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Psoriasis can be worrying, especially when you see your child struggle with itching or discomfort.

For most kids, psoriasis is limited to just a few patches that usually respond well to treatment. More serious cases might need more aggressive treatment. But the good news is that there are many options. If one treatment doesn't work, another probably will.

Psoriasis (suh-RYE-uh-sus) is a non-contagious disease that causes skin cells to build up on the surface of the skin, forming itchy red raised areas(plaques) and thick scales. It can appear anywhere on the body but is most commonly found on the scalp, knees, elbows, and torso.

Psoriasis is a long-lasting (chronic) condition that can get better or worse, seemingly at random. It may go away completely before suddenly reappearing.

For many kids, psoriasis is just a minor inconvenience; for others, though, it can be quite serious. Psoriasis can lead kids to feel self-conscious about their appearance. Sometimes that affects their emotions, and some kids may develop low self-esteem and even depression as a result.

Right now, there's no cure for psoriasis, but a number of good options are available to treat the symptoms. Lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy diet and weight, also can help ease the symptoms.

Doctors aren't sure why people get psoriasis, but they do know how the disease works. White blood cells known as T lymphocytes or T cells are part of the immune system. They travel through the bloodstream fighting off bacteria, viruses, and other things that cause illnesses. When someone has psoriasis, however, T cells attack healthy skin as if they were trying to fight an infection or heal a wound.

Skin cells, which are made deep in the skin, normally take about a month to rise to the surface, where they die and are sloughed off. When psoriasis triggers T cells to attack healthy skin, the immune system responds by sending more blood to the area and making more skin cells and more white blood cells. This forces skin cells to rise to the surface in a few days instead of a month. The dead skin and white blood cells can't be shed quickly enough, and they build up on the surface of the skin as thick, red patches. As the skin cells die, they form silvery scales that eventually flake off.

Psoriasis isn't contagious. Some people inherit the genes that make them susceptible to having it. Many with psoriasis have an immediatefamily member who also has the disease.

Risk factors that can increase the chances of psoriasis outbreaks include:

People with psoriasis will most likely have one or more of these symptoms:

There are many different types of psoriasis that all have their own symptoms. Common types include:

Usually, diagnosis of psoriasis is fairly straightforward. The doctor will physically examine your child's skin, scalp, and nails and ask you and your child some questions. The doctor may ask if anyone in your family has psoriasis and if your child recently had an illness or started a new medication.

On rare occasions, the doctor may remove a skin sample (do a biopsy) to examine it more closely. A biopsy can tell the doctor whether it's psoriasis or another condition with similar symptoms.

There are lots of ways to treat psoriasis, and different things work for different people. Be sure to talk with a doctor to figure out what treatments work best for your child.

Psoriasis treatments fall into three categories:

A doctor might try one therapy and then switch to another, or recommend a combination of therapies. It's not always easy to find a therapy that works, and sometimes what works for a time will stop being effective. It's important to work closely with the doctor to stay on top of your child's treatment.

Besides following your doctor's advice, you can help your child by makinghealthy lifestyle choices:

Most psoriasis will respond well to treatment, but it's important to stay on top of it. If your child should apply an ointment twice a day, remind him or her to do so; if a little more sun is recommended, join your child for a daily walk. Your efforts, and your child's, will help control psoriasis symptoms.

Date reviewed: April 2015

The rest is here:
Psoriasis - kidshealth.org

Psoriasis is a skin condition that creates red patches of skin with white, flaky scales. It most commonly occurs on the elbows, knees and trunk, but can appear anywhere on the body. The first episode usually strikes between the ages of 15 and 35. It is a chronic condition that will then cycle through flare-ups and remissions throughout the rest of the patient's life. Psoriasis affects as many as 7.5 million people in the United States. About 20,000 children under age 10 have been diagnosed with psoriasis.

In normal skin, skin cells live for about 28 days and then are shed from the outermost layer of the skin. With psoriasis, the immune system sends a faulty signal which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. Skin cells mature in a matter of 3 to 6 days. The pace is so rapid that the body is unable to shed the dead cells, and patches of raised red skin covered by scaly, white flakes form on the skin.

