once at night, for two weeks at a time. Again though, it (Olux) alone did not clear up the plaques as fast as the tea tree oil combo has loosend them. Again, I am finding, what works for one may not work for another though.....

The less I can use the steroids....the better off I will feel....I am hoping no adverse effects from the combo and am keeping a watchful eye.

Nice chattin' w/ u all, Barbi

[chaimFL]

What I would give to have those white spots..........

Over time with aditional sun tanning and so forth those spots can and will fade. It takes a long time. She should continue sun bathing to keep the momentum going. It's great that the sun is doing so much for her!! I wouldn't put any self tanning creams or lotions on it for fear that the psoriasis may not agree with the chemicals, but that's just me, there are people on this board who have used and currently use them for various things.

[makeitgoaway]

White spots are good news! It means the P is going away. As Chaim mentioned, first the spots turn white and then with time the natural skin color returns.

Good luck!

Steve:cool:

[shalee]

Hi,
I've gotten good results from an herbalist made for me. Her name is Kamala and she has a website. She can also answer questions like yours.

My remedy was a mixture of Lavender and Bergamont.

Hope this contact helps. Good luck

Shannon

[Marielle]

Shannon
That is so weird...We just talked to an herbalist and she gave Jessie Honey and Rosemary. It seems to make her skin really soft. Jessie likes it better than the soaps that I have been having made for her because it smells. She hates having non-scented soap.
M

[shalee]

Dear M,

My little guy loves his lavender baths! He relaxes and has fun all at the same time.

Lavender has the same effect on the skin as it does on the emotion- it relaxes or soothes. The Bergamot in my remedy has an anti-inflammatory effect from what I can understand. Rosemary is a great all-around herb. In my resources it has antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-fungial and about a dozen or more properties. It is an important essential oil...

if you aren't into all this herbal stuff ....if nothing else...it tastes good on chicken and is easy to grow even in Illinois!

I agree with PJ ..always ask your doc what they know about any interactions your meds might have. Double check with the pramacist. Many pharmacists have a guide book/resource book thing they can use to double check for you. I've asked the pharmacist at Target about the prescriptions and herbal interactions before and they seem to be okay with the questions and don't look at me funny at all.

Do I sound like a hippie or what? It's just cause I've had so many reactions to medicine I've been put on in the past, if I can find an herbal remedy I'll try it. Again, after I check with the doc!

Good Luck one and all!

Shannon ( Shalee to my friends-that means all of you!)

[Marielle]

Shalee
I know exactly where you are coming from. I grew up with "Hippie" parents. They made all my vitamins, soaps, shampoo's and we even brushed our teeth with straight Baking Soda. They ran a food co-op and we were raised vegitarian. So when I see anything that can help Jessie without covering her with steriods, I go for it. We do ask her derm about everything. I will ask about the Lavendar because she would really like that. About growing Rosemary, I have that in my Michigan garden also. I wonder what else might work...I have 3 kinds of Tyme, 3 kinds of Basil, Dill, Orengo, Mint, Sage, and Parsley. That is just the herb garden. I take natural herbs for headaches and now for my sinus. I was tired of being on 3 meds for my sinus and now only drink a cup of tea with my "special" herbs from the herbalist. They seem to be working because I have not had major sinus problems yet this summer. Well back to work. Talk to you soon.
M

[joann4350105]

someone help please!, i am 63 years of age and just came down with psoriasis in my head and i am loosing my hair. I was told this by my regular beautition and was advised to try tee tree. I"ve tried mane shampoo, head and shoulders, and nothing helped. I talked to my dr. and he prescribed a cream to help the itching, and it seems to help a little. My hair is stuck in certain spots, like lumpy with white at the scalp attached to it. I don"t understand what causes this, and where i got it from. I try not to be scared and worried but i don"t want to be bald either. My scalp in certain spots is very sore, does that go away in time?, and will i have this problem the rest of my life?. Thank You, concerned, joann at joann4350105@netzero.com

[sophie2002il]

Hello,

Hana (5 years) is now with her second outbreak of GP.
I know, it is because of her strep infection. She was two times with antibiotic (10 days of antibiotic, one week without antibiotic (to check a new strep test), and 10 days again).. but the first spot appeared 3 days after she began to take the second antibiotic.

I didn't think that she could get new spot during the summer season, with sun, beach and swimming pool!

AGAIN, no doctor think that there is a relation between her strep and her GP!

Marielle,
Do you think that the child is contamined from outside?
Is it possible that Hana is self-contamined?
What do you do when you hear that there is a strep in the environment of Jessica, if the strep test of Jessica is negative?

