When you’re dealing with an itchy, flaky, and straight-up unhappy scalp, your mind probably jumps to dandruff—not something like scalp psoriasis. The condition, which can be much more difficult to diagnose and treat than your run-of-the-mill dandruff, can cause scaly skin patches or plaques to develop on the scalp, and you may not even know it because they’re hiding under your hair.
To better understand what you may be dealing with, SELF asked a leading expert to explain what scalp psoriasis looks like, plus the condition’s most common triggers and treatments, so you can finally get the relief you deserve.