Community Views: Tips for Managing Psoriasis
Managing psoriasis is far from easy. Learning to live comfortably with plaque psoriasis can take patience. For most people, learning to manage the condition requires trying several solutions before finding one or more that prove helpful.
While people may offer management advice, it can be a tricky thing to receive. Those with psoriasis have perfected their polite head nods while internally falling apart. We don't always have to take the advice - and there's nothing wrong with stopping people in the middle of their "helpful" sentence to put them in their place.
What has been your most successful psoriasis management experience?
Though, once in a while, especially receiving advice from those who live with chronic skin conditions can we find something helpful. A diamond in the dry, itchy, painful rough.
To find out more, we reached out on the Plaque Psoriasis Facebook page. We asked, “What has been your most successful psoriasis management experience?”. More than 125 people shared what is working best for them. Here is what they said.
Relying on medication
Easily the number one answer, medication has been incredibly helpful to the community. A few folks named the same medications, but nearly every person mentioned a different cure. For some, it is a pill taken orally, and for others a prescription or over-the-counter cream.
It is sometimes a combination of these. Some people also shared that over time, medications can stop working and they have to switch to something else.
- “Enbrel. My dermatologist had me try EVERYTHING as over 75% of my body was covered with plaques. It was getting in my eyebrows and eyelids. Now, I have just a couple of patches on my back.”
- “Otezla and a steroid ointment.”
- “I was on Methotrexate, then Otezla. They both worked for short periods of time. I am now on Skyrizi and I am 100% clear. When I first started meds, I was 95% covered!”
Changing diet
One of the most common responses was changing the diet. There does not seem to be one magic diet that works to help everyone manage their psoriasis. Each person, through trial and error, found which foods triggered their psoriasis and removed them.
The foods mentioned the most by the community included gluten, sugar, alcohol, and dairy. A few people also shared that they added celery juice to their diet and had great results.
- “I stopped drinking alcohol. I exercised and ate mostly protein, veggies, oatmeal, and blueberries. My arms and legs cleared up in 35 days!”
- “I have been celery juicing for a year and a half, and cutting all sugar and carbs that trigger inflammation.”
- “I read an article about margarine 8 years ago and totally stopped using it. Now I use butter only, and I only get a small spot now and then from too much stress.”
- “I cut out all alcohol and sugar.”
Practicing more self-care
Stress is a known trigger for psoriasis, so it makes sense that the more self-care you can do, the fewer outbreaks you will have. Several community members shared that their number one cure is to focus on stress relief. Many people engage in yoga, cardio exercise, meditation, or a combination of self-care activities.
- “Doing yoga.”
- “Doing my best self-care and letting all the other worries go out the window.”
Seeking water and light
Many people in the community shared that swimming helps their psoriasis. Being in water can help remove dry skin. A few folks shared that the ocean is especially helpful, perhaps due to the minerals (such as magnesium) that are in the water.
Sunlight and artificial light were also mentioned as helpful. Light therapy has been effective in slowing the growth of psoriasis and can help with managing the diagnosis.
- “Saltwater and the Florida sunshine for 2 weeks and I get fully clear!”
- “Sun is my best treatment.”
- “Light therapy!”
- “Swimming in a chlorinated pool or salty ocean.”
Do you have specialized tips that help you manage your psoriasis? Please comment them below!
Join the conversation