Do You Know What Skin Care Regimen Works Best For Psoriasis?

When it comes to caring for skin affected by psoriasis, there is no magic formula. By carefully considering the ingredients listed on the label of skin care products, someone with psoriasis can make better choices. To keep the symptoms of psoriasis under control, several factors should be considered.

First, when choosing a cleanser, those with psoriasis need to look for a product that gently removes dirt and makeup without leaving an oily feel. It should remove some of the oil from the skin without harsh chemicals. It should also be free of perfumes, alcohol, or other ingredients that dry the skin. These only exasperate scaling.

Most skin care regimens have an exfoliating product. For psoriasis patients, most of these products are too harsh and irritating to their inflamed skin. Two ingredients that might work well to exfoliate the skin of people with psoriasis are oatmeal and Epsom salts. These are both gentle enough not to cause a worsening of the condition but strong enough to lightly remove flaking skin.

Everyone with psoriasis should follow their cleansing routine with a great moisturizer. A good moisturizer will help psoriasis sufferers keep their skin supple and soft. It will lubricate the dry patches, lessening the chance of cracks or sores developing.

Natural emollients such as cocoa butter, mineral or plant oil, and petrolatum work well in products used as moisturizers. In a good moisturizer for psoriasis, these ingredients should be combined with the perfect balance of agents that attract and hold water against the skin. The moisturizer should not contain alcohol or perfumes as these tend to dry the skin of psoriasis victims. Thick creams usually work best to keep moisture against the skin.

Although sunlight is sometimes beneficial to those with psoriasis, too much sun can be drying. Sunburn is especially hard on skin damaged by psoriasis. Sometimes a moisturizer will include a sunscreen to protect tender skin. If a moisturizer is chosen that does not have an added sunscreen, people with psoriasis need to add a good sunscreen to their skincare regimen. This product should also be gentle, non-drying, and perfume free.

Products in a skin care regimen of those with psoriasis may not improve the condition, but they should certainly not add to the problems. If, after reading labels and trying the most likely products, a psoriasis skin care regimen is not working, it is best to consult a dermatologist.


Article by Betty Allen at http://www.PsoriasisArea.com. For more great free information on everything you should know about Psoriasis visit => What Causes Psoriasis and Over-The-Counter Treatments For Psoriasis.

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Psoriasis - In the Beginning

So as it turns out, this is another one of those annoying, self esteem breakers. Yes the skin disease Psoriasis. You read that right it is a disease. A rather embarrassing skin disease that has been known to lead to frustration and in some cases deep depression. If you suffer from it don’t feel alone, you are just one of 80 million people world wide that suffer with the same skin disease. This makes it a rather common skin disease.

As you can imagine since Psoriasis comes from the Greek word “psora” which means “to itch”, the skin disease it is well known in living up to its name. As if itching is not bad enough it is sometimes rather painful too.

Views seem to differ in when Psoriasis may occur, yet the most common thought is that Psoriasis can happen at any age between 12 and 45. It is not prone to effect one sex more than another yet it does seem to be more common in adults than in children. Caucasians seem to be at a slightly higher risk too.

Ok, so what is it, well if you suffer from it, or know someone who does you need no introduction, but for those who are not as familiar with it, the most common form of Psoriasis (plaque Psoriasis) is when you find the skin red and inflamed with a silvery white scale on top. These scales gradually enlarge and increase in number. When the scales are scraped off a few bleeding points are visible.

Basically what happens is the skin regenerates too quickly. Skin rapidly accumulates at the effected site which causes the silvery white scales. But my next question was what causes that to happen? Well the blame seems to lie at the doorstep of the T-Cells making it an immune system disorder.

Ordinarily these T-cells are supposed to help protect the body from infection yet in the case of Psoriasis they cause inflammation and rapid production of skin cells. They seem to be trying to heal an injury, one that is not really there. It is still not known what triggers the T-cells to be released to the dermis yet it is known that a normal skin cell matures in 28-30 days but in the case of Psoriasis it can happen as quickly as 3-6 days.

This is not the only form of Psoriasis; there seem to be many variations. People generally only have one form of Psoriasis at a time yet they can change from one form to another. One form of Psoriasis may clear up and later another form will appear.

