Soothing the Itch
Psoriasis causes you to suffer from an itchy sensation that is often difficult to get rid of without the proper treatment. While this symptom alone can be hard to deal with, you can have peace of mind in knowing there’s a variety of ways you can sooth this itch and continue on with your life.
By learning more about soothing the itch that comes along with Psoriasis, you can prevent this symptom from getting you down, and live your life to the fullest.
Control and Distraction
One of the first and most important things to understand when dealing with the itch that comes with psoriasis is that scratching is not recommended. No matter how bad or annoying the itch is, and how good it may feel to scratch it, scratching will not help or make the itching sensation go away. Rather, it will eventually return.
Learning self-control over itching is one of the most difficult things individuals with psoriasis have to do. It takes time and dedication to stop yourself from scratching, especially when it has become such a reflex. So, controlling the itch means learning to take your mind off the sensation.
Try distracting yourself by reading a book or taking a walk. Taking your mind off of the itching sensation and redirecting it can prove to be effective. While trying to distract yourself, remind yourself how scratching will only increase the severity of your psoriasis instead of helping. This is the main key to learning self-control over the itch, reminding yourself why scratching your itches is not a good idea.
Try these tips for controlling the itch!
Use Moisturizer
While moisturizing your skin is important for everyone, it’s even more important for those with psoriasis. When you provide your skin with the moisture it needs, you are helping to reduce the symptoms of psoriasis, such as drying of the skin, redness, soreness, and scaling, all which lead to itchiness. Aside from reducing the itchiness of psoriasis, it can also help your skin heal quicker when you have an outbreak.
For the moisturizer to work properly, you need to use the right type. To find the right type for your condition, you need to first determine how dry your skin is. For almost all patients with psoriasis, you’ll want to use a heavy cream that is able to penetrate the skin deeply. Cream products are the most moisturizing, as lotions are thin in consistency, and may not be able to penetrate the skin.
You can also opt for a jelly-like product to moisturize deeply. Products like petroleum are cheap to buy, but they work to provide lots of moisture to the skin.
Choosing the right time to apply the moisturizer is also important. The best time to apply is after a shower or bath, while your skin is still moist. Rather than rubbing the lotion in, you want to gently pat it on the skin for it to work most effectively.
While starting your moisture regimen is most effective after a shower, you also want to apply the product throughout the day to ensure your skin is getting the moisture it needs.
Bathe Daily
While some patients with psoriasis think that bathing each day will dry their skin out more, this is actually false. However, when using a bath to sooth the itchy sensation of psoriasis, you need to create a soothing bath that will not dry the skin.
Adding moisturizing products to your bath, like oil, oatmeal, and Epson salt prevents your skin from drying out, offers excess moisture, and also offers your skin with warmth from the water.
Avoid using soap that is harsh on the skin, as this can lead to further drying. Most professionals say that natural soap made from essential oils and oatmeal are most effective for this type of condition.
After bathing, rather than rubbing the skin, which can cause more irritation, you’ll want to dry the skin off in a gentle patting motion.
Remember to apply your lotion as stated on the previous page, and your skin will feel free from itchiness from much of the day.
Spend Time in the Sun
The sun is one of the most effective healers for patients with psoriasis. The suns natural UV rays help ease the itchiness of psoriasis, as it works to sooth inflamed areas, booth the skin, and promote healing in areas where lesions are present.
While outdoor lighting is most effective, you can even use the tanning bed to rid yourself of the itchiness from psoriasis. Tanning beds also dry out the area, but in a positive way, which leads to healing.
Remember that while time spent in the sun is great for healing, you don’t want to overdo it. The sun can cause a lot of damage when done in excess, so limit your exposure to 1-2 hours a day, always using sunblock.
Reduce Stress
Stress causes psoriasis to act up, and can even make your itchiness worse. In some cases, an outbreak shows up for the first time in someone’s life during a period of high stress. By reducing your stress levels, you’ll reduce the likelihood of an outbreak, which will reduce your itchiness.
While preventing stress all-together is impossible, there’s several effective coping techniques you can use to reduce the number of stress hormones in your body.
Final Thoughts
These tips and remedies mentioned in this article should be used in combination with any recommendations that your doctor has for treating your psoriasis.
If you find that the itching sensation is consistent, it might be time to contact your doctor or a dermatologist and talk about reevaluating your psoriasis treatment plan. You may need to change medications or increase dosages in order to properly combat your psoriasis.