How to treat psoriasis at home?

Psoriasis is one of the most common misunderstandings. Neither the causes of this disease nor the ways to cure it are known with certainty. It is considered impossible to achieve a complete cure of psoriasis, so the main goal of therapy is to achieve stable long-term remission and reduce the frequency of exacerbations. Because this disease requires correction of diet, lifestyle, systematic use of drugs and non-pharmacological agents, psoriasis is mostly treated at home.

Causes and Signs of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic pathology with a recurrent course. The disease can affect various organs and tissues, but the main manifestations of psoriasis are dermatological. Red lesions shed on the skin that enlarge and unite with each other. Their surface is covered with grayish scales that are easily scraped, revealing wet shiny spots with dots of “bloody dew” underneath.

The most common sites of localization of psoriatic plaque are the knees and elbows, scalp, the area behind the ears, the lower back. The rash is most often accompanied by itching, a feeling of tightness and discomfort in the affected areas.

The appearance of psoriasis is associated with stress, recent infectious disease, allergies, endocrine pathologies, but, according to many experts, it is based on a genetic defect. Any of the above factors is just a “trigger” that triggers the mechanism of the body’s abnormal response to external stimuli.

Due to failure, the process of epidermal cell division is disrupted. The rate of death and desquamation of surface cells increases 4-5 times in relation to the usual cycle. As a result, shells that do not have time to peel naturally create hard growths - plaques.

Rules for treating psoriasis at home

The treatment of psoriasis includes two areas:

1. symptomatic- removal of acute symptoms of the disease (external agents, antihistamines, physiotherapy);
2. pathogenetic:diet, body desensitization, cleansing measures, hormone therapy, etc.

In severe cases, inpatient treatment is indicated, it is possible to use serious hormonal drugs and basic therapy. The rest of the time, the patient fights the disease on his own, and chooses the most effective methods by trial and error.

Psoriasis is a disease that does not have a clear solution. Those medications that are appropriate for one patient may worsen another. An individual approach is needed here more than ever, but there are general principles to follow to successfully treat psoriasis at home:

1. Listen to your body. No one but you can identify all the factors that cause worsening psoriasis and find medications that will work well on your plaques.
2. It is recommended to carry out self-medication under the supervision of a dermatologist. Do not give up tests, procedures and medications prescribed by a specialist.
3. With a mild form of psoriasis, good results can be achieved by removing provoking factors and using non-drug treatments, including folk remedies. If the manifestations of the disease are very pronounced, and psoriasis progresses, "heavy artillery" in the form of hormones and cytostatics may be needed, strictly according to the doctor's prescription.
4. Consistency and regularity are important in the treatment of psoriasis. You cannot stop using effective medications when the first results appear. Most medications require a long course, first therapeutic, and then - "fixation".
5. It is important to maintain normal skin moisture, avoid scratches, trauma and incorrect peel removal. Plaques can be cleaned only after prior softening and only if this can be done effortlessly.
6. Many treatments cannot be used during the acute phase. Insolation, climate change, spa treatments, some ointments should be applied only with the beginning of the stationary phase.

Psoriasis treatment: how to lubricate plaques?

The most popular and effective treatments for psoriasis on the skin are pharmaceutical ointments and creams. Many topical preparations have serious side effects and must be used with caution. This is especially true of hormonal fats, but when it comes to non-hormonal it is better to consult a doctor and strictly follow the recommendations for use.

Hormonal fats

Hormonal agents in the treatment of psoriasis are indicated for permanent skin symptoms that are resistant to other therapeutic effects. The benefits of these drugs are fast acting. The patient's condition is literally improving before our eyes, but this effect is misleading. After cessation of use, plaques not only return but become more intense. Hormonal fats are addictive, and with prolonged use - damage to the kidneys, liver, cardiovascular system, thinning and atrophy of the skin. There is also a fear that hormone-based drugs "drive" psoriasis into the body, and the disease manifests itself in a more severe form - psoriatic arthritis.

The effects of addiction and withdrawal make hormonal fats an undesirable treatment. If possible, it is recommended to avoid their use. If necessary, use a short time, gradually cancel.

Today, several groups of drugs are prescribed to treat psoriasis:

1. Triamcinolone fats.They have antihistamine, antipruritic action, relieve inflammation. They can cause local reactions, changes in skin structure, atrophy.
2. Products with the active ingredient flumethasone.Reduces itching, has an anti-exudative effect. It negatively affects the skin, over time it can cause systemic disorders.
3. Hydrocortisone ointments.Reduce capillary permeability, alleviate swelling of affected foci, but with prolonged use there is a risk of systemic disorders.
4. Betamethasone-based preparations.They have anti-inflammatory and anti-exudative effects. They suppress the process of accelerated desquamation of epithelial cells. Skin disorders and systemic problems are possible.