Psoriasis is a genetic disease (it runs in families), but is not contagious. There is no known cure or method of prevention. Treatment aims to minimize the symptoms and speed healing.

There are five distinct types of psoriasis:

People who have psoriasis are at greater risk for contracting other health problems, such as heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes. It has also been linked to a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, depression, obesity and other immune-related conditions.

Psoriasis triggers are specific to each person. Some common triggers include stress, injury to the skin, medication allergies, diet and weather.

Psoriasis is classified as Mild to Moderate when it covers 3% to 10% of the body and Moderate to Severe when it covers more than 10% of the body. The severity of the disease impacts the choice of treatments.

Mild to moderate psoriasis can generally be treated at home using a combination of three key strategies: over-the-counter medications, prescription topical treatments and light therapy/phototherapy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved of two active ingredients for the treatment of psoriasis: salicylic acid, which works by causing the outer layer to shed, and coal tar, which slows the rapid growth of cells. Other over-the-counter treatments include:

Prescription topicals focus on slowing down the growth of skin cells and reducing any inflammation. They include:

Controlled exposure of skin to ultraviolet light has been a successful treatment for some forms of psoriasis. Three primary light sources are used:

Treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis include prescription medications, biologics and light therapy/phototherapy.

Oral medications. This includes acitretin, cyclosporine and methotrexate. Your doctor will recommend the best oral medication based on the location, type and severity of your condition.

Biologics. A new classification of injectable drugs, biologics are designed to suppress the immune system. These tend to be very expensive and have many side effects, so they are generally reserved for the most severe cases.

Light Therapy/Phototherapy. Controlled exposure of skin to ultraviolet light has been a successful treatment for some forms of psoriasis. Two primary light sources are used:

More:
Psoriasis - Dermatologist in Sugar Land, TX

Top Psoriasis Treatment

Dermasis

Psoriasis Free For Life Psoriasis Free For Life is the best treatment program for psoriasis. It treats all kind of psoriasis and is suited on all skin types. It is effective as it targets the source of the problems. Its worth using this method. It works in three basic steps. This system teaches you precisely what you have to do, what you should be eating, and what changes you will need to make to improve immune system naturally and lower the allergens and toxic ingredients from your system.

Before you find the best psoriasis treatment, you first need to figure out what is causing the problem in the first place. Psoriasis can be caused by a combination of many different factors. Since each person is different and is affected differently, there is no standard solution.

The main causes of psoriasis remains a mystery. Research has shown that about 30% of the causes of psoriasis are related to family genetic. However, there are some lifestyle choices that may be a factor as well. Obesity, excessive drinking, stress, anxiety, over exposure to the sun, and even some drugs can cause psoriasis.

To have a good understanding of psoriasis treatment you need to comprehend how our normal skin works. During the course of a month, the skin cells go through their lifestyle process.

The skin is made up of three layers. The top layer is called the epidermis, which is the part of your skin you can see. At the bottom of the epidermis, new skin cells form and move toward the top. This top layer stays alive for about 28-30 days, before dying and falling away.

When a person suffers with psoriasis, the new skin cells develop much more quickly and force themselves through the top layer of skin. These new cells cause an accumulation of dead skin on the surface. These areas of patchy, scaly, red skin are more commonly known as plaques. The most commonly affected areas are the scalp, elbows, knees, or knuckles, but it can show up anywhere in the body. When these areas are affected psoriasis treatment is required.

By choosing good foods you are providing your body with not only the needed fuel but also with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals you need for a healthy body. Some food including those with good fatty acids may help with reducing any inflammations caused by your psoriasis. Food is one of the major factors in your psoriasis treatment.

What to eat?

Fish which is high in Omega 3 oils are best as they contain the fatty acid known as Eicosapentanoic Acid (EPA) and are good for psoriasis treatment. Fish that contain Omega 3 includes:

Besides fish there are other good foods which are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. These foods include various edible rich seeds such as Flax seeds, Sesame seeds and Sunflower seeds. You can mix the seeds in breakfast cereals and other foods, or add to natural yogurts, for better taste and nutrition. You can also lather the oils on your skin. This psoriasis treatment will help your body to fight off psoriasis.

