I was 12 years old when I noticed something wrong with my scalp. Suddenly, my scalp became dry, flaky, and itchy. When my mother tried to wash my hair, she noticed that I had a pimple that stuck to my scalp and did not come off easily. I also noticed that there were flakes of thin skin falling behind my ears as well. This was not normal dandruff and it was really bad. [My parents took me to a dermatologist who diagnosed me with scalp psoriasis. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), psoriasis is a condition that occurs because the body produces skin cells too fast. As a result, skin cells build up and cause obvious spots and blemishes on the skin.

Psoriasis can appear anywhere there is skin, including the scalp. Unfortunately, scalp psoriasis is not limited to the scalp, but can also spread to the back of the neck and behind the ears, as it did for me. It can also spread to the back of the neck and ears, as it did to me, or it can occur around the mouth or on the chest. Scalp psoriasis is also notoriously difficult to treat because the hair gets in the way. My doctor prescribed an oil to be applied directly to my scalp, but it did not work. He then recommended that I try an over-the-counter shampoo commonly used to treat dandruff, but this did not work either, and some of my hair broke off. As a teenager suffering from a health problem that most people my age had never heard of, I was really frustrated.

Over the years, I continued to use various oils to treat my scalp, including Jamaican black castor oil and coconut oil, but to be honest, they didn't help much. Thus, I learned to live with my psoriasis and to hide it. Black clothing was forbidden because it would show up on my shirts. But even if I was good at hiding most of my psoriasis, people would always notice a relapse of psoriasis and ask me about it. [But I knew that if I didn't care, others would, too. So I spent most of my teenage years pretending to be okay with itchy, dry, scaly scalp. It wasn't ideal, but it had become my new normal.

Even though I had resigned myself to the fate of my skin, my father, seeing the beating my skin was taking on me, began researching my skin to try to help. After a little research, I found information that neem oil could remove the flakiness of psoriasis and possibly support hair growth. I started trying it and noticed a huge difference. Six years after my diagnosis, I finally found something that worked for me.

I started using neem oil once a week, rubbing the oil into my scalp to prevent flaking. Then, when irritation occurred, I would treat it with neem oil. I liked the results so much that I started talking about neem oil and other beauty treatments on YouTube. When I spoke openly about my psoriasis, I found a group of people just like me.

People were really supportive in their comments and it made me feel good to know that I could help others with the same struggle. Some of my videos have received over 250,000 views and I have started to gain a solid following.

I was able to reduce the worsening of my symptoms and regrow my hair, so I decided to take the plunge and turn to hair products and natural hair care lines to do what I do at home to treat my psoriasis, hoping that this audience I had become so closely connected with would do the same I decided to.

It took a year of development and effort, but over a year ago I launched Lavish Curl Beauty. My company focuses on handcrafted hair care products made with natural ingredients designed to help people achieve longer, thicker hair. While this product line is not specifically for people with psoriasis, I have created a scalp treatment with neem oil with others dealing with psoriasis in mind.

Now I have my routine down to a science. I know what to do if irritation is about to occur. I also don't blow-dry, flat iron, or do any other styling that adds heat to my hair. But unfortunately, psoriasis is an unpredictable disease. I woke up one morning to find my T-zone red and swollen. I have had it around my mouth, but never on my entire face. Maybe it was the extreme heat of the California climate, but my face is now dry and mottled.

I'm trying my best to put some over-the-counter steroid cream on it, but it's frustrating and confusing. This doesn't usually happen to me, but it is a reminder that psoriasis never goes away.

At least the scalp psoriasis is under control. At least my scalp psoriasis is under control; after 14 years of dealing with psoriasis, I finally have the tools to fight the attacks, including the confidence I need to get through each day.

Hutchinson has found neem oil to be an effective treatment for her, but consult your doctor before trying new treatments for psoriasis or any type of skin disorder.