There are few diseases that can catch up with psoriasis in the list of diseases. It’s not easy to “make a comeback”, so people can’t be bothered! In fact, in addition to the climate, emotions and other factors, skin care is not done well, is also an important reason for relapse.
The skin care process of psoriasis patients is more streamlined compared to that of ordinary people. It does not require cumbersome smearing of essence, mask and cream, it only requires moderate cleaning, scientific moisturizing and proper care of special parts.
The first hurdle of psoriasis skin care: stay away from all risk factors that aggravate skin lesions
Want good skin, hot bath?
Big mistake! The skin of psoriasis patients is relatively fragile, and the lesions are covered with a large number of scales, accompanied by a certain itchiness. If you use too hot water to take a shower or bath, it may cause the epidermis to lose its oil protection, resulting in dryness and itching, wrinkling and dehydration. At the same time, too high a water temperature will produce irritation and aggravate the itchiness of the patient’s skin lesions.
The correct way to bathe is to keep the bathing water temperature 35℃-37℃, and the bathing time should not exceed 15 min, and the best frequency is once a day. This is the best degree of skin tolerance for psoriasis patients.
If you can’t take a hot bath, then rubbing is always possible, right?
Light rubbing is fine, but vigorous rubbing should be absolutely avoided! Because excessive force may damage the epidermal barrier, triggering or aggravating the disease. It is recommended to use a towel to gently press the skin with minimal friction after the bath is completed to absorb the moisture.
The second hurdle of psoriasis skin care: clean care in place
The scales on the patient’s body surface not only affect the secretion of sweat glands, but also because the scales are the culture medium for various pathogens, which may prevent the normal physiological functions of the skin and mucous membranes from playing out, while activating the natural immune system, leading to the recurrence of psoriasis.
Therefore, cleanliness is the basis of psoriasis skin care.
Clear water bathing chart
It is recommended to choose the right cleanser, such as direct bathing with water, or using moisturizing cleansers or bath additives. Avoid using soaps and bubble baths, which may remove the natural lipids from the skin surface and subsequently disrupt the skin barrier function. It is also recommended to shower as much as possible, which is more hygienic compared to a bubble bath.
After the bath, topical skin barrier repair agents or moisturizers should be used as appropriate to help maximize skin hydration.
The third level of psoriasis skin care: moisturizing care is crucial
Moisturizing the skin of psoriasis patients can be a lifelong homework, which includes the work of selecting moisturizers, the way of using them and the precautions.
Skin moisturizing chart
(1) Choose the right moisturizer
It is recommended to give preference to skin barrier repair agents, which have certain auxiliary therapeutic effects on psoriasis, but need to be selected under personal comfort and affordability.
(2) Moisturizing method
Time of use: moisturizer can be used immediately after bathing, try to moisturize within 3 minutes after bathing. It can also be used after phototherapy, which can alleviate the dry skin and skin irritation reaction caused by phototherapy.
Secondly, because the skin is in a state of non-explicit water loss at night, it is better to use it before going to bed to reduce water loss. Due to individual differences in each person’s skin, the specific time of use varies.
Frequency of use: 1-2 times a day or more often depending on the dryness of the skin. The principle is to keep the skin in a moisturized state at all times.
Dosage: The general recommendation for adults is 500-600g per week, and the average dosage for children is about 250g per week.
Usage: It should be smoothly penetrated into the skin in the direction of hair growth. It is not advisable to massage repeatedly and forcefully, because too much friction will generate heat, stimulate circulation and trigger itching. Applying against the direction of hair may trigger folliculitis, especially when using oil-based ointment-based skin barrier repair agents. It is recommended to use it all over the body, and dryer skin areas such as the extremities can be focused on applying it.
Caution: The use of moisturizers or skin barrier repair agents needs to be applied at least 30 minutes apart from therapeutic topical medications. During the treatment period, the therapeutic topical medication can be used first, and then the skin barrier repair agent can be used. In the preventive period, a skin barrier repair agent can be used before a therapeutic topical medication.
Secondly, before moisturizing, you need to keep your hands clean to prevent cross infection. If the skin has a severe inflammatory reaction or if flaking is evident, a tingling sensation may occur when using the moisturizer, which can be continued or changed to another product. The tingling sensation will gradually disappear as the skin condition improves. If the tingling sensation persists, it is recommended to discontinue use and consult a doctor.
The fourth barrier to psoriasis skin care: skin care for special areas
For psoriasis in special areas, patients need special treatment.
For example, for scalp psoriasis, in addition to diligent washing and short haircut, glucocorticoid applicators suitable for the scalp can be used first, which can generally improve significantly in 1-2 weeks.
While taking care of the skin, patients also need to learn to self-regulate to relieve mental tension. And to ensure sufficient sleep and a good state of mind, regular life and relaxation are all keys to avoid psoriasis recurrence. In addition, diet should vary from person to person and there is no need to blindly avoid eating, but spicy and stimulating foods need to be avoided as much as possible.
The treatment process may be long and difficult, and you may also have to face a relapse situation that catches you by surprise from time to time, but it doesn’t matter, it is always better to persist in treatment and care than to do nothing at all.
References
[1]Yuan YY, Zheng J, Zhang T, et al. Skin care treatment of psoriasis [J]. Journal of practical dermatology,2019,12(04):240-241,248.