Living with psoriasis can pose several challenges, especially when the skin patches get itchy or sore. Here we will talk about the most prominent treatments for psoriasis available for you.
Light therapy, ointments, and creams injected or oral medications are commonly used for treating psoriasis. However, some alternative medications can reduce the psoriasis symptoms as well. Let’s take a detailed look at those treatment options.
Treatment for Psoriasis
Light Therapy
Light therapy can be used to treat moderate to severe cases of psoriasis. Either natural or artificial light can be used to treat this condition by introducing controlling the amount. Here are a few options you can try:
Sunlight
Daily controlled sun exposure is proved to be beneficial for treating psoriasis conditions. However, it is highly recommended to consult a doctor to determine the safest way to sun exposure.
Red Light Therapy
In red light therapy, specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared LED bulbs are used to provide natural healing effects on your skin. These light wavelengths travel deeper into the skin and start healing from there.
Additionally, red light therapy increases the metabolism of your skin cells and helps your cells repair and regenerate. Therefore, you can easily get rid of psoriasis skin patches and gain better-looking skin.
This therapy is completely natural and has almost no additional side effects. However, you will need to continue to have this therapy to keep the result last.
Ultraviolet Rays
Three types of ultraviolet rays are available for treating psoriasis conditions. These are UVB broadband, UVB narrowband, Psoralen plus ultraviolet A. Exposure to all three of these lights will need artificial light sources.
UVB broadband is used for treating single skin patches of psoriasis. You may not be able to treat widespread psoriasis with this light therapy. You can also experience itching and skin redness as a side effect of this light.
UVB narrowband is comparatively more effective than UVB broadband. You will need to administer this therapy two-three times a week till you see improvements. After that, the therapy frequency will reduce to keep the symptoms minimal. However, this therapy can cause long-lasting and severe burns as side effects.
In psoralen plus ultraviolet A treatment, you will need to take a light sensitizing medication and expose yourself to UVA light. This light goes deeper into your skin, and the medication will make your skin more responsive to this light. However, you can suffer from severe short-term and long-term side effects with this therapy.
You can either administer light therapy alone or with other treatment options for better results. However, it is highly recommended to consult your doctor before getting any type of light therapy.
Among all the light therapy options, red light therapy can give you better benefits without depending upon the sun. Also, it has minimal side effects. If you experience any problems associated with light therapy, consult your therapist or doctor as soon as possible.
Ointments and Creams
There are many prescription drugs available to reduce psoriasis symptoms from the skin. Most of them are available as creams, shampoo, gels, or lotion forms.
Your doctor can prescribe the most suitable ointments or creams depending on your psoriasis condition and the affected areas. The most common products prescribed by doctors are:
- Corticosteroids
- Vitamin D analogues
- Retinoids
- Calcineurin inhibitors
- Salicylic acid
- Coal tar
- Goeckerman therapy
- Anthralin
Injected or Oral Medications
When other medications do not work properly for severe psoriasis symptoms, your doctor may suggest you inject or oral medications. These medications may pose severe side effects when used for a long time. Therefore, the doctor may suggest these medications for a brief period along with other treatment options.
The most common injected or oral medications available are;
- Steroids
- Retinoids
- Methotrexate
- Cyclosporine
- Biologics
- Thioguanine
- Hydroxyurea
- Apremilast
Alternative Medications
Some alternative therapies and medications claim to soothe the psoriasis condition. Although they are not thoroughly explored and proved, they are generally safe and seen to work in reducing itching and skin scales.
These therapies are often helpful in treating mild to moderate psoriasis. Some of the prominent alternative therapies are:
- Aloe extract cream: In this therapy, the extracts from aloe vera leaves are used to reduce itching, redness, inflammation, and scaling. You may need to apply this cream several times a day for a month regularly to see any visible progress.
- Fish oil supplements: In this therapy, fish oil is applied to the affected skin and kept under cover for six hours. This process is repeated for four weeks to see visible results. Also, taking fish oil supplements orally with light therapy can significantly reduce the psoriasis-affected skin.
- Oregon grape: When this product is applied to the affected skin, it can reduce psoriasis symptoms from your skin.
- Essential Oils: Essential oils have a soothing effect on your mind and body. It can effectively reduce stress and help you minimize psoriasis symptoms.
Consult a doctor or skin specialist before getting any treatment for your psoriasis condition. They can diagnose your skin condition and suggest the best solution for your skin conditions.
Treatment Consideration
From the above discussion, it is clear that many psoriasis treatments can cause various side effects to your skin. Therefore, it is advised to consult a doctor at the earliest possible moment to diagnose and treat your psoriasis condition.
The doctor will suggest treatment based on your psoriasis condition and the affected area of the body. They will start from the mildest treatment options and consider stronger ones if necessary.
Erythrodermic and pustular psoriasis patients will need systemic therapy from the beginning of their treatment. The ultimate goal is to reduce cell turnover and have the least side effects from the treatment.
How to Get Rid of Psoriasis Fast
Combining the psoriasis treatment with your lifestyle and home remedies can bring you better results at the earliest possible time. Here are some habits you can take up to manage your psoriasis condition faster:
- Bathing regularly calms your skin and helps in removing scales. You can use essential oils for a more soothing bath experience. Use lukewarm water for bathing and use soaps with added fats and oils.
- Apply an ointment-based, heavy moisturizer after taking a bath. If you have very dry skin, you can apply oil for better results. If moisturizer improves your skin, make sure only to use it three times a day.
- Covering the affected areas overnight after applying the moisturizer is a good policy. It will help your skin to keep wet and reduce scaling.
- If you have the opportunity, expose yourself to natural sunlight. However, make sure to consult your doctor before.
- Take notes on what triggers your psoriasis condition and steer clear of those triggers. Stress, skin injuries, infections, intense sun exposure are some of the general triggers for psoriasis.
- Alcohol consumption can reduce the effectiveness of your psoriasis treatments. Therefore, make sure to reduce alcohol consumption as much as possible.
- A healthy lifestyle can give you more control over your psoriasis condition. A healthy diet and exercising can significantly reduce the psoriasis symptoms outbreak.
Bottom Line
There are several treatment options for your psoriasis symptoms. Please consult your doctor to have the best treatment option and maintain it regularly.
Red light therapy is the best option for managing the psoriasis condition among the several options. It has minor side effects and gives you rapid relief from the problem. You can also combine light therapy with any other therapy options for better results.
Overall, maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce stress from your daily life, and it will allow you to have a better handle on your psoriasis condition.