Non-steroidal drugs

Non-hormonal ointments are the preferred treatment for psoriasis. They do not act as fast and powerful as hormones, but their effect is more permanent and lasting. Non-steroidal ointments can be used for a long time without fear of addiction and the development of negative consequences.

Psoriasis uses drugs of different composition and different effects, many of which are combined with each other. Main groups of applied fats:

1. Salicylic.The acid in them softens deposits and helps cleanse the skin. Reduces inflammation, acts as an antiseptic. Medications are usually prescribed to remove the scales, and then the affected area is treated with another drug with medicinal ingredients.
2. Zinc.Dry rashes, alleviate inflammation and skin irritation, create a protective film that prevents negative effects on the affected areas from the outside.
3. Tar. Ointment with the addition of birch, pine, charcoal tar has an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant effect. They stimulate blood circulation, improve the healing of damaged skin. To remove deposits, you can add pure tar when making your own medications. Tar greases can be poorly tolerated, so in test mode they start to spread on small areas. With good tolerance, the dosage is increased. Tar increases the photosensitivity of the skin, which can lead to sun allergies in summer.
4. D-fortified fats.Calcipotriol-based preparations have been shown to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis. They suppress proliferation, reduce deposits and prevent their reappearance. They do not cause atrophic processes. If there is an effect, they ensure stable remission. Use in tandem with UV therapy is recommended, combination with salicylic ointments is contraindicated.
5. Oil-based fats.Plaque peeling relieves itching and inflammation, but requires careful use. Increased sensitivity can lead to worsening of skin manifestations of psoriasis, furunculosis. These drugs are contraindicated in patients with anemia, kidney disease. Treatment with these drugs is performed outside the exacerbation phase.
6. Vitamins.Ointment with vitamins activates metabolic processes in the skin, restores tissue trophism, promotes regeneration, removes peeling, slows down keratinization of cells. Retinoids and tandem-based preparations of vitamin E, A possess such properties.
7. Solid fats.Effective agents with pronounced anti-inflammatory, keratolytic, antipruritic action. They penetrate deep into the skin and normalize metabolic processes in it. They are used for a long time, in the absence of allergies. These fats cannot be combined with hormonal fats, and alcohol should be avoided during treatment.

Psoriasis: treatment from within

It is difficult to deal with the manifestations of psoriasis only by external means. It is also necessary to act from within: to desensitize, to improve digestion.

1. During exacerbations, antihistamines have been shown to help relieve itching and eliminate the effects of provoking factors. In addition to the antiallergic effect, the drugs also have a sedative effect.
2. Detoxification of the body is done with the help of sorbents.
3. The use of enzymes to improve digestion is recommended.
4. In psoriasis, liver support is important: hepatoprotectors are taken on a course.
5. "Psoriasis" must be calm. Stress is one of the factors that triggers psoriasis. The disease itself, in turn, can lead to neurological problems: nervousness, insomnia, etc. Herbal sedatives are recommended.
6. NSAIDs can help relieve joint pain in psoriasis.

Outbreaks appear to be exacerbated by psoriasis. Acute infectious and inflammatory diseases must be treated with antibiotics, as prescribed by a doctor.

How to treat scalp psoriasis at home: features

ICH psoriasis is the most severe for patients. It is more difficult to treat than open skin, because the presence of hair requires a special approach to therapy and the use of special means.

Treatment of psoriasis on the head at home consists of the use of shampoos, medications and alternative methods. Skin lesions can be either mild, in the form of individual spots, or severe. In severe cases, the head is covered with a so-called "crown" or "helmet" - a hard, itchy and scaly psoriatic scab, mostly along the border of hair growth on the forehead, behind the ears, on the neck.

Under no circumstances should you comb and "pick" dry bark. They should be softened with a special keratolytic shampoo, cleansing mask, and then gently remove loose scales from the skin.

Wash your psoriasis hair as often as needed. It is desirable to use special or neutral shampoos. The second group includes products for children and adults for sensitive skin. They do not contain odors, dyes and other harmful ingredients.

Of the medicated shampoos you can use:

1. Tar.These products contain charcoal tar which gives them a dark color and a specific smell. These shampoos do not tolerate well, so a test is needed. Medicinal cosmetics are sold in pharmacies.
2. Zinc.They contain zinc-pyrithione, which cleans the scalp of dead scales and reduces their number, relieves itching. If allantoin is added to the shampoo, a softening ingredient helps reduce skin dryness and heals damage faster. Some medications are designed to treat dandruff, but can also be used for milder psoriasis.
3. Antifungal.Ketoconazole shampoos reduce flaking and itching and destroy fungal infections on the scalp.