The other, some refer to it as the more severe form of Psoriasis, is Pustular Psoriasis. These are blisters that are not infectious yet are filled with pus. This pus consists of white blood cells. The skin around this area is red and tender. The blisters eventually turn brown and form a scaly crust.

Guttate Psoriasis derives from the Latin word meaning “drop” and they are small red individual spots that usually appear on the trunk and the limbs. There name is because they look like little tear drops. This form of Psoriasis is mostly commonly yet not solely linked with Streptococcal infection.

Inverse Psoriasis is found in the arm pits, under the breasts, and other skin folds around the genitals. This appears as shiny red areas with out the scales that are found with Plaque Psoriasis. It tends to be more common in over weight people as with skin folds and sweating the problem becomes much more irritated.

The general consensus seems to be that even though this disease is not contagious it does seem to be to a large degree hereditary. It is not guaranteed that it will develop from these genes that carry it but there does seem to be certain conditions that may bring it out. Skin damage due to the sun, alcohol, strep throat, stress and some medications (including pain killers and anti malarial medication) may be all that is required to trigger Psoriasis and bring it to the fore. Stress and emotional traumas are rather large contributors to Psoriasis.

It may affect anywhere yet it is most commonly found on the scalp, elbows, knees and lower back. The groin, the nails and the palms and soles of the feet are also affected areas. When the nails become affected they become pitted or discolured. The joints may also be affected and in such cases the Psoriasis is called Psoriatic Arthritis.

In the case of Psoriatic Arthritis the condition is characterized by stiff, tender and inflamed joints. There are five different forms of Psoriatic Arthritis. Generally it only affects a few fingers and toes yet in severe cases this can be rather debilitating to the point that the individual suffering cannot work as all his/her time is preoccupied in trying to alleviate the pain.

Because there is no known cure Psoriasis can be absolutely heart breaking to the person suffering with it. There are medications and therapies that are able to clear up the patches of Psoriasis and to help it go into a state of remission. Treatment varies due to the severity of the Psoriasis and what form of Psoriasis the individual is suffering from. Consulting ones doctor is imperative. It will most likely flare up again over ones life time yet you do not have to give up all hope as the positive thing is that it can be controlled. It is just a matter of finding what works for you.

Article By: Michelle Ludick http://www.bhealthy247.com

A Natural Solution - Psoriasis

by Helen Mansour
Beauty Therapist
Be Pampered Beauty Centre
Bondi - Sydney - Australia

I have worked with Lanni Ultimate Moisturiser for the past eight years and consider Lanni a totally honest product.

Lanni Ultimate Moisturiser was initially marketed for waxing treatments under the name of Apres, to combat the trauma associated with waxing. Its find 'silk-like' effect, penetrates deeply into the hair follicle to alleviate the problem of ingrown hairs.

The success in this area encouraged me to incorporate Lanni into some very specialised facial treatments.

It is quickly absorbed into the dermal layer and leaves no surface oiliness - this being of major benefit to my clientele, many who dislike the feeling of being 'too greasy' after their facial treatment. Another major benefit in using Lnnii in my treatments, is the fact that it does not clog the skin - therefore Lanni can be used even on teenage skins.

The most positive aspect of using Lanni, is that I am NEVER nervous about using it on very sensitive skins, as it is totally natural and contains no chemicals, perfumes or anti-oxidants.

So, no having to compromise on quality or results of a treatment, clients have no fears of allergic reactions.

Lanni has many other treatment benefits:

• It can be used as a perfect massage medium for body treatments, professional or for home use.


• It does not go rancid, but leaves the skin feeling thoroughly treated.

Treating the hair with Lanni for any scaly, dry conditions of the scalp is extremely effective and gives the hair and scalp the ultimate treatment. We recommend weekly home use for ideal results.

The University research that supports Lannit shows that it penetrates to the dermal level, unlike triglycerides and mineral oils (which are not absorbed by the skin). It contains naturally occurring vitamins A, E and D which are excellent to refine and supplement the skin. It can be used in conjunction with other creams.

