Guttate Psoriasis: Small Red Spots
Guttate psoriasis the second most common type of psoriasis is characterized by multiple small, round red spots on the skin, usually widespread across the trunk and limbs. Often resulting from a bacterial or viral infection in children, such as strep throat, these spots come on suddenly and sometimes require oral medication or injections. Mild cases, however, may clear up without treatment.
What Treatment Options For Late
The National Psoriasis Foundation recommends topical ointments for older adults with mild psoriasis. These include over-the-counter products like coal tar and salicylic acid, and prescription treatments such as retinoids, steroid creams, and forms of vitamin D. For older adults with severe psoriasis, the NPF recommends or biologic drugs, but only with careful monitoring.
What Spa Treatments Should I Avoid
The spa treatments you should avoid will depend on the severity of your eczema or psoriasis, the parts of your body which are affected and the factors that could trigger a flare-up. As a general rule, body scrubs are probably best avoided, as they could irritate the skin. Likewise, hot tubs are likely to exacerbate your symptoms as they have a drying, aggravating effect on the skin. Its also a good idea to give steam rooms and saunas a miss. Getting hot and sweaty can contribute to the skin becoming very itchy and inflamed.
When your spa day comes to an end, be sure to wash off any chlorine or sweat that might be sitting on your skin. Then layer up with your usual moisturiser to keep your skin protected and nourished.
If youre looking for a tailored spa treatment or want to book one of our relaxing spa days, don’t hesitate to contact us today on 024 7671 6192 or .
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Are There Alternative Therapies For Psoriasis
Conventional therapy is one that has been tested with clinical trials or has other evidence of clinical effectiveness. The FDA has approved several drugs for the treatment of psoriasis as described above. Some patients look to alternative therapy, diet changes, supplements, or stress-reducing techniques to help reduce symptoms. For the most part, alternative therapies have not been tested with clinical trials, and the FDA has not approved dietary supplements for the treatment of psoriasis. There are no specific foods to eat or to avoid for patients with psoriasis. However, some other therapies can be found on the National Psoriasis Foundation website. Individuals should check with their doctors before starting any therapy.
Home Remedies For Facial Psoriasis
At-home self-care is about the basics — trying not to scratch affected areas, avoiding the things that seem to trigger flare-ups, using cold compresses and moisturizer to soothe affected areas , and keeping up with your treatment.
No supplements or herbal remedies have been proven to treat psoriasis on the face or any other part of the body.
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What Psoriasis Creams And Topical Agents Can I Use
Medications applied directly to the skin are the first line of treatment options for psoriasis.
The main topical treatments are:
- corticosteroids,
- anthralin, or
- retinoids.
For more detailed information on each medication, see Understanding Psoriasis Medications. Generic drug names are listed below with examples of brands in parentheses.
Topical Medications
- Corticosteroids: Topical corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment in mild or limited psoriasis and come in a variety of forms. Foams and solutions are best for scalp psoriasis and other thickly hair-bearing areas, such as a hairy chest or hairy back. Creams are usually preferred by patients, but ointments are more potent than any other vehicles, even at the same percentage concentration.
- Super potent topical corticosteroids such as clobetasol propionate and betamethasone dipropionate augmented are commonly prescribed corticosteroids for use on non-facial, non-intertriginous areas .
- As the condition improves, one may be able to use potent steroids such as:
- mometasone furoate or
- halcinonide or
- mid-potency steroids such as triamcinolone acetonide or betamethasone valerate . These creams or ointments are usually applied once or twice a day, but the dose depends on the severity of psoriasis as well as the location and thickness of the plaque.
What Type Of Psoriasis Treatment Will I Need
Several treatment options can relieve psoriasis. Creams or ointments may be enough to improve the rash in small areas of skin. If the rash affects larger areas, or you also have joint pain, you may need other treatments. Joint pain may be a sign that you have arthritis.
Your provider will decide on a treatment plan based on:
- Severity of the rash.
- Vitamin A or retinoid creams.
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Hydrocortisone Creams And Ointments
You can buy a mild corticosteroid like hydrocortisone without a prescription. For a few small patches of psoriasis, a mild hydrocortisone works well. If you have more than a few small patches, youll likely need a prescription corticosteroid to see results.
Whether OTC or prescription, this medicine works quickly to:
-
Reduce the itch
If you have cracked or bleeding skin, an ointment will likely feel better than a cream. Ointments tend to be more soothing and less irritating than creams.
MoisturizerThis may help anyone who has psoriasis because psoriasis makes the skin dry and scaly. Moisturizer helps to seal water in the skin, which can:
-
Relieve dryness
-
Help your skin heal
Dermatologists recommend applying moisturizer once a day, and more often when your skin is really dry. When shopping for a moisturizer, you want to select a:
-
Heavy cream, ointment, or oil rather than a lotion
-
Fragrance-free product
-
Product that you like and will use
Oil can be especially healing, but its also messy. To reap the benefits of oil, try applying it before bedtime.
Moisturize before washing
For best results, you want to apply your moisturizer within 3 minutes of bathing and after washing your hands.