Foods which contain high levels of beta carotene are good for psoriasis treatment. The body converts the beta carotene into needed Vitamin A which is required for healthy skin. Foods that contain beta carotene included:

Food which is rich in selenium may also help with people suffering from psoriasis. Foods that are rich in selenium are:

Vegetables which contain folate provide immunity against many allergies, diseases and auto-immune diseases. Examples of such vegetables are:

What to avoid?

Red meats including beef and dairy products

Preserved meats including:

All types of Alcohol including:

Citrus foods are known to trigger psoriasis to flare up. These include:

Spices and condiments including:

Based on the foods above which you should either avoid or eat in moderation, you can choose a balanced and psoriasis friendly diet as a good way of psoriasis treatment.

The problem with changing your diet is that the foods that are good for your body may actually cause a flare-up. Fruits can help fight aging of the skin, but they can also cause flare-ups. Adding in some fish and nuts that contain Omega-3 fatty acids is good for the skin as well. Omega-3 can help prevent future breakouts and reduce the amount of time for current flare-ups to heal.

If you are suffering from psoriasis, your body has many toxins. One way to get rid of these toxins is to detoxify your body. Methods you can use for psoriasis treatment include detoxification products from the drug store and herbal teas. These herbal teas contain ingredients which are organic and caffeine free. You can also try a one day fast consuming only certain beverages to quench your thirst.

There are several natural cures when dealing with psoriasis treatment.

Proper bathing and showering are necessary in dealing with psoriasis and preventing future outbreaks. Baths or showers should be short and in moderately warm water. Bathing too long in hot water will dry out and irritate the skin. It is also a good idea to Bathing in mineral, vegetable, or olive oil will also help to relief the itching and inflammation. Apply some moisturizer on your body after the bath or shower.

Drink plenty of water.

It will keep the skin and body hydrated and ward off outbreaks. This is one of the cheapest ways for psoriasis treatment.

Olive, Calendula and Oregano Oil Rub.

Pour a bit of olive oil into a cup. Add 2 drops of calendula oil and 1 drop of oregano oil and mix them well. Take some of the mixture and rub it on the areas of your body affected until it is completely absorbed into your skin. Make this mixture only when you want to apply it to your body.

Wheat Germ Oil and Castor Oil

Thoroughly mix the two oils consisting one part of wheat germ and two parts of castor. Apply this mixture for a few months.

Chamomile Flowers and Burdock Seeds

Take about 25 grams of burdock seed and chamomile flowers and simmer them in 600 ml of water for about 15 minutes. Sieve the mixture and add some honey to sweeten the decoction. Then pour it into a clean bottle and store it in the refrigerator until required. Consume 3 tablespoons of the decoction 3 to 4 times a day on a regular basis. This will help cleanse your body and correct any imbalances which may aggravate your psoriasis.

Lime Juice and Bitter Gourd

Squeeze some bitter gourd to produce a cup of fresh bitter gourd juice. Add one teaspoon of fresh lime juice and mix them well. Drink this mixture daily for about 4 to 5 days.

Marigold Shampoo

Boil 4 fresh marigold heads in a pan with 4 cups of water for about 2 minutes. Strain the liquid into a large bowl and let it to cool down. Then take about 5 to 6 tablespoons of this liquid into your palm and massage it into your scalp and leave it for about 30 minutes. Wash your hair with mild shampoo preferably one that does not contain laurel sulphite.

Jojoba Oil Scalp Massage

This natural oil has similar properties as your skins natural sebum levels and is great for psoriasis treatment.

Pour about 5 to 6 tablespoons of pure jojoba oil onto your palm and rub it into your scalp. Leave this on your head for about 30 minutes so that it seeps into the thickened skin of the psoriasis. Wash and rinse your hair with shampoo, preferably one that does not contain laurel sulphite. For maximum effect apply this 3 to 4 times weekly.

Olive Oil Massage

This oil massage is effective for psoriasis scales on your scalp. Warm some olive oil and massage it into your scalp. Leave it for about 30 minutes and then rinse it off.