Our male clients also find Lanni simple and easy to apply. It benefits many of their problem areas, such as sensitivity from shaving in the form of shaving rash. It softens the skin prior to shaving and is excellent after shaving to alleviate skin irritation.

Lanni can be used to remove eye makeup, and we have found that even the most sensitive clients (the types with many allergic reactions) have responded favourably.

Lanni gives confidence to both the Therapist ad the client. The more I and my associates have worked with Lanni Ultimate Moisturiser, the more positive feedback we have received.

Therefore, I have no hesitation prescribing Lanni to every client. I encourage you to try this effective product and find a place in your home for a product that is honest, natural and has been backed by University research.

For more information about Lanni Ultimate Moisturiser and how you can trial it on a 100% money back guarantee, click here.

80% of world population suffers from Stress Today whereas only 4-5% suffer Psoriasis, Why?

Copyright © 2007 Rajesh Chowdhry

There is so much of variation in severity level of psoriasis and the timing when psoriasis first appears or some people suffer from flare ups every year whereas others do not see any flare up for years. Or people facing same kind triggers but psoriasis will appear in some cases only. These and many more questions are always there in every psoriasis patient.

Some time back one of our patient from UK (original name replaced for privacy reasons) asked these questions and Doctor replied him.

The question and answer to the same is so important that today I am reproducing it below for the benefit of all psoriasis patients.

Q. if toxins and stress are the causes then how come Psoriasis breaks out at the age of 5 or even less? On the other hand if it is hereditary then why most of the people suffer it from the age of 25+? And above all why only 4-5% of population suffers from Psoriasis whereas more than 80% suffer from stress?

James, UK

Answer.

Dear James,

It is a very interesting question and to understand it one has to go to root of the psoriasis problem. Let me try and explain it in very simple words.

Ayurveda texts equate psoriasis with a big Himalayan River. A Himalayan river is always made up of 100s of small rivers and tributaries that join at different stages to make the big river. Every one of these small rivers or any one of these small rivers can become the main source for the big river. It does not make any difference that which source contributes at what stage of the river journey.

Similarly psoriasis is a system disorder which is fueled by different causes and triggers such as toxins, stress etc, they all gets connected and contribute in forming Big Psoriasis River. Besides the presence of some or all of these causes and triggers the body system must have what I call blocked waste disposal tunnels and open flow through gates. By flow through gates I mean open flow of toxins from inner body to outer body i.e. skin.

Toxins

Any thing and every thing what we eat generates toxins in the form of waste. Our body system takes this waste out in the form of stool, urine, sweating, etc. When our essential elements extraction system from food gets faulty or over burdened, it generates excessive toxins which disposal system is not able to handle and toxins gets mixed up to main stream. Or instead of excessive generation there can be a leakage in the system thereby normal waste generation gets mixed up with main stream system. Or waste from food stays longer in the disposal system due to regular indigestion and/or blocked waste disposal tunnels and makes the disposal system over burdened. Any one or every one of these conditions can be present in the body and they create pressure on the body system

But still may not result into psoriasis until flows through gates are open for these toxins to reach to the skin level.

Stress

Every one in the world faces stress though in varying degree. Stress is always there at mental level. Till our body chemistry is strong, stress remains at mental level, though constantly putting pressure on body system and weakening the body chemistry. Once it breaks through the body chemistry it tries to weed itself out through constant fatigue and high blood pressure. But in the process the body immune system gets weakened. When it pushes the flow through gates to get opened it becomes the trigger for psoriasis.

This means if excessive toxins formation is not there or leakage into the system is not there then no matter what level of stress one faces, it will not trigger into psoriasis. On the other hand flows through gates are already opened then a small amount of toxins in the body system and small amount of stress can trigger psoriasis.

Now James, if you are following what I discussed above then you can clearly see that unless all the elements of psoriasis are present together it does not appear on the body. That is why not every one in the world face psoriasis, though every one suffers from stress and further psoriasis appears in majority of the cases from the age 25 onwards. There are few exceptions where psoriasis appears at the early ages, to a 5 year old kid or even to newly born baby. Hereditary is one of the cause but is not the only cause, the body system of a newly born can be weakened due to number of other reasons such as premature birth etc. even then weakened system can be a path to the river but still may not result into psoriasis if other elements are missing. This means there is a hereditary risk of psoriasis but can be avoided simply through diet and yoga. This reasoning is further supported by our research on the subject that only 18% psoriasis condition is hereditary and there is no co relation between hereditary condition and severity of psoriasis.

