PSORIASIS

GETTING THE RIGHT TREATMENT

Psoriasis affects almost 3% of the world’s population, ranging from babies to adults.

Many suffer constant pain from skin that cracks and bleeds. Another symptom is continually shedding scaly skin that litters clothes and surroundings. People with psoriasis face several major challenges, and often suffer in silence.

  • Discouragement from doctor’s treatments because there simply is no medical cure.
  • Psoriatic arthritis — a crippling form of arthritis that can develop in people with psoriasis.
  • Feelings of rejection because of the public’s lack of understanding of their condition. However, there is growing awareness with the International Federation of Psoriasis Association (IFPA) initiating activities globallyto raise awareness about psoriasis.
INTO THE MEDICAL WORLD

A temporary fix.

There is no medical cure for psoriasis. Most people with psoriasis will be prescribed hydrocortisone cream or a similar topical steroid. It might work like a charm, but even if the psoriasis disappears, but these creams are only a temporary fix. Once the steroids are stopped, the psoriasis comes back. Sometimes worse! Additionally, you can’t use steroids long-term as they thin the skin (skin atrophy), and have many harmful side-effects such as diabetes, hypertension, and growth impairment (in children). If you have psoriasis around the eyes or eyelids, frequent and prolonged use of a topical corticosteroid can cause glaucoma and even cataracts.

Now, some good news.

Prof Huck-Hui Ng, Executive Director of the A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), led an international team of researchers to conduct the world’s first large-scale, trans-ethnic, genome-wide analysis of DNA samples for a study on psoriasis. He states, “there are different types of treatments for psoriasis, with each addressing a different root cause of the disease. The only way for a patient to know which treatment best works for his or her condition is to try each over time.”

So, while there is no medical cure, treatment involves a combination of good nutrition and the right skincare. Together, these can make a huge difference.

NAILING NUTRITION & SKINCARE

Diet, supplements, probiotics makes a difference.

For diet, Turmeric has been shown to have excellent results in several clinical trials and studies. The key compound in Turmeric that makes a difference is Curcumin, which makes up 3% of Turmeric. The simple solution is a Turmeric supplement.

The right soap, shampoo, creams, and lotions are crucial.

The right skincare will minimize the chances and severity of psoriasis flare ups. The most important step here is to stop using a harsh commercial cleanser, and you should learn to differentiate good soap ingredients from bad ones when it comes to ingredient labels.

For example, Cetaphil markets itself as soap-free, as if that is a good thing. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. A body wash or cleanser that is not soap is a detergent. Just look at the ingredients on the back of a Cetaphil bottle, it contains just water with a bunch of chemicals (three of which are endocrine-disrupting parabens, and two of these are banned in the European Union and Denmark for links to serious health problems!).

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SOAP

We’re here to help.

For psoriasis and other auto-immune skin concerns, the key is to use simple, unscented, all-natural soap. Cold-pressed soaps that use only natural or organic ingredients are best for psoriasis. Our soap choices below are excellent options — you should try each one to see which work best for you. For some people, it’s helpful to rotate the soaps.