Hydrating Skin Mousse

Mix 3 teaspoons (15ml) of aloe vera with 1 teaspoon (5ml) of jojoba oil thoroughly. Once the mixture thickens add a further teaspoon(2.5ml) of aloe vera gel and stir the mixture until it turns into an opaque light cream color. Keep this mixture in a glass jar and apply it when required for your psoriasis treatment.

Summary for Psoriasis Treatment

It may take time to try out which psoriasis treatments are effective for you, and is definitely worth all the effort and time. It is advisable to try out each method described here one at a time and see the result before moving to the next. The best and fastest way for you to control your psoriasis is to have a balanced diet which includes good foods in the food pyramid. Choosing these foods will not only give your body the required daily energy but also the vitamins, nutrients and minerals to build a strong and healthy immune system. While conventional medicine may not provide you with a permanent cure for your Psoriasis, discovering the natural ways to deal with the symptoms and controlling the outbreaks can make all the difference in the your life. Hopefully, one of the natural remedies outlined here may provide you with the best psoriasis treatment.

There are three levels of psoriasis treatment that your doctor will offer you with respect to conventional medications.

These include 1: Topical treatment, 2: Phototheraphy 3: Systemic psoriasis medications that involves pills or injections.

Doctors Conventional Psoriasis Medications

All of these conventional treatments treat the psoriasis symptoms by slowing down the growth of the psoriatic skin cells. If you are thinking of using any of these psoriasis medications you may initially experience some psoriasis relief. In many instances, you will find that conventional psoriasis treatment soon lose their effectiveness and your psoriasis patches flares up again.

If you stop using them altogether, your psoriasis could become even worse than before. So just be aware of this and get all the information you need beforehand.

The psoriasis treatment themselves may frustrate you and cause you some stress. For example, the phototherapy sessions can be several times a week often leading up to a year and beyond. You will need to find time for this and probably have to juggle ways to fit it into your lifestyle. If you have children, it could be even trickier fitting-in schedules around them and so on.

The side effects of the drugs as well as not getting the significant psoriasis clearing you so deserve can add even more stress. Remember, stress is a big trigger factor for psoriasis and it is the one thing that you should try and avoid at all times. Stress could well be the major trigger factor that triggered your psoriasis symptoms in the first place.

Common Psoriasis Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you really feel that your psoriasis is causing you a lot of embarrassment and is making you, put-off all important visits to your doctor, it may be a good idea to make a list of questions. You can hand this list to your doctor.

List the things that you want to ask, so that you dont forget while you are in his/ her surgery. This way, you will get all your questions answered and know more about your psoriasis medications and their side effects and so on.

Your doctor, I am sure have seen it all before and probably have even seen worse cases than yours, so there is no need to feel anxious or be embarrassed. He/ she will be more than understanding about your personal wellbeing. So if you can just hold the thought, that there are much worse cases than yours, it may help you gain courage.

Some good common psoriasis questions to ask your doctor are as follows:

The answers to the question that you have listed are a good starting point. It will help you decide on the best psoriasis treatment to begin-with.

Now that you have a good set of answers, simply weigh up the pros and cons of the psoriasis treatments available to you. You will now be more confident in your choice of treatments. Also, it may be a good idea to discuss the treatment options with your family or close friend and so on, to further help you make that all important decision as well as getting some good moral support.

What you can do in the meantime is read-up, do some research on the internet/ library and familiarise yourself with psoriasis and psoriasis treatments (conventional and natural psoriasis treatments). This will help put your mind at rest so that you fully understand the directions for using your medication, the side effects they pose before you start using them.

If your psoriasis is mild to moderate, your doctor will most likely start you off on topical psoriasis treatment. These are psoriasis medications like creams and ointments that are specially formulated to slow down the rate of your itchy skin cell growth. These medications also help to reduce your skin itching. The list includes corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues (Dovonex, calcipotriol, calcitriol and tacalcitol), dermovate, dithranol, tazarotene (retinoid), coal tar (bath and shampoo) and thick moisturisers or emollient cream (cetraben).

