What are Some Home Remedies for Psoriasis?

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Psoriasis can be a painful condition. A qualified physician should always treat advanced cases. However, there are some ways to treat milder cases with a range of home remedies. Here are some examples of home remedies for psoriasis that work quite well in some situations.

One of the things about psoriasis is that the condition makes the skin dry, with a predilection toward flaking and itching. Using some sort of application that will help provide moisture for the skin will go a long way in helping with the condition. Lactic acid moisturizers that are purchased over the counter at the drugstore can work very well. Bag balm and cow cream can be applied after a shower, while the skin is still relatively supple and moist. Also, garlic oil that is rubbed into the dry patch before bedtime can help keep down the itching and also moisten the skin. Essentially, anything that can be used as an emollient will do the trick. This means you can use a dab of petroleum jelly rubbed into the skin, or even vegetable shortening.

Using the power of light has brought relief to some psoriasis sufferers. A homeopathic physician can advise on the proper way to administer ultraviolet light treatments at home, including how to set up the necessary equipment and how long the treatments should last. UVB sun lamps are easy to find and purchase, but they do have to be operated with care. Too much exposure through multiple treatments in a short period of time may cause the psoriasis to worsen rather than alleviate the condition.

There is a school of thought that believes food allergies can aggregate psoriasis. Remedies for psoriasis flare ups that can be traced back to diet focus on two main actions. First, eliminate foods from the diet that may be causing a minor allergic reaction. At the same time, try a gluten free diet for a month and see what happens. Removing wheat, oats, rye and barley from daily consumption has worked in helping to lessen the severity of a number of skin conditions. Second, add foods that are rich in Vitamins A, B complex, D, and E to the diet. Supplement with such herbs as capsicum (cayenne pepper), red clover, and golden seal. These help promote healthy skin, and may be just what is needed to bring the psoriasis under control.

Getting relief for psoriasis may be as simple as making some diet changes, applying a natural oil on a consistent basis to the dry skin, and trying out some different herbs as a way to keep your skin healthy and supple. With a little patience, an effective regimen of home remedies for psoriasis can be used to keep the condition under control, and greatly improve the quality of life for the psoriasis sufferer.

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New: Discuss this Article

Posted by: anon5345
Another homeopathic treatment for Psoriasis that's worth mentioning is the spice turmeric. Turmeric is thought to have antioxidant properties and the curcumin in turmeric has been shown to inhibit an enzyme called PhK, which is associated with the overactive cell growth of psoriasis. (See the British Journal of Dermatology, Nov. 2000 for more info).

[Anecdotally, my husband has severe plaque psoriasis on about 40% of his body. Two weeks ago, he started taking two turmeric capsules daily. He didn't make any other changes to his lifestyle. Within a few days, he had less scaling/flaking, and within a week, new, healthy skin started to appear within his most severe lesions. He's tried steroids, antibiotics, Dovenex, and other medications and lifestyle changes, but the turmeric has been the easiest, cheapest treatment that produces significant results thus far. It's not an extremely fast cure, but it's pretty amazing and well worth looking into as an aid.]

There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence that taking turmeric in capsule or loose form helps clear psoriasis. Adding it to the diet could also be helpful, but it's unlikely the average person would add enough to their daily diet to make a big difference.

Additionally, studies and anecdotal evidence suggests that tea tree oil, oatmeal baths, capsaicin and aloe can be effective alternative means of treating the symptoms of psoriasis, such as itching, redness, flaking and burning.


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