While your psoriasis stays in remission, it’s easy to forget this is a lifelong disease that can suddenly reappear a Psoriasis Specialist — Hicksville, NY: Allure Dermatology: Dermatologistnytime. And when a flare-up occurs, no one is ever fully prepared for the physical and emotional impact.
Itching and pain affect your every movement and disrupt your sleep. Many people become depressed and anxious. The touch of clothes may be uncomfortable, and embarrassment over the appearance of psoriasis plaques affects your social and personal life.
A severe psoriasis flare-up calls for intensive self-care combined with expert medical care from Theresa Durchhalter, DO, FAAD, at Allure Dermatology. She offers a wide range of advanced therapies that clear your psoriasis quickly, restore beautiful skin, and help to prevent future flares.
Here are five tips to follow when a psoriasis flare-up begins.
When it comes to caring for psoriasis and easing a flare-up, the first step is moisturizing your skin with a gentle, fragrance-free cream or lotion. These products seal in moisture, ease itchiness, and protect the skin’s natural barrier.
Using a thick cream gets better results during a flare-up. You may be able to switch to a lightweight lotion between flares. No matter which product you use, be sure to apply it after every bath, shower, and hand washing, and as frequently as needed.
If you’ve been treated for psoriasis, chances are you’re already familiar with this advice, but it’s important enough to repeat: Keep your skin-care gentle. Don’t use abrasive products like a rough washcloth or exfoliating scrubber.
Don’t subject your skin to hot water. Hot water dries your skin, which is a common psoriasis trigger. Heat alone can also trigger a flare-up.
Bathe or shower in cool or lukewarm water, limiting showers to five minutes and baths to 15 minutes or less. Adding soothing Epsom salts or colloidal oatmeal to your bath water can also ease itchiness and inflammation.
Stress is one of the top psoriasis triggers. If you don’t already have a plan to relax and unwind, it’s time to decide what works for you. Routinely de-stressing will help prevent flare-ups, and once a flare begins, easing your anxiety and relaxing your body will help it heal.
You may want to consider meditation, yoga, tai chi, listening to music, mindfulness, or simply retreating to a quiet place and relaxing. Activities like walking may also help, as long as you don’t expose yourself to heat, cold, or other psoriasis triggers.
Psoriasis is usually itchy, but the worst thing you can do is scratch. Scratching damages your skin, and that’s a major psoriasis trigger likely to prolong your flare-up.
You can try using a topical anti-itch lotion, but be careful because it may contain ingredients irritating your psoriasis.
Here’s another tip. Put your body cream or lotion in the refrigerator. When you feel the urge to itch, smooth some of the cold cream over the area. The coolness and the moisturizer take the edge off the itchiness. Alternatively, you can also place a cool cloth over the itchy area.
Seeking treatment for a flare-up is essential for easing your symptoms and healing your current psoriasis. But that’s not the only benefit you’ll gain from expert medical care. Prompt treatment lowers your risk for future flare-ups and complications.
During a flare-up, your immune system is overactive. This leads to body-wide inflammation, putting you at risk for heart disease, psoriatic arthritis, and other complications.
In addition to topical, oral, and injectable medications that reduce inflammation and relieve symptoms, we also offer advanced therapies like biologic medications, narrow-band ultraviolet light B (NB-UVB) therapy, and laser treatment with NeoSkin by Aerolase®:
Biologic medicines target specific cells in your immune system associated with psoriasis, slowing their activity, reducing inflammation, and stopping the rapid cellular growth responsible for psoriasis.
Carefully controlled UVB therapy reduces inflammation and slows the growth of skin cells. NB-UVB uses a smaller range of ultraviolet light, providing faster relief and helping to keep psoriasis in remission longer.
This cutting-edge laser technology suppresses inflammation and clears away psoriasis. NeoSkin by Aerolase typically produces fast results, giving you quick relief from an uncomfortable flare-up.
Don’t wait to get exceptional care for a psoriasis flare-up. Call Allure Dermatology or use online booking to schedule