From my own experience, I avoided any long list of ingredients on moisturisers i.e., the ones with the names that are hard to pronounce, including E numbers, preservatives and the presence of other chemicals. I tended to stick with my simple mantra- if I cant eat it I will not put it on my skin. I often used virgin olive oil and virgin coconut oil (100%- nothing added and nothing taken out). I also used other cold press oils that are high in vitamin E such as flax seed oils, Argan (Moroccan) oils, almond oils and grape seed oils and so on.

Similarly, if you have moderate to severe psoriasis symptoms, your doctor may send you to a psoriasis treatment centre that offers phototherapy. Here ultraviolet, the same as what you get from sunlight, but more filtered is used in controlled exposures. Coal tar can also be used with light therapy in severe psoriasis cases.

For a more targeted approach laser treatment for psoriasis is used. This technique emits highly focused beams of light directly onto the psoriasis lesions. Its relatively new and has shown some successes with smaller risk of skin cancers.

However, the treatments that are currently available are limited to only a few private clinics in the UK. There is more availability in the US.

Systemic psoriasis treatment affect the whole body (or system) and are therefore not targeted like topical psoriasis treatments and laser therapy. They are often given as the second line of treatment to sufferers that have not responded to other psoriasis medications.

Its use is therefore limited to cases of severe psoriasis symptoms. There are several drugs that doctors can use but you must be aware, that some of these have some nasty side effects. The list are as follows: methotrexate, ciclosporin (brand name Neoral), and acitretin (Neotigason).

Methotrexate- can cause liver disease and lung problems.

Ciclosporin- (immunosuppressant) can cause damage to the kidneys, raise blood pressure, increase hair growth, gum growth, flu-like symptoms and tiredness.

You will also need to avoid grapefruit. It is extremely important to let your doctor know of all the supplements or medicines that you are taking. This is because some of these like St Johns Worth and Ginseng can interact with the systemic medicines.

Biologics are specially designed to correct something going wrong, for example insulin for diabetes is a biologic. These are a relatively new class of treatment for psoriasis and are made from living cells. Biologics for psoriasis works by suppressing your immune system. Because of this, they can leave you extremely susceptible to other serious infections.

These drugs include etanercept (Embrel), adalimumab, infliximab (Remicade) and ustekinumab.

There are many natural treatments for psoriasis available to you. Many psoriasis sufferers have used psoriasis natural treatments with good rates of success, to get some or even complete psoriasis remission.

One psoriasis treatment that is tried and tested from the beginning of time is of course the sun. The vitamin that sunshine helps your body make, slows down the growth of the fast growing psoriasis skin cells.

Holidays by the seaside are especially beneficial for your skin. There is plenty of fresh air, sunshine, sea water and you feel less stressed just by being there. All of these great beneficial factors work in synergy with your mind, body and soul to heal your psoriatic skin.

Another powerful treatment is visiting the Dead Sea in Israel. The sea water here is about 10 times more salty (healing salts are more concentrated) than the oceans and the sunlight is said to be unique. The mud treatment- see above picture is very relaxing and healing and you really feel pampered.

It is believed that the Dead Sea has its own ozone layer which filters out more of the damaging rays that cause sunburns, ageing and skin cancer. Because of this, you can enjoy the benefits of the healing sun rays for much longer periods of time, than you would normally do elsewhere.

Studies have shown that about 85% of psoriasis sufferers improved greatly after visiting the Dead Sea and maintaining good clear skin for many months afterwards. So if you can afford it, I think its well worth a visit. Then there are psoriasis diets, alkalization juices and diets, detoxification of the colon, kidneys and liver cleanses.

Because these are large topics in their own right, I have decided to dedicate them their own special pages in order to fully grant them the justice they deserve. I will write separate articles on them.

Psoriasis refers to a severe chronic skin disease in which the persons skin gets affected in a way that thick red silvery scaled patches are formed on the skin. This, in other words can also be defined as an inflammatory condition of the skin, which can affect both the genders normally in the age of 15 to 30 years and rarely the infants and the elders are found to be affected by it.

