Psoriasis question

[SoloSparklyCatherineWheel]

I have recently developed Psoriasis. I put it down to the stresses of having a year from hell. My question is this: Can I exfoliate my skin as I would do normally in the shower or would this have a bad effect/make it worse/sore etc? I'm using Aqueous cream and wool fat soap, not shower gel etc atm. Oh and if the answer is 'don't', then can I exfoliate it where I notice the new patches(of dry skin)developing?
TIA.

Hi Solo - I have had had severe form of this for 24 years and had everything under the sun but always seem to refer back to Dovabet. Like somone said up above keeping it soggy really helps but its not always practical as still have to carry on day to day. I get dressings from the GP if bad and need to still go to work etc - pending where it is you can get one for all areas - I have full trunk arms and leg ones.

I have all under my bust too - it never gets scaly but think cos have pretty big boobs no air gets under there! So this cracks quite a lot and can weep

I am also on an injection twice a week that seemed to work really well for last two years but now stopped working and seem to have about 20 new areas popping up

I try not to let bother me but it does dictate a lot things in my life as to where the patches are but doesn't occupy my day to day life.

I use epiderm as my day to day cream as a mor evaseline base than most of the others

Oh poor you! I too have had it much of my life and can agree with nearly all the advice so far.

A couple of things that I find helpful:

If your skin is feeling dry and tight, I find adding oats to the bath can be soothing (tie two or three handfuls up in muslin so you are not having to spend ages picking them out afterwards).

For the bits on your hairline/scalp, try massaging in some olive oil and wrapping your head in cling film and a towel. I think the added heat helps the oil penetrate further. Then comb gently to lift any flaking bits before your wash the oil out. I think doing this to remove the dry skin and moisturise the scalp seems to make scalp treatments / shampoos more effective afterwards.

A absolutely second going to a sun bed too. I know that overuse is bad for the skin and prematurely ageing but I find that just going on a couple of times a week can make a real difference during a flare up and less than that can sometimes keep a lid on things when my skin is better.

I really am sad for you...I also feel sorry for myself, but it's not just the Psoriasis that's causing that.
SameAsYou, that sounds very painful, I'm so sorry.

I'm finding it incredible how quickly new lesions appear too.

I can't afford sunbeds and have never had one...don't know if I'm or not!

I've heard about the oats before, so I'll try that. Can you use them more than once under the water?

I'm not sure you could use them more than once, they sort of mush down to almost nothing. You can reuse the material though.

I suppose using sunbeds is just DIY light therapy really! I have had pUVA and UVB therapy in the past but find them both very difficult to fit in alongside a full time job as they involve going to the hospital three times a week during office hours for a couple of months or more. It is very quick once you get there as you are only in the light bed for seconds but unless you work in or next door to a hospital you need a very understanding boss!

They can be expensive, I tend to buy a course at a time from somewhere like the tanning shop as they often have deals on. As I only use 4 mins or so at a time they last quite a long time.

Has anyone used he diy light kits - I'm sure I've seen them advertised on the net - but don't know how good they are. Think even Amazon sell them.
I was referred before summer for (hopefully) light therapy - but I was on hols and cancelled appt - never got a new one and my psoraisis disappeared completely over the summer. Come Sept - they are all appearing again as fast as lightning. I don't think I'm stressed - and am using psiroderm and aqueous cream - doesn't seem to help much. The cream takes away the scaling but seems to irriate the red skin underneath - don't know which is worse - scaling or red patches!
Going back to docs for referral again.
Will try sunbeds though - must just cover my fface for premature aging.

tgel shampoo is a tar based shampoo that has a pleasant smell but if you want one that smells like wrights coal tar soap ...polytar shampoo would really help round the scalp and ears,and shoulders...or polytar plus.
You can buy it over the counter to try and then you can get it on a script

I've always shied away from polytar cos it warns about staining bleached hair - is it ok? I use tgel and it's ok for my blond colour - but seems to strip my low lights out quicker than they would normally fade.