If we extend the above reasoning further then it clearly explains why a particular kind of medication or medication system works on some people and not on others and also why a particular medication works on for a limited period of time and then it fails.

Let me explain it a little bit more.

Diet Programs

Under these programs one tries to avoid the kind of food which generates more toxins in the body. Now people who are generating excessive toxins will see the benefit from these programs and there psoriasis subsides but for people where toxins are getting into system through leakage or immune system is gone to very low level or waste disposal tunnels are blocked that they will not see any benefit from the diet program.

Further people who initially saw the benefit from the diet program will always remain on the risk of sudden flare-up because any excessive stress level or body injury can trigger the psoriasis again.

This is because with diet programs one can only reduce the toxins generation but can not eliminate them all together. To live you have to eat something and this will generate some amount of toxins.

Topicals, steroids and other creams.

They all clears skin superficially. This is like creating dam at the end of the river. They provide temporary relief but as the pressure mounts on the skin, they fail.

Methotrexate and other medications

These medications tries to plug in flow through gates but after some times they also fail because of constant pressure of toxins and other triggers on the body.

Biologics

They try to work at immune system level and block the immune system of the body through which these toxins are flowing. You will see lots of success with these systems in the beginning but risk remains because the pressure on body remains in the form of toxins generation or leakage or both and or triggers like stress. Moreover as these systems are immune suppressant, they increase the risk of other diseases which were being protected by these immune systems in the body such as infection and related problems.

To solve the problem of psoriasis, medication system has to be such that attacks on all the elements pf psoriasis together and eliminates them.

Only that treatment can give you clear skin and life long remission where the treatment not only remove toxins from the body but removes the blockages from the waste disposal system, plugs all the flow through gates, restores your immune system and reduces the impact of stress on your body chemistry and off course clears the skin from existing psoriasis lesions. Only that treatment plan is complete.

Dr. Dhawan

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Author Rajesh Chowdhry is Clinic Administrator at clinicpsoriasis interacting with psoriasis patients every day. Psorcure Treatment plan offered by clinicpsoriasis is the well known treatment plan for clear skin with 95%= PASI reduction and very long term remission period. To know more about Psorcure Treatment Program or you want to discuss about this article or yoga and psoriasis, you can contact author at http://www.psorcure.com

Psoriasis Basics - Quality of Life With Psoriasis

Though neither contagious nor a threat to life, Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that flares and remits throughout the life span of its victim. The inflammatory skin condition is triggered off by faulty signals in the immune system. Psoriasis occurs when some of the white blood cells cause the body to fight the normal skin-tissue (and sometimes the joints). Most common symptoms of Psoriasis encompass patches of raised, reddish skin covered by silvery-white scale, as well as, burning sensation, irritation, inflammation, itching and bleeding. In severe cases, the itching and discomfort may keep a person awake at night, and the pain can make everyday tasks difficult. The inflammation is caused by the abnormal discharge of "healing" chemicals by the white blood cells. The red and flaky patches mostly appear on scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back.

Psoriasis is not taken as a serious ailment as it is not life threatening to the victim. Nevertheless, being inflicted with Psoriasis has extremely serious repercussions on the patient's quality of life.

To begin with, Psoriasis is a chronic disease. This means that it is a lifelong condition because currently there is no cure. Under the circumstances, a patient of Psoriasis struggles helplessly all his life without any respite. According to a study, the patients of Psoriasis considered the general appearance of their skin to be the worst part of having the disease. Another study revealed that the patients found itching and scaling especially agonizing.. No doubt, the patients of Psoriasis are therefore seen depressed, angry and irritated both during flares and remissions. The incessant itching, scaling, irritation and inflammation keeps them arrested in negativity and disinterest.

