Psoriasis

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So my doctor diagnosed me with psoriasis a few years back. I've tried every treatment that you could think of. Smelly shampoos, ointment, steroid liquid. Nothing helps. Does anyone have a shampoo they can recommend? I've already tried: T Gel, Nizoral, Head & Shoulders, Body Shop Ginger Shampoo, Psoriaid (Amazon). I'm at my wits end. I'm constantly scratching and the flakes are so embarrassing that I can't wear dark clothing. Does anyone know what their triggers are? Thanks in advance.
 
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I don't know about a shampoo but recently I have been using from Amazon a hair scrubber shampoo brush. It's about £6. I use it to stimulate my hair follicles to thicken hair but it's just nice to use as a massager and to make sure the conditioner goes into all the hair. I notice on the ad blurb that it can be helpful for scalp psoriasis. I guess it just removes all the dead skin.
Maybe worth having a look.
 
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So my doctor diagnosed me with psoriasis a few years back. I've tried every treatment that you could think of. Smelly shampoos, ointment, steroid liquid. Nothing helps. Does anyone have a shampoo they can recommend? I've already tried: T Gel, Nizoral, Head & Shoulders, Body Shop Ginger Shampoo, Psoriaid (Amazon). I'm at my wits end. I'm constantly scratching and the flakes are so embarrassing that I can't wear dark clothing. Does anyone know what their triggers are? Thanks in advance.
I’d recommend the Dead Sea shampoo in. White and blue bottle....I’ll try and find it online and post the link x
 
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has anyone tried methotrexate injection or tablets? I’ve only just started considering it bc I have tried everything for the last seven years now and I’m sick of it affecting my mental health so much, would love to know if anyone has experience with it xx
 
has anyone tried methotrexate injection or tablets? I’ve only just started considering it bc I have tried everything for the last seven years now and I’m sick of it affecting my mental health so much, would love to know if anyone has experience with it xx
Yes! I’ve had both. I was on them for nearly 7 month with no effect. I’m now on ciclosporin and noticed a difference within days!
 
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Yes! I’ve had both. I was on them for nearly 7 month with no effect. I’m now on ciclosporin and noticed a difference within days!
I've been on methotrexate for 2 years. It's made some difference but I think Sulfasalazine helped me the most (although I have psoriatic arthritis)
 
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Do you guys often feel self conscious in hot weather, and wearing short sleeves? I’m trying to overcome the feeling because I know that fresh air and sun is good for my skin. But, even though my eczema isn’t really noticeable I still feel like people will look at me ☹
 
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Have you guys heard of “no moisture therapy”, it’s basically when you ditch all steroid and moisturisers, so that your body will start producing its own moisture. I’ve read a lot about it on Reddit and online (I’ll attach some articles), but honestly I’m too scared to try it...


Please don't ever ditch moisturizers and basic skin self-care when you have severely dry and atopic skin. It's lunacy.

There is a whole evidence-based knowledge base about how to treat and maintain the health of atopic skin and not one part of it involves the kind of utterly magical thinking that involves withholding all treatments and believing the disease will resolve itself. Imagine applying this thinking to any other disease and you'll see how insane it is. Oh, you have kidney disease? Withhold dialysis and the body will just revolve it on its own. Type 1 Diabetes? Withhold insulin, sure your body will decide to produce insulin again. This is NOT how any organ in your body actually works.

This NMT is based on a total misunderstanding about how skin works, about atopic skin and trans-epidermal water loss, how moisture is held to or lost from the skin, and how moisturizers work. Your skin isn't refusing to produce the elements to hold water in the skin because you use occlusives or moisturizers, it simply cannot do so, so withholding them won't do anything except put you in agony and further inflame your already fragile skin. Corticosteroid creams are anti-inflammatory medicines btw which reduce the inflammation in skin; their job is not moisturizing, it is decreasing inflammation. They are merely used in conjunction with moisturizing creams, washes and so on.

