The Role Of Sunlight: How Can It Help Psoriasis
Most people who have psoriasis find that the sun helps to improve their skins appearance. For some the change is dramatic, with red scaly patches almost disappearing altogether during summer months in a warm climate.
In order to help clear psoriasis, sun exposure needs to be spread over time. A week on a sunny holiday may help but rarely completely clears psoriasis, and if the skin is exposed too soon for too long, sunburn can result, which could cause injury to the skin. In some people with psoriasis such injury can start a new plaque of psoriasis at the site of the injury. This is known as Koebnerisation, after the German dermatologist Heinrich Koebner. Therefore it is important to increase exposure to the sun gradually, to allow your skin to adapt to the sun without burning.
Because ultraviolet light is so effective for many with psoriasis, it is often used in various artificial forms. Ultraviolet phototherapy is a highly effective set of treatments for psoriasis given by hospital dermatology departments and specialist phototherapy centres. UV phototherapy is used in one of two forms: UVB or PUVA. UVB uses short-wave UVB light while PUVA uses a plant-derived photosensitiser with long-wave UVA light. If you need these treatments, your GP or healthcare provider can refer you to a dermatologist who will discuss the most suitable treatment for your psoriasis, including phototherapy.
Making The Decision To Tan
So what does a guy with no insurance and little discretionary income do to control his out-of-control skin? Tanning beds.
I went to a place called Brown-N-Serve in my hometown. A couple times a week I would strip down in a closet-sized room that had a bowl of palm tree and playboy bunny stickers next to the giant glowing clamshell bed. I will never forget the smell of the place. If youve been to a tanning establishment, you will know exactly what I am talking about. Its kind of a combination of artificial coconut and burnt skin.
Many Patients With Psoriasis Use Sunbeds
EditorPsoriasis usually improves in sunlight, but many patients look for an alternative source of ultraviolet light, either because they are embarrassed to sunbathe in public or because of the unpredictable availability of sunlight. Sunbeds that emit ultraviolet A light might seem an attractive option, but their use, at least for tanning purposes, is discouraged by dermatologists and other healthcare workers.1,2
To investigate our patients use of sunbeds, we posted a questionnaire to the latest 339 patients who were new referrals aged 16-65 years and in whom a diagnosis of plaque psoriasis was made . All had had psoriatic lesions for at least a year when they received the questionnaire. We received replies from 248 patients ), of whom 128 had used a sunbed to treat their psoriasis. Linear logistic regression showed highly significant and non-interacting effects of age and sex , indicating that sunbed use was generally higher among females and tended to decrease with increasing age . Of the 97 patients who reported the effect of sunbed use on their psoriasis, two found that their condition worsened, 17 reported no change, and 78 reported an improvement. We detected no associations between perceived efficacy and age, sex, or tanning ability . Of the sunbed users, 56% reported that they had treated themselves more than 20 times in a year, and 13% had treated themselves more than 80 times in a year.
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Are Tanning Beds Effective In Psoriasis Treatment
Phototherapy, also referred to as light therapy, is a type of prescription skin care therapy used to treat psoriasis. The treatment involves exposing affected skin to an artificial ultraviolet light source at regular intervals. When skin is exposed to UVB rays either naturally or artificially, the growth of psoriatic skin cells is slowed, giving skin a clearer appearance for up to a year at a time. Treatment is delivered in numerous sessions over a period of several weeks, performed either by a physician or using a physician-prescribed, at-home light therapy box.
What Are The Tanning Risks
This thinned my plaques out enough that I wasnt unintentionally sprinkling customers food with parmesan cheese, but it still never made my red spots completely go away. I did this for about 5-6 months.
At that point, a family member found out what I had been doing and bluntly told me I was, well, not very wise for tanning. My grandfather had died of melanoma. In fact, his death was one of the main triggers of my first flare up, but for some reason, I didnt think of the risk tanning was causing me.
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Do Sunbeds Help Acne Scarring
Many tanning salons suggest that sunbeds or tanning beds can help to reduce the appearance of acne scarring. This is completely false and, to make matters worse, tanning beds can actively damage and worsen skin affected by acne scars! When the skin works to heal an acne scar, collagen and elastin fibers are particularly vulnerable to UV rays, and tanning can limit the bodys natural ability to heal the skin.
Traditional Treatment Cautions How Do Tanning Beds Help Psoriasis And Acne
You make an appointment to see your doctor because your psoriasis is flaring. He takes a look and then whips out his prescription pad to order one of the following:
. A prescription strength topical treatment
. phototherapy
. oral and injection therapy
. over the counter drugs
Any of these treatments may work fine to relieve your symptoms and make you feel better for now. The trouble with conventional treatment methods is that they rarely work to cure the underlying cause of this skin condition and that can leave you suffering repeat attacks. Still it is important to know what helps are available, and how they may help or hurt your chance of treatment success.