The major cause of psoriasis is the over production of the cells, and that is when the immune system send faulty signals to the cells and thus it speeds up the cells growth cycle. It is neither contagious nor have pro-active dermatological symptoms and instead causes the patches to appear on the skin. There are a series of treatments which one can think of to undergo to get it cured; however the safest means is to try out home cures for psoriasis.

One of the best natural home cures for psoriasis is to use the Himalayan salt as this is considered to be the best natural remedy against the chronic skin condition dually endorsed by the Bavarian consumer protection agency and as well as the German ZDF in 2003. The Himalayan salt was produced about 250 millions years ago when the original prehistoric ocean was dried out. It normally comes out in white, pink, reddish or some times transparent color. Upon mixing up with spring water, it forms a solution called the brine which is used to treat any skin infection.

Contrary to the cost that one might spend on the common treatments like external applications to drugs, the Himalayan salt is really cost effective and congruous to your budget. The Himalayan salt is one of the best anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent, which comprises of 84 different natural elements (without any impurity) which altogether are pretty essential for our body functioning. Some of the elements that favor the skin conditions are Calcium, Iodine, Zinc, Silica, Sulphur, Selenium, Magnesium, Chromium, and Potassium respectively. The major functioning of these elements is that these fight against inflammations and other such conditions, prevents scarring i.e. effectively heals the skin tissues through regulation of the oil glands activities and thus promoting the immune system which heals the wounds, bursts, and lacerations more effectively.

In addition to this, the metabolic rate of the skin is enhanced, by increasing its oxygen consumption and thus resulting in smooth and clear skin. There are numerous ways how you can utilize this home cure for psoriasis, and normally it is taken orally. It can be taken orally through various methods like drinking therapy, flavoring meals and many more. In addition to the in-take, one can take bath with this water as that can leave your skin very soothing, calming with natural healing effects as the normal bath extracts all the minerals from the skin where as the Himalayan salt bath enriches your skin with its natural minerals. In addition to treating the psoriasis naturally, it has some silent positive aspects too from which you will be benefited and those are the balancing of pH value of your cells, enhancing respiratory health, maintaining blood sugar level, relieving body pains, promotes cardio-vascular health, and maintain blood pressure etc.

Regular visitors to this site know that I am constantly adding material which will help psoriasis sufferers that might not be mainstream. Since not all psoriasis patients can find relief with the same treatment, a patient may have to search far and wide to find a psoriasis treatment solution that works for them. That being the case, I have come across a treatment solution that warrants your consideration. As the title gives it away, it involves the use of honey.

Now before you run out and buy a gallon of the stuff to pour all over you, you need to keep reading and pick up some tips in order to prudently use honey for your psoriasis treatment solution. Sure, the stuff is sweet and gooey and performs wonders on most food that it touches, but did you also know that honey possess anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. Honey can become your emollient of choice if you use it wisely. It will soothe your skin, while softening your plaques and helping with their removal.

There are several psoriasis treatment solutions using honey, circulating in the popular press. The two most common formulations are made as follows:

1) A mixture of honey and bees wax and olive oil

You make this recipe by using equal parts of the three ingredients. If you do not already own a mortar and pestle as part of your cooking utensils, this would be a good opportunity to get one. Start out by making a small batch. The first thing you would do is to place one tablespoon of bees wax in the mortar. Next, add one tablespoon of olive oil into the mortar. Now take the pestle and mix the two together, until you have a smooth mixture. At this point, you can add the final ingredient, which is one tablespoon of honey. Once again, mix thoroughly until smooth.

2) A mixture of honey and petroleum jelly in equal parts

Just as before, place a tablespoon of petroleum jelly and a tablespoon of honey and mix the two ingredients until smooth.

Once you are happy with the results of either formulation, you can then scale up the batch quantity. Mix enough of the ingredients so that you will have enough to apply the mixture to the affected area once or twice per day for a week. If necessary, you can apply it for a second week. You will find that either of the above psoriasis treatment solutions using should bring long lasting relief to you. It will soothe the skin by adding moisture and reducing redness and inflammation.

More here:
Natural Treatment For Psoriasis - Psoriasis Treatment Advice