Some people have eczema that is made worse because of a reaction to environmental factors such as very hard water, or dry weather, which promote trans-epidermal water loss. It's vital in those cases to lessen the water loss by using occlusive creams and lotions and avoiding drying things like overwashing, hot water and so on. Eczema sufferers need to keep their skin protected from transepidermal water loss as much as possible, in conjunction with finding their personal inflammtory triggers if possible, and avoiding them. Stopping all medicines and basic protective practices in the hope the disease will suddenly cure itself is medieval.

People do sometimes have rebound and skin thinning issues with very long term or incorrect use of corticosteroids and should work with a proper dermatologist and look into non-steroid treatments such as Protopic cream and related drugs that work differently and often very effectively along with all the other elements of an atopic skin regime. But the issue with the natural dryness of the skin, even when the eczema is not flaring, if often there in some form for life, because it's a genetic issue.

People with naturally dry and atopic skin usually lack the ability to make certain biological elements the way people with normally functioning skin do. Your body won't suddenly develop the ability to make these factors because you decide to stop putting stuff on the upper epidermis, the dead layer.

I had very severe eczema in my teens and 20s (started in early childhood and then exploded when older) and am now 50 and haven't had a real problem beyond sometimes, my hands (from severely cold and dry weather, overwashing or irritants, and I use a corticosteroid, DiproSone Ointment and Urea-based creams to sort that) for decades now. Urea is amazing for preventing trans=eidermal water loss. Eucerin and Altruist do great creams and lotions with high percentages of urea. My skin looks utterly normal now generally. This is because I know and practice good self-care. I by default use body lotion after every single shower, hand cream after every time I wash my hands, face cream every time I wash my face. If I stopped moisturizing, I'd likely be like am elderly aunt of mine, who grew up in a time with barely any real treatments or drugstore options available to her and she told me in the 1960s, she used nothing because nothing was available to her and her skin would just fall off her in giant flakes and sometimes, sheets under her clothes. She still has massively dry skin to this very day.
 
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Yes! I’ve had both. I was on them for nearly 7 month with no effect. I’m now on ciclosporin and noticed a difference within days!
Thank you for responding! I’ll have a look at ciclosporin now xx

Do you guys often feel self conscious in hot weather, and wearing short sleeves? I’m trying to overcome the feeling because I know that fresh air and sun is good for my skin. But, even though my eczema isn’t really noticeable I still feel like people will look at me ☹
Yes I do, I really struggle with wearing short sleeves or shorts. I recommend spending a lot of time at home idk if you have a garden in your shorts or skin out tanning, and if you don’t go to a local park with just your arms out and try and combat feeling uncomfortable. When you’re somewhere less busy it becomes easier to feel less insecure. Sometimes I feel like getting outside somewhere not busy and having my arms out prepares me for feeling less self conscious in busier places if that makes sense?As for when I go out, like into town i love wearing trousers that are like linen material and really breezy and shirts on top or a cropped top with long sleeves. Not really about how to get sunshine on skin and kinda unrelated but that’s how I feel like most confident if I was going to a a really busy place in summer :) good luck babe x
 
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Thank you for responding! I’ll have a look at ciclosporin now xx


Yes I do, I really struggle with wearing short sleeves or shorts. I recommend spending a lot of time at home idk if you have a garden in your shorts or skin out tanning, and if you don’t go to a local park with just your arms out and try and combat feeling uncomfortable. When you’re somewhere less busy it becomes easier to feel less insecure. Sometimes I feel like getting outside somewhere not busy and having my arms out prepares me for feeling less self conscious in busier places if that makes sense?As for when I go out, like into town i love wearing trousers that are like linen material and really breezy and shirts on top or a cropped top with long sleeves. Not really about how to get sunshine on skin and kinda unrelated but that’s how I feel like most confident if I was going to a a really busy place in summer :) good luck babe x
Dont be put off by the side effects. I was so scared to take it but I was fine! Just a bit more tired than usual but it’s honestly worth it! X
 