Topical Ointments How Do Tanning Beds Help Psoriasis and Acne
Topical ointments are used at the first sign of psoriasis. If caught early enough they can sometimes stave off a full-blown attack. Unfortunately, most people report becoming immune to them when used often, which makes them useless for long term use. Still, using the occasional cream or gel can help relieve some of your symptoms. Steroids
Both topical and internal steroids can be prescribed to help ease psoriasis swelling inflammation and itching. Immunomodulators
An immune suppressing drug that was originally used to help transplant patients beat organ rejection, Cyclosporine helps to inhibit T lymphocyte production so that scaly plaque is unable to grow on the surface of the skin.
Oral Retinoid How Do Tanning Beds Help Psoriasis and Acne
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The Right Amount Of Sun
A weekend at the beach is unlikely to clear up psoriasis, because you need long-term exposure. Too much sun, however, can cause a sunburn and result in injury and aggravation of psoriasis.
Increase your sun exposure levels slowly. That way your skin benefits from exposure to the ultraviolet light, but adapts to the effects of the sun gradually. Start with just 10 minutes at a strong, sunny point of the day, such as noon or 1pm. Gradually increase your exposure by 30-60 seconds a day.
Wear sunscreen and sunglasses to protect yourself from harmful rays that can age you and cause a burn. If you take medications or have a condition that makes you especially sensitive to the sun, clear sun therapy with Dr. Fromowitz before heading outside.
The Appeal Of Tanning Beds
Many people can’t access clinic-based phototherapy because of cost, distance, or other inconvenience issues, says Steve Feldman, MD, PhD, a dermatology professor at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. While tanning beds aren’t entirely safe, the alternatives, such as systemic medications like methotrexate or cyclosporine, may be worse in certain cases.
Tanning beds may be a good option if you cant get to a dermatologist for phototherapy, but theyre not a risk-free alternative. So its important to weigh their advantages and disadvantages.
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Does Scratching Psoriasis Make It Spread
A psoriasis flare may begin as a small patch that spreads, then gradually gets better. Most flare-ups are triggered by something. Scratching a psoriasis rash does not cause it to spread from one location to another. However, it may slow the healing process, creating the appearance that psoriasis is spreading.
Characteristics Of Indoor Tanning Light
The light used during indoor tanning is poorly defined. The US Food and Drug Administration does not specify limits on the power of UV light emissions, instead defining irradiance ratio limits, where the ratio of irradiance between wavelengths of 200 and 260 nm to the irradiance between wavelengths 260 and 320 nm should not exceed 0.003 at any distance and direction from the source . While in the US there are state and federal regulations, according to a study performed in North Carolina, the extent to which commercial tanning facilities comply is poor, with only 1 out of 32 commercial tanning establishments within complete compliance of state and federal guidelines .
The wavelengths of UVA and UVB irradiation from tanning beds are highly variable however, tanning beds as a whole tend to emit primarily UVA irradiation. Rates of UVB emissions range from 0.5% to 5.0% in North Carolina tanning beds . Another study of North Carolina tanning beds found a wide range of UVA irradiance, 17.7674.0 W/m2 and a UVB range of 0.120.82 W/m2 .
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Turning To The Internet
So, like any paranoid bride-to-be, I hit the internet just to make sure my doctor was correct. Makes sense, right? Heres the thing, if you ask the internet about psoriasis and spray tanning, you get inundated with a wide variety of answers.
Posts from beauty blogs and magazines will contradict one another while quoting dermatology experts. Psoriasis patient boards will have horror and success stories alike posted.
I felt my doctors advice was practical. The night before heading south to our wedding destination, I used a special cleansing soap that acts as an exfoliator. I started using it in the summer when keratosis pilaris was changing the texture of the skin on my upper arms.
Normally, I dont use loofas because they harbor bacteria. However, a loofa was recommended by one beauty magazine. Bonus to me because I use a Clarisonic to exfoliate my face, which was recommended by the same beauty magazine. I thought to myself, Youre nailing this skin prep!
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Is Your Stomach to Blame?
Who would have thought that a severe psoriasis outbreak could start because of something going wrong inside of your stomach and intestines? Yet, new research developed by psoriasis expert Edgard Cayce shows a distinct link between a leaky gut and a scaly psoriatic episode. According to Cayce, the primary source of psoriasis can be found in the intestinal tract, where toxins are leached into the body. This causes the immune system to react by thickening the skin. At the same time, the skin tries to purge the toxins through its layers, which can cause scabs and sores to form.
Could Arthritis Be the Cuplrit?
The intestines arent the only link to psoriasis found by researchers arthritis seems to also contribute to it. As many as one-third of all psoriasis patients eventually develop some form of psoriatic arthritis. Unlike normal forms of arthritis, those with psoriatic arthritis do not exhibit a rheumatoid factor when their blood is tested. This indicates that the arthritic condition comes solely from either the psoriasis itself or the underlying cause of the skin affliction.
Could a Virus Be the Cause?
Arthritis has been linked to certain virus and so have other auto-immune disorders. This leads some researchers to think that psoriasis too may start with a virus, which is what kicks the immune system into overdrive.
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How Does Phototherapy Help Psoriasis
Light therapy does not cure psoriasis, but it can help people manage their condition and improve their quality of life. Light therapy for psoriasis works by slowing down the excess growth of skin cells, which reduces plaque formation. It also limits the growth of skin cells by affecting the functioning of the DNA.