For psoriasis, it is recommended not to rinse the shampoo immediately, but to keep it for a few minutes to a few hours, so that the medicinal substances can penetrate deeper. The head must be gently washed without scratching the skin. After rinsing the shampoo thoroughly, rinse with cold water acidified with vinegar. Avoid using a hair dryer.

Regular ointments are not suitable for lubricating plaque on the head. They have too greasy, sticky hair and don’t wash well. It is better to buy medicines in the form of creams, lotions, emulsions or aerosols - many manufacturers produce their products in a form that is suitable for the treatment of ICH psoriasis.

Treatment of psoriasis on the head at home is successfully carried out with the help of folk remedies: masks and rinses.

Popular recipes:

• to soften the bark, rub into the scalp a mixture of oils: base (olive, burdock) and essential ingredients (tea tree, rosemary, cypress), put on a cap and leave until morning;
• make a paste of white or red clay with the addition of oil, apply on the head overnight;
• rub fresh onion juice into the skin;
• rinse with a decoction of nettle, chamomile;
• mix grape, almond and coconut oil in a ratio of 1: 1: 2 (in tablespoons), add 1 tsp. cognac and honey, a few drops of lavender oil, mix thoroughly in a water bath, apply on head for 2 hours;
• Peel the scalp with sea salt with essential oil (eucalyptus, tea tree) - rub and gently massage with your fingertips for five minutes, then wash your hair;
• prepare a mask: burdock oil, 2 egg yolks, alcoholic tincture of calendula, a few drops of tar and keep it on your head for 2-3 hours.

Home treatment for nail psoriasis

When psoriasis affects the nails, they become brittle, wavy and change color. Such nails should be protected from external influences:

• do your homework in gloves;
• leave arranged manicure;
• cut nails shortly after soaking them in water;
• use a protective medicated varnish.

Home treatment for nail psoriasis includes:

1. Reception of vitamin and mineral complexes that strengthen the nail plate, protect cell membranes from damage (vitamins C, E, calcium).
2. Hormonal ointments are the most effective for treating nails. When glucocorticosteroids are rubbed into the nail plate, they are practically not absorbed into the skin and do not penetrate into the bloodstream, so their use is safe for 2 to 4 weeks.
3. To strengthen and moisturize the nails, it is necessary to rub sea oil (3 times a day) and vitamin A oil into them every day.
4. Warm baths with corn starch or barley flour, infusion of celandine, nettle, twine are recommended for whitening and strengthening nail plates.

Home remedies for psoriasis

Herbal infusions are one of the most popular home treatments for psoriasis:

1. Boil 1 tablespoon in a thermos overnight. l. flax seeds (per glass of water). Before going to bed, drink 2 tablets of activated charcoal, take an infusion in the morning, eat the seeds. This recipe helps detoxify the body, helping to reduce the intensity of the symptoms of the disease.
2. Soup from collection: elekampana root (10 gr. ), kalamus (12 gr. ), st. Boil 300 ml of hot water in a thermos, leave for 3 hours. Filter, take 100 ml 2 times a day.
3. 4 st. l. boil plow seeds in a liter of water over low heat, 60 minutes. Strain and drink every hour on a spoon with aggravation, 4 times a day - in remission.
4. Birch mushroom (100 gr. ) Boil in hot water overnight. In the morning, grind the chaga and pour the remaining water heated to 50 degrees, leave for three days. Filter, take 100 ml before each meal.

Effectively cleanses skin of deposits, relieves itching and soothes baths:

• with soups of sage, twine, celandine, St. John's wort;
• with sea salt;
• with blue clay;
• with baking soda
• with potato starch;
• with turpentine.

Take a shower before the bath, then pour water of a pleasant temperature (not hot), dilute the medicinal composition. Bathing time - 15 - 20 minutes, of course - every other day.

You can use fresh celandine juice or ointment to lubricate the plaques: mix the ground dry plant with Vaseline or baby cream.

Well-proven butter cream (5 parts) with propolis (1 part). Place in a water bath, mix thoroughly and cool. Lubricate the plaque with hydrogen peroxide before use.

Diet for psoriasis

Psoriasis is often associated with food allergies. Many patients know exactly which foods cause them to get worse. Others believe that diet does not significantly affect their condition. In any case, adherence to a diet is recommended, at least during exacerbations:

• exclude cocoa, chocolate;
• refuse coffee;
• do not eat spicy foods;
• avoid preservatives and other additives;
• limit lemon fruits, red vegetables and fruits;
• completely forbidden alcohol (especially beer).

Beyond deterioration, the diet can be expanded with “harmful” products, but at the same time carefully monitor the skin reaction.

Prolonged remission can be achieved with diet, a healthy lifestyle and home remedies for psoriasis. But if folk remedies obviously don’t help, you should “surrender” to the dermatologist and not give up on the procedures and medications he offers. After alleviating the deterioration with the help of official medicine at home, it will be easier to get involved in relapse prevention.