Skin MD Natural™ — Ultimate Dry Skin Care Solution
Psoriasis

Psoriasis Overview

Psoriasis is an incurable autoimmune inflammatory skin disorder affecting more than 7.5 million Americans¹. The disease is prevalent in both adults and children of all races. The leading causes of psoriasis are genetics, the immune system, and stress.

Symptoms differ among the five variations of psoriasis and often include lesions, scales, and dry irritated skin prone to cracking and bleeding. Those suffering from psoriasis-like symptoms are encouraged to seek a dermatologist for diagnoses and treatment. Treatment options often include a combination of natural and prescription products.

Diagnoses

A doctor or dermatologist is needed to properly diagnose psoriasis. The diagnoses is made by examining an area of affected skin. Occasionally this will include the removal of a small piece of effected skin to be examined under a microscopy.

Types and Symptoms ²

Psoriasis	Information	Symptoms
Plaque	Most commonly diagnosed affecting 80-90% of psoriasis patients. Commonly appears on elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back.	Inflamed skin with red areas of silver-like scales.
Flexural (Inverse)	Occurs in skin folds such as the area located between the thigh and groin and the arm pits. Is irritated from friction and sweating.	Lesions that are red, smooth, and shiny.
Guttate	Often starts during childhood and flare-ups can be triggered by a variety of conditions. Affects large areas of the body such as the trunk, limbs, and scalp.	Numerous small round red spots appearing on the skin.
Pustular	Most often found in adults and can be localized affecting specific parts of the body such as hands and feet or generalized covering most of the body.	White blisters containing noninfectious pus surrounded by red irritated skin.
Erythrodermic	Is the most inflammatory form and affects most of the body. Protein and fluid loss associated flare-ups of this form of psoriasis can lead to severe illness and should be treated by a doctor.	Periodic, widespread, fiery redness of the skin accompanied by the shedding of scales in large sheets.

Causes ³

Genetics	Psoriasis occurring in relatives of those already suffering from the condition are higher than average, indicating that it may be an inherent disease. Researchers have identified nine gene mutations that may be involved in causing psoriasis. Gene mutations affect the function of cells; in psoriasis the white blood cells are affected. Not everyone who develops psoriasis will have a genetic predisposition.
The Immune System	Helper white blood cells referred to as T-cells produce chemicals that help heal the skin. Psoriasis occurs when T-cells become overactive and produce high amounts of chemicals causing inflammation of the skin and joints. Normal skin cells mature and are naturally exfoliated every 30 days. For psoriasis patients this process can take less than a week causing cells to stack up, creating raised scales of dry inflamed skin.
Stress	Research has shown that stress can increase psoriasis symptoms. Environment stress coming from work, or physical stress attributed to lack of sleep or nutrition and perhaps emotional stress tied to personal situations have caused outbreaks to flare-up on more than half of psoriasis sufferers.

Treatment can alleviate symptoms

As there is no cure, treatment plays a key part in improving quality of life experienced by those with psoriasis. With the number of options available for managing symptoms it is recommended to work with a dermatologist or other health care professional in selecting an effective course of treatment.

Many dermatologists are recommending patients use both prescription and natural treatments to control psoriasis outbreaks. Board certified dermatologist Dr. Peter Helton is "prescribing a combination of steroids to handle the inflammation along with a moisturizing cream."

	Prescription Medical Treatments	Natural Remedies
Topical Treatments	Topical Steroids. These are derived from corticosteroid hormones that are produced by adrenal glands and work to control inflammatory responses. Topical steroids are used to decrease the appearance of swelling and redness in psoriatic lesions. There are many side affects that can develop while using topical steroids. Skin damage such as skin thinning, easy bruising, changes in pigmentation, and dilated surface blood vessels is common with users. The absorption of topical steroids over a long period of time to widespread areas of the skin can lead to the development of Cushing's Syndrome and negatively affects the internal organs. Cushing Syndrome is characterized by a fatty hump between the shoulders, rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks appearing on the skin has been tied to causing high blood pressure, bone loss, and on occasion even diabetes.	Shielding Lotions. Keeping the skin well hydrated will help to reduce redness and itching and helps the skin to heal. "Beware!" - warns Dr. Lisa Benest board certified dermatologist. "Many traditional moisturizers restore the moisture to the skin on a temporary basis, but after continued use actually send a message back to the skin saying it doesn't need any further moisture to be produced by the skin, and so we can end up with the opposite condition where the skin is less hydrated than prior to using the moisturizers." It is also important to decrease the amount of water that evaporates from the skin referred to as trans-epidermal water loss "Skin MD shielding lotion not only reduced the amount of trans-epidermal water loss, but over time increased the skin's ability to moisturize itself."
	Topical Steroids + Shielding Lotions. Decreasing the amount of topical steroid absorbed by the skin will help lower the risks of developing related side effects. A shielding lotion can help lessen the amount of steroids needed and the time they are used for. "A shielding lotion like Skin MD Natural combines the medication with a sealant that keeps irritants out and helps the skin to heal. So we get faster results and the patient has to use less medication. Hands down, a shielding lotion works better than any conventional cream." explains board certified dermatologist Dr. Peter Helton. Shielding lotions may also prove effective in preventing dry skin caused by light therapy and prescription oral medications.
Light Therapy	Light Therapy Medical Treatments UVB rays are being used in phototherapy, narrowband therapy, and eximer laser therapy to reduce the appearance of single patches and widespread outbreaks. Use of UVB rays can cause negative side effects that may include redness, blistering, itching, burning, and dry skin. The use of a shielding lotion may help to decrease the severity of these side effects. UVA rays are used in photo chemotherapy in combination with the light sensitizing medication. Psoralen is taken to make the skin more responsive to UVA exposure which has been shown to improve severer cases of psoriasis. Treatment can cause dry wrinkled skin and increase the risk of developing skin cancer.	Natural Sunlight Sunlight contains both UVA and UVB and can help relieve psoriasis symptoms. Flare-ups of scaly irritated skin can be through regular exposure to the sun for short periods of time. It is important to provide areas of skin affected by psoriasis with equal amounts of exposure. Care should be taken to avoid sunburns and a doctor should be consulted to ensure there is no sun damage occurring to the skin.
Oral Treatments	Prescription pills Oral medications are prescribed to treat severe psoriasis that is resistant to other types of treatment. Due to sever side effects, most of the prescribed medications are used only for brief periods of time. Retinoid's are a group of drugs that help to reduce production of skin cells and can have severe side effects. Women must avoid pregnancy for at least three years after taking the Retinoid Soriatane due to the risk of birth defects developing. Other risks include dryness of the mucous membranes, dry itchy skin, and hair loss. Methotrexate is another prescription drug used to decrease skin cell production and it also suppresses inflammation. If used for prolonged period of time it can cause serious liver damage and decrease the production of blood cells.	Detoxification Diet Starting a detoxification diet may help keep psoriasis outbreaks under control by removing harmful toxins and poisons from your liver and body to cleanse and rebalance. You should consult with a doctor before starting any type of specialized diet. Allergies or sensitivities to food are common with psoriasis patients and can even trigger specific symptoms. Avoiding foods that cause allergies can bring improvement to the condition.
Water Therapy		Dead Sea Salt ⁴ Soaking in a bath of Dead Sea salt may help to remove psoriasis scales. Dead sea salts have a high mineral content and work to detoxify the body by pulling toxins out and away from the body. Successful research has been conducted to test the effectiveness of using Dead Sea salts as a psoriasis treatment.