How to Care for Psoriasis
June 12, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious. Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that is characterized by inflamed lesions and silvery white scales. It may appear in only a few isolated spots, or can be widespread over the body, and most typcially appears in people between the ages of 15 to 35.
There are five types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells, called scale. Psoriasis can occur on any part of the body and is associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.
Things You’ll Need:
* Vitamin A
* Zinc
* Evening primrose oil
* Aloe vera
* Flaxseed oil
* Vitamin C
1. Get some sun. Natural sunlight has been shown to sigificantly improve, or clear, psoriasis. Get regular daily doses, but keep them short and avoid the sun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when the rays are strongest.
2. Add over-the-counter tar solutions, bath oil, oatmeal, Epsom salts and Dead Sea salts to your bath. All of these will help soften the skin.
3. Use moisturizers after bathing and periodically during the day. These may not clear the psoriasis, but will help reduce itching and retain moisture in the skin.
4. Try using aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil or natural vegetable oils as moisturizers. They are a natural and relatively inexpensive way to moisturize the skin.
5. Take flaxseed oil or evening primrose oil according to directions on label. They supply essential fatty acids which are important for the skin and preventing dryness.
6. Take natural beta-carotene, 25,000 IU per day. It helps protect skin tissue.
7. Take zinc, preferably in the form of zinc gluconate lozenges, for maximum absorption. Do not exceed 50 mg per day.
8. Try shark cartilage. Take 1 gm per 15 lbs of body weight. Divide it into 3 doses a day. Shark cartilage has been known to stop the spread of psoriasis, but you will need to give it 2 to 3 months to see results.
9. Take vitamins A (10,000 IU daily) and E (400-1200 IU daily).
10. Take Vitamin C (2,000 to 5,000 mg a day) in divided doses. It is necessary for immune system function and for formation of collagen and skin tissue.
11. Brush scales lightly with a loofah, then apply an alcohol-free extract of the herb goldenseal. This will help reduce inflammation and swelling.
12. Keep a record of your outbreaks. Psoriasis typically flares up and then improves. Write down what you were doing, eating, or what was going on in your life at the time of a flare-up. Triggers to flare-ups include stress, tension, illness, sunburn, certain drugs and alcohol.
13. Decrease or eliminate red meat and dairy products. They contain arachidonic acid, a substance that can cause inflammation and, in turn, make your psoriasis lesions swollen and red.
Oil Production In Skin
April 30, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
The skin has many oil (sebaceous) glands, which secrete oil that contains wax esters, triglycerides, and squalene – a hydrocarbon that is an intermediate in the formation of cholesterol. These fats (or lipids) form a film that helps keep moisture in the skin. While increased sebum production results in oily skin, the opposite is not always the case, as dry skin can also arise from an impaired skin barrier. Oil production can be affected by diet, stress, and hormones-as well as genetics. In a study of twenty pairs each of identical and nonidentical same-sex twins, identical twins had virtually identical amounts of oil production, while the nonidentical twins had significantly different amounts.
No amount of blotting and scrubbing will “remove” the skin’s oil production, and many of us unknowingly destroy the natural beauty of the skin in pursuit of clarity. The skin’s own sebum mechanism is there to regulate own moisture. Drying your skin profusely with oil-stripping, foaming cleansers, detergents and de-greasers like soap and sulfates, or alcohol-based toners that leave the skin feeling tight (always a sign it’s been stripped), will only cause the skin to “rebound” with excess oiliness and destroy its protective and anti-bacterial “matrix,” leaving it sensitized. By stripping the natural acid mantle of the skin, these deep cleaning products actually make skin more vulnerable to bacteria and inflammation. Dabbing benzoyl peroxide often destroys the beauty of the skin by causing flaking, while more aggressive treatments, such as antibiotics or Accutane can cause a cascade of side-effects.
Skin Hydration
March 5, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
For those with oily skin, your face may often look shiny, and you naturally avoid products that feel oily. You will be more vulnerable to acne and breakouts than dry skin types. People with dry skin will notice that their skin feels tight, perhaps irritated or itchy and has a dull color and/or rough texture.
Dryness and oiliness depend primarily on the condition of the skin barrier, the outer layer of skin which helps the skin retain moisture, and the oil (sebum) production itself. The barrier is like a brick wall, with each brick (or cell) held in place by mortar (fats called lipids). Harmful ingredients, cold, and dry weather can wear down these fats, eroding the mortar so that the “bricks” are not secured in their proper place.
A variety of outside agents, including detergents, acetone, chlorine and other chemicals, and even prolonged water immersion can harm the barrier, or the barrier may be deficient for genetic reasons.
The barrier’s main components are ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol, all different kinds of lipids. These must be present in the right proportion to keep the skin watertight. An impaired barrier will tend toward both dryness and sensitivity. Dryness results when skin moisture evaporates.
Sensitivity results when a deficient barrier permits the entry of outside irritants. Repairing the skin barrier with the right skin care products will help treat a variety of skin conditions. Incorporating key dietary nutrients, such as essential fatty acids and cholesterol, provides the necessary building blocks. Nutrient deficiencies can weaken your skin’s ability to repair and rebuild, which is why people who take cholesterol-lowering drugs often have dry skin.