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Thanks, does it stop the itching and flakes? X
Sorry for the delay! Yes I remember it helping! My scalp psoriasis has improved hugely thankfully tho my scalp is so prone to sun burn even though the rest of me is fine.
I also put a good amount of coconut oil on any bad bits overnight before I was due to wash it which helped too. It’s a solid oil that melts on contact, just use a 100% natural one without perfume added x
 
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Do you guys often feel self conscious in hot weather, and wearing short sleeves? I’m trying to overcome the feeling because I know that fresh air and sun is good for my skin. But, even though my eczema isn’t really noticeable I still feel like people will look at me ☹
I do yeah, I’ve had it most of my life. I’m 31 now so I care a little less but I’m still very aware of it. And it has a huge impact on what I wear etc sadly.
 
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Just stumbled upon this thread. I suffer with extremely bad, itchy, unbearably dry skin but I decided on a whim to try and go as natural as I can with my products. I found a goat milk soap and some oat bath milk and my god the difference is unbelievable, honestly you need to try it. Its been a game changer for me 🤗🥰
 
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Hi all ❤
I’m 35 days free from alcohol and my psoriasis is getting better everyday! Yeah, It’s a bit boring, but I’m so happy and if I can go off all alcohol just to see a difference in my skin, anyone can. I’ve also been putting olive oil on as a moisturiser haha and getting in sun every other day. But I’m certain being sober is what’s helped my skin so much!
 
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Hi all ❤
I’m 35 days free from alcohol and my psoriasis is getting better everyday! Yeah, It’s a bit boring, but I’m so happy and if I can go off all alcohol just to see a difference in my skin, anyone can. I’ve also been putting olive oil on as a moisturiser haha and getting in sun every other day. But I’m certain being sober is what’s helped my skin so much!
Haven’t drank for 68 days now and quit smoking 22 days ago, the difference is nice but I feel a bit disappointed that it hasn’t completely cleared up :/ it hasn’t improved as much as I hoped it would tbh!
Going to the dermatologist next month, I’ve used steroid creams years ago but never taken tablets. Gonna see if I’ll start methotrexate, cyclosporine or something like that. Anyone have any recommendations for tablets?
 
Haven’t drank for 68 days now and quit smoking 22 days ago, the difference is nice but I feel a bit disappointed that it hasn’t completely cleared up :/ it hasn’t improved as much as I hoped it would tbh!
Going to the dermatologist next month, I’ve used steroid creams years ago but never taken tablets. Gonna see if I’ll start methotrexate, cyclosporine or something like that. Anyone have any recommendations for tablets?
They will possibly want you to try all the lotions and potions first unless your GP has prescribed those already but there is a few that only the dermatologist have. If you’re lucky and they allow you to skip that I’d recommend cyclosporine over methotrexate. I had no results on MTX and I was on it for 6 month. Cyclosporine worked in days! But I stopped due to side effects (heartburn, joint pain, chest pain etc) so now I’m on the biologics waiting list.
 
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They will possibly want you to try all the lotions and potions first unless your GP has prescribed those already but there is a few that only the dermatologist have. If you’re lucky and they allow you to skip that I’d recommend cyclosporine over methotrexate. I had no results on MTX and I was on it for 6 month. Cyclosporine worked in days! But I stopped due to side effects (heartburn, joint pain, chest pain etc) so now I’m on the biologics waiting list.
oh tit, not nice side effects I’ll keep that in mind but happy it worked for you for a bit :/ hope you get biologics soon. Melts didn’t work at all for you? Do you mind me asking how severe your psoriasis is? thanks so much for your response xx
 
I have had psoriasis for years. It has had times of almost complete going, and other being really bad.
I don't use steroid creams anymore.
I prefer the summertime as the bit d does wonders for my skin.
Also Irish sea moss works wonders.
I can also vouch for goats milk soap. It helps with the redness, cracks & itchiness.
Food is a major cause for flare ups to.
Dairy and citrus triggers them. Xx.
 
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