Psoriasis is a frustrating skin condition that comes and goes, staying in remission before suddenly flaring up. However, you may prevent psoriasis outbreaks by identifying and avoiding what triggers a flare.
Our team at Allure Dermatology works closely with each person, recommending ways to prevent outbreaks and helping them keep the skin disease in remission. Here are our top five tips for avoiding a psoriasis flare-up.
Regularly applying a moisturizer prevents dry skin, which stops you from itching, scratching, and triggering a flare. Keeping your skin moisturized protects the skin barrier, maintains skin hydration, and protects it from bacteria and environmental irritants.
Moisturizers with added ingredients like preservatives, antibacterial agents, and fragrances can irritate sensitive skin. We can recommend products, or you can also consider purchasing moisturizers with the National Psoriasis Foundation Seal of Recognition.
Apply a moisturizer at least once or twice daily or as often as your skin needs for optimal protection. You can also optimize the moisturizer’s impact by applying it within five minutes after showering or washing your hands or face.
Sunlight is a trigger for psoriasis for many people. However, ultraviolet light (UV) is also a psoriasis treatment.
Whether sunlight is a trigger or beneficial, it’s still essential to protect yourself from skin cancer by wearing SPF 30 or higher sunscreen.
You can avoid the trigger, prevent skin cancer, and get the benefits of ultraviolet light with controlled phototherapy, a treatment we offer in the office.
Stress is a trigger for nearly half of people with psoriasis. In addition to causing a flare-up, stress worsens a psoriasis outbreak in most patients.
The negative effects of stress extend beyond psoriasis. Ongoing stress raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, tenses muscles, disrupts gut health, and leads to weight gain.
Try some of the following tips to destress and find a better balance:
Consider talking with a counselor if you can’t reduce stress or have overwhelming anxiety.
Though more research is needed to verify a link between specific diets and improving psoriasis, following an anti-inflammatory diet may reduce flares in inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis.
Anti-inflammatory diets like the Mediterranean and DASH diets are healthy and provide balanced nutrition — an approach beneficial for everyone, whether they have psoriasis, need to lose weight, or want to stay healthy and prevent chronic diseases.
Anti-inflammatory diets suggest eating foods that fight inflammation while limiting pro-inflammatory foods.
Foods recommended for fighting inflammation include:
Anti-inflammatory diets recommend limiting but not eliminating red meat. Foods to avoid because they promote inflammation include products with added sugar, refined grains (white flour and white rice), processed meats (hot dogs and canned meats), and fried foods.
Anti-inflammatory diets also recommend limiting alcohol, which is good for psoriasis. Psoriasis treatments work better, and you’re more likely to stay in remission longer when restricting alcohol.
Though some triggers are more common than others, numerous factors can activate a flare-up. Here are a few examples:
It only takes minor injuries like a small cut, bug bite, sunburn, or skin damage from vigorous scratching to activate the immune response leading to a psoriasis outbreak.
You may not be able to prevent all illnesses and infections, but it helps to know that they increase the risk of psoriasis flare. You may prevent a flare-up by paying extra attention to skincare.
Certain medications trigger psoriasis, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and beta-blockers.
We can help you determine if medication may contribute to your flare-ups. In the meantime, don’t stop taking medications without consulting your prescribing healthcare provider.
Our experienced and caring dermatologists can treat psoriasis and guide your ongoing care to prevent flare-ups. Schedule a consultation by calling the office or booking online today.
