Four Things Which Irritate My Psoriasis

I’m sure we can all agree that we hate psoriasis that either is irritated or becomes irritated. Whether that means scratching, itching, rubbing our patches, we know during a flare how burdensome the illness can become.

There are, though, some ways I’ve learned to minimise the nuisance when my psoriasis is flaring after learning that certain things really can make my patches feel and appear worse.

This can range from the simple fabrics my clothes are made of to drinking alcohol on a night out. Here’s what I have noticed.

Certain clothes can irritate my psoriasis

Certain types of clothes really can irritate my psoriasis. Fabrics such as acrylics can cause my patches to become really rather itchy, and if I wear clothes which are very tight fitting, such as super skinny jeans, that can cause the fabrics to rub against the patches, thus causing me a problem.

Because of all of this, I have tried to pick clothes which air nicely and allow my patches to breathe. I don’t opt for outfits which are too tight and make sure any clothes I choose do not overly rub against my patches.

Long-sleeve t-shirts I find to be burdensome sometimes if I have patches on my arms because they can stick to my patches, particularly if I have been scratching the patches when they become very itchy.

Creams and ointments with too many ingredients or perfumes can cause irritation

I had a chat the other day with another person who has psoriasis and we spoke about creams and ointments. She told me that, like me, she has to choose items which are perfume-free or contain few ingredients because it can irritate the psoriasis lesions.

I thought, wow, I have a similar problem. Some products I’ve tried I have come out in rashes, probably unrelated to my skin condition, but it still shows you have to be careful.

I have therefore opted for as much natural products as I can, and I particularly love coconut oil and tea tree oil because I find them very soothing for my patches and they don’t irritate them.

Cold weather plays a factor

I absolutely hate the cold weather. Don’t get me wrong, the occasional snowfall can make the streets look pretty but they play havoc with my psoriasis patches. I notice they become itchier, redder and rub against my clothes more when it’s colder, and I have to really think about what I’m wearing when I go outside and the temperatures are zero or below.

During the winter months, recently I have tried applying creams and ointments more frequently to see if that helps and it really can do. It makes my patches feel more soothed during the day, but it can take up time and make my bathroom messy. I cannot wait for the summer.

Alcohol makes my patches much worse

I have written about drinking alcohol and how it makes my patches worse. Small amounts of some drinks appear to be OK, but after a night out of heavy consumption I find my patches feel much itchier and redder, and it makes it hard to go to sleep. I’ve tried cutting it out now to minimal amounts to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future.

So, what irritates your psoriasis and makes the lesions redder, angrier and itchier? These four things I find irritating for mine, but I’m sure there are other things to look out for. Suggestions have been made that certain foods can also make psoriasis worse, but I am yet to investigate.