Apart from the piercing physical pain and irritation, patients of the skin disorder undergo an emotional trauma on daily basis. They become reclusive as they experience low self-esteem and lack of confidence. They feel dejected, as the response from the society is disdainful. So much so that many patients, especially men take up heavy smoking and intake of alcohol, to relieve themselves from the emotional torture. However, experts relate smoking and drinking to be one of the possible reasons for the onset of this skin disease.

The society fails to realize the pain behind the dejected faces, going through an ugly experience. Most of the people who meet them look down upon their miserable physical appearance without empathy. The feeling of social rejection keeps strengthening within the victim.. A study reveals that most of the patients of Psoriasis experienced stress due to reaction of others to their sorry physical state. It has also been observed that most of the people suffering from Psoriasis suffer from sexual recession because of the painful realization of their physical symptoms.

In a nutshell, the irritating skin condition called Psoriasis brings down the quality of life of its patients considerably. They are deprived of their social, emotional and physical well-being and robbed off their rightful happiness.

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For more information on psoriasis join our information portal. Learn more about the disease as well as proper skin care.

Psoriasis

by: John Smith

Psoriasis is a skin disease that is constant and never ending. It can be recognized by red patches of skin that are covered with white scales. People with Psoriasis usually have this red scaling looking rash on various parts of their body including the genitals, ears, elbows, knees, bell button, bottom and even the scalp.

There are over five million people in the United States that have been diagnosed with Psoriasis. This cause of Psoriasis is from hasty replication of skin cells that structure a substantial exterior layer of skin. This condition can be either mild all the way to severe.

Psoriasis is thought to be a disorder of the immune system. What scientist now believe is that a white blood cell that is called a T cell believes it is protecting the body and begins the fast cell growth and inflammation. But, more research does need to be done in order to ensure this is the exact cause.

There are many things that can bring on the onset of Psoriasis including a skin injury, infection, sunburn, stress, and some medications,

There is no known cure for Psoriasis, but some medications can reduce some of the symptoms associated with this condition. Not everyone will receive the same effect. It is best to talk with your physician before trying any type of medication or herb for your relief.

Topicals are creams that can aid is relieving some of the inflammation and discomfort due to Psoriasis. Some of the topicals include Anthralin, Dovonex, Salicylic acid, Tar, Tazorac, and Corticosteroids.

UVB phototherapy has also been helpful. This treatment exposes the skin to a UVB light source. It is believed the ultraviolet light works on restoring the normal growth of the skin cells.

Prescribed medications called systemic medications work on the entire body and are normally used for people with severe psoriasis. Some of these medications include Biologics, Cyclosporine, Methotrexate, Soriatane, Hydrea, mycophenolate mofetil, Accutane, 6-Thioguanine and sulfasalazine.

Many people are now trying alternative ways to aid in the relief of Psoriasis. Some of these include magnets, acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, Chiropractic, Homeopathic medicine , Chinese medicine, Naturopathic medicine, and herbal remedies.

Diets can also be changed to help with Psoriasis. Adding such items to your diet such as zinc, garlic, ginseng and enzymes, fish oil, evening primrose oil and shark cartilage all have been used in patients with Psoriasis. It is best to talk with your physician before you change your diet or add other supplements to your diet.

Sun and water have also showed some improvement in people with Psoriasis. The heat from the sun even has benefits to arthritis associated with psoriasis.

About The Author: John Smith is a writer at healthcaredir ( http://www.healthcaredir.com ), a news source for the latest in health and medicine.

Early Trials Lead to Breakthroughs for Psoriasis Treatment

By Sue Taylor

Therapeutic Use Of Jojoba

Jojoba Oil is a liquid wax that is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba bush. Originally a native of the Sonoran Desert of South West USA and Mexico, its long traditions in Native American uses led to the development of commercial plantations in Israel, the USA, Australia and Argentina.

Dr Mosovich said in his paper: "About 40 volunteers, in our laboratories, tried using jojoba wax for chapped hands and against sunburn with very good response, and no allergenic reaction. We started our studies on the assumption that jojoba wax could ease certain skin diseases."

He also indicated that: "The known lack of toxicity for human beings induced us to test jojoba oil in two groups of volunteers affected with dermatological processes of high cosmetic and esthetic significance. The first group consisted of 35 patients affected with acne vulgaris. Their condition was '"cystic' or 'purulent' and seemed to be most resistant to customary treatments."