Scale softenersYoull find OTC products and prescription medicines that contain salicylic acid. This active ingredient helps to:
-
Remove and soften scale
-
Reduce swelling
Removing the scale helps other medicine that you apply to your skin to work better.
-
Lactic acid
-
Urea
Scale softeners
Find Ways To Manage Stress
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, stress is a trigger for psoriasis. This makes stress management important for anyone with psoriasis, to keep flare ups to a minimum. Try to reduce your stress levels with yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, regular exercise, and any other activities that make you feel relaxed and happy.
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Skin Care Products To Try For Facial Psoriasis
Finding a skin care routine that helps with your facial psoriasis is key, although you may have to experiment a bit with different products to perfect it.
In addition to discussing prescription creams with your doctor, you may find it helps to use an over-the-counter emollient. These soothe the skin and can create a barrier of oil to protect your skin from drying out.
Humectants, like glycerin and aloe vera, can also help hydrate your skin.
You may also want to look for products with salicylic acid, which can help your skin shed psoriasis scales, or coal tar, which can reduce itching and inflammation.
How Psoriasis Is Diagnosed
A GP can often diagnose psoriasis based on the appearance of your skin.
In rare cases, a small sample of skin called a biopsy will be sent to the laboratory for examination under a microscope.
This determines the exact type of psoriasis and rules out other skin disorders, such as seborrhoeic dermatitis, lichen planus, lichen simplex and pityriasis rosea.
You may be referred to a specialist in diagnosing and treating skin conditions if your doctor is uncertain about your diagnosis, or if your condition is severe.
If your doctor suspects you have psoriatic arthritis, which is sometimes a complication of psoriasis, you may be referred to a doctor who specialises in arthritis .
You may have blood tests to rule out other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and X-rays of the affected joints may be taken.
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What Is Plaque Psoriasis
While no one knows the exact cause of plaque psoriasis, scientists do know that it starts in your immune system. Which is exactly why you need a treatment that moves past a surface-level approach and treats your symptoms at the source.
In plaque psoriasis, your skin cells grow more rapidly than normal, rising to the surface of your skin in days rather than weeks. This causes the plaques, redness, and flakes you see on your skin.
Psoriasis On Face And Forehead
Wikipedia claims that more than 2% of the worlds total population is dealing with psoriasis. Thats really a big number. But, not all of them have psoriasis on face and forehead. I have met a lot of people who have severe psoriasis all over their body, but not on the face.
The psychological impact of psoriasis is much more if it exists on the face. It is very obvious also. Your face is the first thing that a person notices on coming in contact. If a person meets you and give awkward stares at your face, then you are bound to feel a little low. Psoriasis marks on the face and forehead can really make an impact on your personal and professional life. I remember, once I got an email from a young lady who was fired from her job because of psoriasis on face. She was a receptionist. Similarly, if you are approaching an opposing sex with the intention of getting into a relationship, then psoriasis patches on your face can really prove a big turn off.
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Tips For Living With Facial Psoriasis
Donât scratch your psoriasis. Be gentle with your skin. Use a cold compress on your psoriasis. To make a cold compress, dampen a cloth in cold water and squeeze out any extra water so itâs not dripping wet. You could also use an ice pack. But donât put ice directly onto your skin. Moisturizing the area can also help. You may want to pick a fragrance-free moisturizer.
Wear sunscreen every day. Youâd want to do this even if you didnât have psoriasis to help prevent skin cancer and wrinkles. With facial psoriasis, itâs also important to avoid sunburns because they can make your psoriasis worse.
Check on makeup. If you want to hide your psoriasis, you can ask your doctor if you can use makeup to conceal. Donât assume itâs OK to do, since some products can prevent treatment from working.
Practice stress management. Stress is a possible trigger for psoriasis. There are many healthy ways to handle stress, such as exercise, meditation, making time to relax, and spending time with people you like.
If youâre self-conscious about your facial psoriasis and itâs getting in the way of your life, consider talking to a licensed therapist. They can see if you have depression, and if you do, you can get it treated. Therapy can also help you start to build the confidence to move forward, without feeling like psoriasis is holding you back.
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What Are The 7 Types Of Psoriasis
Occasionally psoriasis of one clinical type may evolve into another such as pustular psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis, or guttate psoriasis. Clinical types of psoriasis include the following:
1. Plaque psoriasis
- In plaque psoriasis, there are raised, inflamed, and scaly patches of skin that may also be itchy and painful
- Can occur anywhere on the body and skin may be red with silvery-white scales or may appear purple-ish, depending on a personâs skin type
- Plaques most often appear on the scalp, knees, elbows, and in or around the belly button and lower back, but can develop on any area of the body
- Itâs the most common type of psoriasis, affecting up to 80% of patients
2. Pustular psoriasis
- In pustular psoriasis, there are white, pus-filled, painful bumps that may be surrounded by inflamed or reddened skin
- May develop only on certain areas of the body, such as the hands and feet as in palmoplantar psoriasis, or it may affect most of the body
- Affects about 3% of people with psoriasis
3. Erythrodermic psoriasis
4. Guttate psoriasis
- In guttate psoriasis, there are many isolated small, red, round scaling bumps.