Good tip about olive oil around the scalp. I use the solid coconut from Holland and Barret. Its solid at room temp but then melts at skin temp. When scalp is bad I rub it in all over, wrap cling film round my head. An hour or so later I comb it all out. then put shampoo onto hair - before you wet it and wash a couple of times. Once a week seems to keep the scale from going completely 'nanas (its the one thing that does get to me bit - the flaky scalp)

Sparkly, of course you aren't going to be feeling positive about it yet, I'd think you were rather odd if you were!!!

The reason that I asked about your ME is that psoriatic arthritis can cause a lot of ME type symptoms - its not just sore joints, it involves tendons and causes exhaustion and depression and makes me feel fluey when its bad. I'm just wondering if perhaps its possible that you might have had a bit of a misdiagnosis because sometimes it can precede the skin symptoms. Perhaps another thing to talk over with your gp?

Hmmm...good thinking OYBK. I started to get a bad(read painful)hip whilst pg with Ds in 1998 and it never did go...may see how this all goes and bring it up if it carries on(the psoriasis). Thank you.

did the doctor call it pityriasis rosea? I only ask as your picture looks VERY much like the rash on my dd which the doctor says is PR (but i'm not so sure of..)

I only ask because you said it begins with P. Sory if I'm way off the mark..

I don't know bees. I'm going to ask him tomorrow I think so I know exactly what I'm dealing with.

Actually, he definitely didn't use the name 'rosea'.

No, I've had a look at some pictures and it's not the same bees.

Got one coming up in an armpit crease and in the fanjo area . Can it get any worse than there?!!!

didnt know polytar did that tracyk.... not sure hair dyes should be used on psoriasis of he scalp either

alypaly, I think your right - I'm sure hair dye is not really ideal! In my experience, it sometimes can sting a little bit but not unbearably and it settles down very quickly.

For me, there is a trade off between the slight irritation vs. prematurely grey hair. Having psoriasis is crappy enough, particularly as it is so visual, so if something makes me feel better, I do it!

alphosyl shampoo and capasal shampoo are other shampoos,often given on a script for scalp psoriasis. They may not affect hair colourants. you can get both on precription but you can also buy to try.

I've been colouring my hair for 24 years now and no way could I go back to not colouring!

It doesn't seem to affect how good or bad it is on my scalp. I can go for a couple of years with clear scalp and then a couple of years with flaky.

No rhyme or reason!

I wholeheartedly agree with using things like hair dyes and occasional nice bath/shower stuff otherwise you just feel like a walking medical case. It may not be ideal for everyone's psoriasis but the I reckon the most important part of managing it is the psychological side.

I'v had Psoriasis for about 14 years and always had my hair coloured. It doesn't seem to affect my scalp. I second the use of oil on the scalp, I put a towel on the pillow and keep it on overnight. My Psoriasis has got alot worse since the summer. From about march I was using a sunbed twice a week. I stoppped in July, cos I know its bad for you, but it kept it at bay and I looked healthy! I'm now pretty much covered in red scaley dots with a few larger patches, thank god none on my face. Dovebet does work, but shouldn't keep using steroids. I will try the vaseline trick.

Aveeno oil is an oats based bath treatment, without haveing to put oats in a muslin.

I'm reading this thread looking for a miracle cure.

Bees, Doc did call it pityriasis rosea, so yes!that's what he thinks it is and he reckons it will go...he's given me a prescription for Clobetasone Butyrate, so I'll see if that helps.

Might be worth trying a supplement that contains magnesium. Magnesium is a very important mineral for skin health. I was plagued by skin problems at the same point during my menstrual cycle for a long time until I discovered that a supplement such as magnesiumOK seemed to prevent the rashes from starting. Might not be the case for you but harmless to try, magnesium can be laxative in large doses so do check that you are taking safe levels.

Thanks AANAM, will take a look at that. Any idea if it's ok if you are bfing?

try the salicylic acid 2% on the plaques, it really works. You can get it in a 500g tub from GP