Skin care to control psoriasis

Skincare for Psoriasis | Best Treatment for Scalp Psoriasis | Psoriasis Specialist

Skincare at home can help control psoriasis. Follow these tips to care for psoriasis:

  • Use creams or lotions, baths, or soaks to keep your skin moist.
  • Try short exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet (UV) light.
  • Follow instructions for skin products and prescribed medicines. It may take a period of trial and error until you know which skin products or methods work best for you. For mild symptoms of psoriasis, some over-the-counter medicines, such as aloe vera, may be soothing.

Things to avoid in psoriasis

It’s also important to avoid those things that can cause psoriasis symptoms to boost up or make the condition worse. Things to avoid include:

  • Skin injury. An injury to the skin can cause psoriasis patches to form anywhere on the body, including the site of the injury. This includes injuries to your nails or nearby skin while trimming your nails.
  • Stress and anxiety. Stress can cause psoriasis to appear suddenly (flare) or can make symptoms worse.
  • Infection. Infections such as strep throatcan cause psoriasis to appear suddenly, especially in children.
  • Certain medicines. Some medicines, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs), beta-blockers, and lithium, have been found to make psoriasis symptoms worse. Talk to your doctor. You may be able to take an alternative medicine.
  • Overexposure to sunlight. Short periods of sun exposure reduce psoriasis in most people, but too much sun can damage the skin and cause skin cancer. And sunburns can trigger flares of psoriasis.
  • Alcohol. Alcohol use can cause symptoms to flare up.
  • Smoking. Smoking can make psoriasis worse. If you smoke, try to quit.

Studies have not found that specific diets can cure or improve the condition, even though some advertisements claim to. For some people, not eating certain foods helps their psoriasis. Most doctors recommend that you eat a balanced diet to be healthy and stay at a healthy weight.