- It frequently develops on the arms, legs and torso but can affect any part of the body
- Affects about 8% of psoriasis patients
5. Inverse psoriasis
6. Psoriatic arthritis
- Nail tenderness
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How To Manage Psoriasis On Face And Forehead
Among all the people dealing with psoriasis, scalp is the most commonly affected body part. But, the situation becomes worse when the psoriasis scales go beyond scalp and spread on your forehead and other parts of your face. In this article, we would discuss about how to manage psoriasis on face and forehead. Psoriasis is not life threatening, but it can make you very uncomfortable due to high degree of skin dryness and inflammation associated with it. Red colored patches covered with silvery white psoriasis scales on various parts of your body can make you highly conscious about your physical appearance when you are facing the outer world. Psoriasis on face and forehead along with the scalp is more traumatic than other parts of the body which are less visible.
What Parts Of The Face Does Psoriasis Affect
When psoriasis shows up on your face, it typically affects the following areas:
- Hairline A rash can develop on your upper forehead, around your hairline. This may be isolated or an extension of .
- In the ears If psoriasis scales build up in your ears, they can block your ear canal. Be sure to tell your doctor if this happens.
- Around your eyes Psoriasis scales can form on your eyelids and may cover your lashes. Areas around the eyebrows are also common sites for psoriasis on your face.
- Between the nose and upper lip This area is often sensitive. If scales form around your mouth, they may affect how you chew and swallow food. Rarely, psoriasis lesions can also surface inside your mouth, such as on the gums and tongue, or in the nose.
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Avoid Piercing A Flare
It is best to avoid getting pierced at a location where you have had a psoriasis flare. While it is always possible to develop flares at new sites, it is a less likely possibility. If you pierce an area with a history of psoriasis flares, your symptoms may be more likely to come back after the piercing. Prior history of flaring after a piercing is a good indicator that it is likely to happen again.
What Causes Psoriasis On The Feet
The causes of psoriasis on the feet are the same as those of psoriasis diagnosed elsewhere on the body. Researchers are not exactly sure what causes psoriasis, but it is believed to result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition it occurs when part of the immune system is overactive and mistakenly attacks the bodys healthy tissues.
Psoriasis symptoms may be triggered by specific factors, such as an infection or dry weather. When a person with psoriasis experiences a trigger, their skin cells multiply faster than normal in certain areas, like the feet, causing the characteristic scales and itchy, red plaques. There are also several risk factors for psoriasis, including smoking, excessive stress, and having a family history of the condition.
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Treatment Options For Psoriasis On The Face
If you develop psoriasis on your face, you might want more aggressive treatment to manage your symptoms.
Tailoring the treatment options to a patient and their need is really important with psoriasis, Farah says. Thats really something we work with patients on. Were always asking, How much does this bother you?
Typically, doctors will start with topical treatments. Facial skin is more sensitive, so long-term use of topical steroids may cause shininess, thinness, or enlarged capillaries. Your doctor will consider these factors and might alter your treatment schedule or prescribe a low-potency steroid cream.
If topical therapies dont offer results, your healthcare provider may recommend or injectable, biologic medicines.
Treatment For Psoriasis On The Feet
If you think that you might have psoriasis on your feet, make an appointment with a podiatrist or a dermatologist. These experts can help determine whether psoriasis or another condition may be causing your dry, flaky, itchy feet. Clinical examination of your skin and possibly a skin biopsy will help confirm the diagnosis.
If psoriasis is determined to be the cause of your symptoms, there are several ways you and your doctor can help alleviate your discomfort. Keep in mind that it may take a while to find the right treatment.
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Psoriasis Treatments: How To Get Rid Of Psoriasis
Articles On Psoriasis Treatment
Theres no cure for psoriasis. But treatment can help you feel better. You may need topical, oral, or body-wide treatments. Even if you have severe psoriasis, there are good ways to manage your flare-ups. You may be able to get rid of your symptoms completely.
Topical Treatments for Psoriasis
These are drugs you rub directly on your skin. Along with a good moisturizer, theyre usually the first thing your doctor will suggest, especially for mild to moderate psoriasis. There are over-the-counter and prescription options.
Topical treatments for psoriasis come as ointments, creams, or foam and include:
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Steroid creams. These slow down immune cells in your skin. They can ease swelling and redness. Mild steroid creams are available over the counter. Youll need a prescription from your doctor for something stronger. Steroids come with side effects and shouldnt be used on sensitive areas like your face or genitals. They can burn or thin the skin. Use them exactly the way your doctor tells you.
Salicylic acid. This can soften and thin scaly skin. But it can also irritate your skin if you leave it on too long. It might weaken your hair follicles and cause temporary hair loss, too. The body can absorb salicylic acid if you put it on large patches of skin.
Calcipotriol . This is a strong form of synthetic vitamin D. Its known to control overactive skin cells. Your doctor might pair it with a steroid cream.