Controlling Psoriasis Flare-Ups

Q: Are there any natural remedies for dealing with low-grade psoriasis all over your body?

A: Psoriasis, a condition that produces various degrees of skin problems, can be physically and emotionally difficult to manage. It can occur in small patches or in a more diffuse pattern as you describe.

The exact cause of psoriasis is still unknown, but the immune system does play a role and there may be an infection component to flare-ups as well.

While immunosuppressant medications can be used to get a flare-up under control, there are some things that people can try to reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations of the condition.

The most important thing you can do is to keep your skin from becoming overly dry. Dry skin will crack producing openings for bacteria to get under the skin leading to irritation, inflammation and a flare-up.

To prevent dry skin:

• Limit the duration of your shower to less than 5 minutes (hot water dry out the skin).
• Avoid using harsh scrubs on the skin which can lead to micro-tears (tiny openings for bacteria).
• Use a skin moisturizing lotion liberally.
• Make certain that the soaps you are using are not making the condition worse (all-natural soaps tend to be less drying than most commercial soaps).

Dr. Brent Ridge is the health expert for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. You can call and ask him a question live every Tuesday at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 112 (1.866.675.6675). You can also follow along as he learns to grow his own food and raise goats on his farm in upstate New York by visiting www.beekman1802.com.

Got a health question for Dr. Brent? E-mail him at drbrent@care2.com.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Meg L.

1:36PM PST on Feb 6, 2012

I've had psoriasis on my hands for a year or so now..found comfrey cream to moisturise has almost cleared it up! been drinking green tea and wheat grass smoothies too which possibly helped..

send a green star

Penny H.

7:02AM PST on Nov 27, 2011

My late husband had psoriasis on his elbows, knees, and scalp. I heard Paul Harvey praising T-gel for clearing up hot-spots on dogs and we started using it to bathe our Bichon. It worked so well that I suggested trying it on the psoriasis. That worked too and eventually my husband started bathing in T-gel. He never had an attack again.

Joanne J.

7:32PM PST on Nov 26, 2011

I have plague psoriasis and am 54 years old..never a problem till went through menopause couple of years ago...now nothing stops the itching. My elbows look terrible but have the itching all over...

Sharon H.

7:42AM PDT on Sep 17, 2009

Nicole, I recently heard of an experience that when a person STOPPED using Vaseline and her life-long skin condition went away. She thought the Vaseline was making it better.

Nicole L.

7:16AM PDT on Sep 17, 2009

I have had Psoriais for 16 years.
I use Vaseline on the patches.
It's a cheap way to soften the skin,and its just as effective as the expensive creams/lotions.

Irma R.

12:27PM PDT on Jul 18, 2009

Topical creams and prescription medications may control it but not effective long term and will never go away.

12:26PM PDT on Jul 18, 2009

Curing psoriasis comes from within and has to do with your liver. You must detox the liver and clearer skin will appear withing a few weeks. There are many foods to avoid for i.e. PORK - No pork. Limit all carbs to maybe a baked potato if you must. Certain fruits and vegetables are also prohibited.

Past Member .

6:51AM PDT on Jun 30, 2009

i am very happy for you, really must be hard to live with,
hope you all find a cure that works for you.

thanks for the useful information!

x

Trudy B.

6:46AM PDT on Jun 30, 2009

i wanted to explain why i chose to try comfrey on my skin! well ...have you heard of the new injections of allotonin to cure psoriasis?
well i had information about the side affects & it scared me!
what it does, is reduce cell death...but what about when your body needs cell death ie. to kill of faulty cancer cells for instance?
i had known for years about comfrey & that it contains this allotonin naturaly, & the reason i knew was because my old mum & dad have skin cancers & we were told not to use it for that reason, but it finaly dawned on me that i could definatly safely use it on my psoriasis, with great effect! & a masive reduction of the layers that cause the scales, & even to the point that real skin returns!!!