By Erin Dean <\/p>\n
PUBLISHED: 20:42 EST, 3 March 2014 | UPDATED: 20:42 EST, 3 March 2014 <\/p>\n
Polytar Plus shampoo, 8.99 <\/p>\n
For decades, Ray Jobling has used a special medicated shampoo to help control his psoriasis. The condition is caused by overproduction of skin cells, leading to a build-up of itchy and sore patches of skin.<\/p>\n
Psoriasis can appear anywhere on the body, but is most common on the scalp, elbows, knees and lower back. <\/p>\n
Ray, a 72-year-old retired Cambridge University academic, has psoriasis on his scalp and has long relied on Polytar, a shampoo made with coal tar, a by-product of the industrial process that turns coal into coke. <\/p>\n
Coal-tar shampoo, an over-the-counter product, has been a standby for psoriasis and other skin conditions, including eczema and cradle cap, for years. <\/p>\n
But 18 months ago, it suddenly started disappearing from chemists' shelves for reasons that are far from clear. <\/p>\n
Ray's doctor suggested he try Carbo Dome, a coal tar cream - but then a year ago this, too, started to vanish.<\/p>\n
Ray, who was diagnosed with psoriasis when he was 14, says for those with painful skin conditions, losing a product that has been relied on for years can have a big impact (2 per cent of the population has psoriasis). <\/p>\n
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Read the rest here: <\/p>\n
Coal tar shampoo was a standby for psoriasis and eczema. So why HAS this trusted skin treatment disappeared?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Erin Dean PUBLISHED: 20:42 EST, 3 March 2014 | UPDATED: 20:42 EST, 3 March 2014 Polytar Plus shampoo, 8.99 For decades, Ray Jobling has used a special medicated shampoo to help control his psoriasis. The condition is caused by overproduction of skin cells, leading to a build-up of itchy and sore patches of skin. Continue reading