Psoriasis and home remedies {Skin Care}

This post was requested by one of the reader's. Hope this helps you :)

Common areas affected by Psoriasis [Source:aafp.org]

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a condition which occurs as a result of skin cells being mistaken as external agents by the immune system. Hence, the body starts fighting these cells which result in scaly patches in different colors of the skin. It is actually not a ksin disorder but an immune system fault and the dermatological condition occurs only in some cases.

The skin cells rapidly divide and accumulate and replace themselves on certain parts of the body like scalp, hands, feet, genitals, etc. The skin becomes red and itchy and flaky also. It can affect anyone at any age but it is not communicative. 

Please read the wiki page for detailed information.

How to treat Psoriasis?

While I would certainly recommend going to a reliable dermatologist, there are a few things which you can do at home too.

• Sun Exposure: Expose the affected areas regularly to sun. Sun's rays are powerful and very necessary for our well-being overall. Yes, they can cause cancer but not going into sunlight has lot worse side effects. 

'Phototherapy' is a form of treatment which is used to effectively treat psoriasis. This includes exposing the skin to a particular wavelength of the sunlight. That is available only with a dermatologist but one can always use the sunlight for a limited period of time like an hour or so at around 10 AM or 3 PM when the sun's rays are a little less strong but strong enough.

• Your Bathing Ritual: Take regular baths, may be once or twice in a day. Add a cup of almond oil to your bath to make it moisturizing. Use a good quality soap which doesn't strip off the natural oils from the body. It's good to spend a bit on them. Or, ask your dermatologist to prescribe a gentle cleanser.

• Moisturize: Moisturizing your skin is a good habit. Either use medicated ointments or go for heavy moisturizers or even vegetable oils. Vaseline or regular Petroleum Jelly also helps a lot with Psoriasis.

• Diet: A balanced diet is absolutely essential whenever you face any disorder, whether skin or hair or body. So, eat your food properly and make sure you are getting enough healthy fats into your system. 

These are somethings you can do along with your medication. But, these are just home remedies which do not guarantee any long term relief or even short term so always seek a doctor's advice whenever you find any symptoms of psoriasis.