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Types Of Uv Treatments For Psoriasis:
Doctors resort to UV treatment when topical treatment is no longer useful. This often happens as a result of severe psoriasis where skin patches have become serious and critical, and are causing major itching. This treatment with light is called light therapy. The sunbed has UV lamps that can produce both UVA and UVB ultraviolet radiation. The goal is to get rid of inflamed skin.
UVB light therapy:
UVB light therapy involves exposing your skin to artificial UVB light in a sunbed. The light helps clear up psoriasis from the skin and reduces itching. Extended periods of exposure can be dangerous as it may irritate psoriasis even further. Hence, controlled exposure is very important. One need not to go for UVB treatment more than 2 to 3 times a week. This, once again, depends on the recommendation of the doctor. Sometimes UVB treatment is also coupled with topical creams, to aid in the process of clearing up.
UVA light therapy:
Will sunbeds help my psoriasis?
Are sunbeds worth it?
Sunbeds have been known to help with psoriasis. And as we have looked at the different available treatments above, we can conclude that sunbeds do play in important role in helping with psoriasis. They come with their pros and cons. Where UV can help clear up psoriasis with the help of its intensity, the same intensity can also be harmful. The best way to proceed, of course, is to act according to your doctor and dermatologist.
Mypsoriasisteam Members Talk About Tanning Beds
Some MyPsoriasisTeam members have discussed using commercial tanning as an accessible means of treating their psoriasis with light exposure. As one member captured in her post, some people acknowledge the risks associated with commercial tanning: The tanning bed helps my psoriasis plus my joints. I understand the risks of skin cancer, and I choose to take that risk.
Other members have discussed the psoriasis symptoms they feel commercial tanning has helped alleviate. Doing better after three trips to the tanning bed, wrote one member. After just three 15-minute visits with the tanning bed, my sores are drying up fantastically! Another member wrote that tanning beds really help with the itching, while another simply said they feel so much better after they leave a tanning session. One MyPsoriasisTeam member noted that tanning has only helped them a little in the past it just depends on the part of the body. It never helped with my scalp.
These testimonials should be taken into consideration with the serious risks of tanning beds as treatment.
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Tanning And Conditions Treated By Phototherapy
Psoriasis
Assessing the evidence for commercial tanning facilities as a treatment for psoriasis is important as indoor tanning is already commonly used by people as a psoriasis treatment, perhaps the most frequently used form of phototherapy for psoriasis. One center reported that more than 50% of patients presenting to their clinic had tried or were currently treating their psoriasis with commercial tanning sessions . Another survey found that 36% of patients reported having tried commercial tanning beds as a psoriasis treatment .
There may be concern that tanning beds that emit primarily UVA would not be effective for the treatment of psoriasis. While one study found that UVA doses up to 30 J/cm2 were ineffective for psoriasis, Parrish found that psoriatic plaques are responsive to erythemogenic doses of either UVA or UVB light . The ability of tanning beds to treat psoriasis was compared on the basis of their UVB output, one with a UVB output of 4.6% was compared to another with a lower UVB output in a within-patient comparison technique . There were marked and equivalent improvements in Psoriasis Area Severity Index scores from baseline in patients treated unilaterally with either lamp with 12 exposures to an equal erythemal dose over a 4-week period. While exposure to either UVA or UVB light can induce clearance of psoriatic plaques, UVA requires more energy to reach erythemogenic dosing .
Acne
Atopic Dermatitis
Hand Eczema
Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma
Vitiligo
Pruritus
Can You Treat Psoriasis With Tanning Beds
Psoriasis, a chronic skin condition that can cause itching, redness, scaly skin, and flaking, affects between 2 percent and 3 percent of the global population. Although there is currently no cure for psoriasis, there are now more effective treatments than ever before including or light therapy. Phototherapy typically involves delivering regular doses of ultraviolet light to the skin under close medical supervision.Unfortunately, not everyone with psoriasis has access to phototherapy facilities. As a result, some people try commercial tanning beds as an alternative to medically supervised phototherapy.
Anecdotal evidence suggests tanning beds may help psoriasis, but there are serious risks to using ultraviolet light such as that emitted by tanning beds without a doctors supervision. Ultimately, tanning beds cannot replace phototherapy as a treatment for psoriasis.
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Wet Compresses And Warm Baths With Salt Or Oatmeal
Baths and showers can relax and help relieve the symptoms of psoriasis. But when they are too long or too hot, they can remove sebum from the skin, which can make psoriasis worse.
In patients with psoriasis, a warm bath with colloidal oatmeal or Epsom salts relaxes and relieves symptoms.
Studies have shown that an oatmeal bath or moist compress can reduce itching, and a warm bath that contains the appropriate bath oil can help hydrate the skin.
2005. researchers have found evidence that salts of the Dead Sea can help relieve dry skin. For 15 minutes, the volunteers immersed their forearms in water containing 5% magnesium salt, the most common mineral in the Dead Sea.
Participants skin barrier function improved, skin hydration was better, and roughness and inflammation were reduced compared to a control group that used tap water.
After bathing, applying the appropriate moisturizer while the skin is still moist can help prevent moisture loss.