I wanted to treat Hana with chinese medecine
But one week ago, Hana has a new ear infection and she is again with antibio (10 days). So I suspend this chinese medecine.

I bought aromatherapic cream with TEA TREE, ROSMARIN, GERANIUM and NEROLI... to check....
I bought aromatherapic drink for throat: clove bud, rosewood, lemon, mentha ... to check

Sophie

[Marielle]

Sophie...
Hello...Sorry to hear about Hanas breakout.
I do think that Jessie is a strep carrier...I think that is why she gets it so easy. The minute Jessie comes into contact with strep I call in for antibotics. Our derm has it set up that I don't need to go in and get all the tests done anymore. I think what you are in need of is a different doctor. Jessie's GP is triggered by strep and so is Hanas if a doctor does not think that is true, then maybe it is time to find a new one. I try tons of different things for Jessie, tea tree is wonderful and right now she uses T-Sal and T-Gel...which is cheaper than the tea tree.
I hope this has helped.
Talk to you soon.
M

[Kimbercat]

Just a little warning to anyone using tea tree oil: beware of possible allergies. :( I used it and loved it for about a year, but am currently battling with the results of developing an apparent allergy to it. Unfortunately, allergies can pop up at any point, so just watch out for it. My derm says that tea tree is notorious for it, which I was disappointed to hear. You can see my earlier post here: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showpost.php?p=185126&postcount=1. Good luck in finding something that works well and safely.

[MikeK]

someone help please!, i am 63 years of age and just came down with psoriasis in my head and i am loosing my hair. I was told this by my regular beautition and was advised to try tee tree. I"ve tried mane shampoo, head and shoulders, and nothing helped. I talked to my dr. and he prescribed a cream to help the itching, and it seems to help a little. My hair is stuck in certain spots, like lumpy with white at the scalp attached to it. I don"t understand what causes this, and where i got it from. I try not to be scared and worried but i don"t want to be bald either. My scalp in certain spots is very sore, does that go away in time?, and will i have this problem the rest of my life?. Thank You, concerned, joann at joann4350105@netzero.comHi Joann,

Welcome to the Board! :cool: Nice to meet you. I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis and that you're going through such a rough time. I just posted a copy of your introduction to us in a brand new thread. (Click Here (http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?p=187867#post187867) to go to the copy of your post.) I figured that you'd get a better response that way.

I hope this helps.

Good luck. Keep us posted and please don't be a stranger.

Mike

[Tephywashere]

Hey everyone!!!!!
Boy it has been a long time since I have posted on here...My dear step- daughter Emily is now 9 yr old and had gone from about 99% spots 4 years ago to about 99% clear until about two months ago....so I'm here to share what I have found out about scalp psoriasis:
-we use a combination of Generic TeaTree Oil shampoo from Sally's Beauty Supply(it is the same as Paul Mitchells but cheaper and it doesn't have the fragances) and Denorex Coal Tar....we leave that in for about an hour and then wash it out and shampoo with the TeaTree Shampoo....
- It is good to check with your Derm before you add or subtract anything but make sure you get a long term thinking Dr (we had a struggle with one Dr that was only concerned with making my daughter "pretty" today and not worried about the consequences of long term use of steriods) We actually got her clear the last time by taking her off all meds and working on more natural products and diet...
-on that subject never underestimate diet, Emily's psor. gets worse when she is constipated (which we found out she has some bowel issues) and clears when she is on a more strict diet(dairy is her weakness) I had forgotten the strep issue and have made an appt for her to see the doctor tomorrow, since her scalp is horrendous right now....

Isn't scalp psoriasis the worst??? Especially since she is trying to grow out her hair and the major spot is right in the middle of her head...big bald spot now...oh well, glad to see you are all still out there!

Tephywashere
Emily's Stepmom

[Teunnamelt]

Hi! My daughter is 7 and we also use generic Tea Tree Shampoo/conditioner from Sally Beauty Supply to keep her scalp clear. It is pretty inexpensive and the scent is soothing--especially compared to Balnetar (coal tar) bath oil she soaks in nightly. For her body we use a tea tree body wash called "Jason" from a health food store and it doesn't irritate her skin, even when her feet & hands are terribly broken out. But always check w/derm & do test any new product gingerly--
We keep a separate soap dispenser on the sink of cetaphil cleanser mixed w/a few drops of tea tree oil and she uses it for hand washing--we also sent cetaphil in a soap dispenser to school & she uses it to wash hands there.