I have suffered with scalp psoriasis for around 18 years. Psoriasis is a skin condition where the skin cells reproduce faster than normal and as a result create flaky itchy patches.

Basically it is like a very bad case of dandruff, is extremely itchy and scratching makes it worse and casues raised sore bumps.

A bit of a nightmare as you can imagine and although not life threatening it does affect my daily life, what I can and can't wear as it shows on dark clothing and so affects my confidence.

It seems to be worse around the hairline, in my case at the back of my neck and around my ears, but luckily I don't have it on my forehead.

Psoriasis never seems to be completely cured and I use a range of treatments to keep it under control, most of which are messy, smelly and sometimes irritate my face.

Capasal is a shampoo I uses as part of treatment which also includes a steroid gel, and a leave in scalp treatment.

The Product
This is a shampoo I get on prescription but you can buy it over the counter. It is also used as a treatment for dermatitis and dandruff.

It contains three active ingredients, coal tar, coconut oil and salicylic acid , which combined are designed to tackle the psoriasis.

Coal tar will be familiar to most people and is a common ingredient in psoriasis treatments. You may like the smell, but I hate it and when I use this shampoo I can smell it all day. Nothing seems to mask the the smell which I find really strong.

No one knows why coal tar it works , but it is mildly antiseptic and has anti-inflammatory qualities which target the itchiness . It is absorbed into the skin cells and I believe it may slow down skin cell production.

Salicylic acid works on breaking down the skin which results in shedding of the skin cells.

Coconut oil helps to moisturise and soften the skin.

Application
Use as you would any normal shampoo, but shake the bottle first.
Then massage into wet hair for several minutes, rinse and repeat.
Make sure you rinse thoroughly.
Also I recommend applying a good conditioner after using this.
Try to avoid getting it in the eyes as it stings and avoid getting it on clothing as the brown liquid can stain.

I would not recommend using this in the shower, unless you like the smell!
I put on old clothes and wash my hair in the sink.

Sometimes I shampoo several times and leave this on my hair overnight as it is not as messy as the scalp treatment, which is difficult to administer, oily and stains.
Leaving it on overnight makes this more effective than simply shampooing, however this will stain bedding and the smell lingers, so you may need to change the bedding

The Results
Extremely stinky hair and towels, a smell which lingers all day irrespective of what you apply before or after drying hair.
My hair feels like has been stripped of all it's life, it feels spongy and coarse,really horrible, like coconut matting.

However despite the negatives the shampoo lifts the skin cells which is what it is meant to do, but if you have a scaly scalp your hair will be full of flakes. This is a sign that the shampoo is working, so I would warn against wearing any dark coloured clothing.

I detest this shampoo, so I only use it once a week as it makes my hair look and feel terrible and when I did use it on a regular basis it stripped the colour from my hair.

A real dilemma as I need to use this but have chosen to use it less frequently , so I use this once a week, do the scalp treatment once a week overnight and use the steroid gel in between.

That is the theory, but as you can imagine my routine slips sometimes, as this all requires dedication.

The shampoo does work at lifting the cells and slowing down the production of cells but in my case it needs to be used in combination with other treatments to clear up completely. I do find my condition improves but if I lapse and miss one element of the treatment it is back again.

The shampoo does ease the itchiness, but not completely . Scalp psoriasis leaves the scalp feeling really tight and hair washing rather strangely eases the tightness, but not for long.

I use moisturiser on the hairline or almond oil to try and get some relief, but that isn't something I can use during the daytime.

Would I Recommend
Yes it is a necessary evil at managing scalp psoriasis.

In my case this alone would not keep the psoriasis under control , but it may be more effective on milder cases.

The effect it has on the condition and colour of my hair , makes this difficult to use as regularly as it should be. So I use normal shampoos in between using this, to maintain condition and depending on the severity of the psoriasis, adapt what I wear so the flakes are not visible.

The other negative for me is the strong coal tar smell.

The positives are it does lift the skin cells, making the flakiness worse at first, but gradually they start to reduce and my scalp feels less bumpy.

Price and Availability
Ranges fron £7 + delivery for 250ml online or from chemists or available on prescription.

My rating is on how effective this shampoo is at dealing with flaky scalps , which it does well so I will award 4 stars.