He noted that "Patients willingly returned as they felt that the facial treatments were useful."

"A second group of 27 patients suffered from psoriasis vulgaris. This condition is characterised by excessive scaling (turn over) and is very resistant to conventional therapeutics. The keratoplastic and keratolytic action of jojoba oil suggested that it might be used as additional treatment. The use of steroids in the treatment of this condition is expensive, cumbersome, and may have secondary effects. Jojoba oil may be recommended in certain cases of psoriasis, such as those affecting the scalp."

Treatment of Psoriasis vulgaris

Under this heading, Dr Mosovich's paper outlined: "The experience obtained during studies of acne patients, as earlier reported, showed positive keratoplastic and also slight keratolytic effects, ease and convenience of use, and no side effects. These induced us to study the effect of this ointment for treatment of patients suffering from Psoriasis vulgaris. This illness is frustrating for the physician and the patient, is most unaesthetic and is incurable. The treatment which seems to help one patient has no effect on another, and for this reason it is called "heartbreak disease."

"The psoriasis histological phenomenon consists of parakeratosis, which could affect several areas of the body. The condition follows an irregular cyclic pattern - improvements followed by declines. The treatment usually used should help to peel the hard scales. Of the medicines used today, some are very expensive and include hormones, such as fluocinonide; the others are classical medicines such as mineral oil or coal tar derivatives, some of which are very greasy, black and, thus, unpleasant for daily use."

"The patients treated: a group of 27 volunteer patients aged 12 to 60 were treated, eighteen of them for psoriasis of the scalp, as other medications used for this illness are not very effective. The illness causes hard itching, open sores and hair clumping."

"Ointment specifications: the lipidic water immiscible ointment contains refined jojoba wax esters in cis and trans forms."

"Method of treatment: The ointment was massaged lightly on the scalp, twice a day, with no immediate hair wash. The patient returns for first control after one week, and for subsequent checks once a month."

"Results: light spreading of the ointment on the scalp or the effected area permits the removal of dandruff or scales, separates the hairs from each other and causes softening of the skin. The area remains erithematosous. However in several of the cases the scales reappear after a time. There are no adverse effects on the skin. In all cases we could positively say that the treatment helped, at least initially, which is not always the case with other classical treatments. (Fig 5 shows marked improvement on the same psoriasis of the elbows case after the first treatment). The patients begin to use the jojoba ointment willingly as it has no bad odour, and is not greasy; treatment can be carried out during the daytime."

"It seems, therefore, that jojoba ointment could be a good medication for psoriasis in addition to other recognised medications against the disease."

Potential for Relief

These findings by Dr Mosovich and his team more than two decades ago ignited a feeling that jojoba could and should be developed into a beneficial product for psoriasis relief.

In those early days we, at Premium, were involved in this nascent industry. Having established commercial jojoba plantations in Australia, we developed natural refining processes that delivered a 100% pure super fine jojoba moisturiser product, now called LANNI Ultimate Moisturiser.

We commissioned a University in Sydney to undertake further research into the qualities of the product in order to further understand its applications and potential benefits to the human skin. The university identified a remarkable quirk of nature… the molecular structure of the product has an amazing similarity to "sebum wax" - the skin's own lubricant.

It is also extremely stable to oxidation and therefore addition of anti-oxidants is not required. It does not need any preservatives, additives or perfumes, which can often cause allergies or skin irritation and it is refined to anti bacterial standards.

From reading literature on psoriasis, I understood the importance of lubricating the skin in order to minimise dryness, scaling and itchiness. I made it my quest to research potential treatments and cures and to bring awareness and relief to psoriasis sufferers. Used by Psoriasis Sufferers.

A growing number of people with various irritated skin conditions (ranging from light to extreme) are now reporting that regular application of Lanni Ultimate Moisturiser is bringing considerable relief when many other treatments have brought only frustrating disappointments.


For more information about how Lanni Ultimate Moisturiser, a totally natural balm, can be used in psoriasis treatment to lubricate your skin as well as relieve your dry, scaly, itchy skin conditions, please go to Psoriasis Treatment

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