SIMPLE TIPS ON HOW TO MANAGE PSORIASIS
Psoriasis is a severe skin condition that lasts for the long term. Below are some tips on how to effectively manage psoriasis:
- Get Enough Information About Psoriasis: Knowledge, they say, is power. Knowing enough information about psoriasis will help you to effectively manage it, as well as make informed decisions on the treatment plans. You will also be able to avoid the factors and substances that could trigger the occurrence of psoriasis or make it worse. Knowledge about psoriasis will also help you discuss boldly it with others.
- Take Good Care of Yourself: Ensure you consume a healthy diet, exercise regularly, avoid smoking, and consume little amount of alcohol if you can’t do away with it. Smoking, drinking, and being overweight worsen psoriasis and also make the treatment less effective. Affected persons are at greater risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, and other life-threatening diseases. It is therefore important that you take good care of yourself.
- Pay Special Attention to your joints: If your joints become stiff & sore, most especially when you wake up, you should visit a dermatology clinic London. Stiff or sore joints are usually the first sign of psoriatic arthritis. About 10-30% of affected persons develop this type of arthritis.Treatment is, therefore, essential because psoriatic arthritis can eat away and deform the joints. Prompt treatment will possibly prevent deformation of joints.
- Assess your nails: If you notice that your nails are pulling away from the nail beds or developing pitting, ridges, or a yellowish-orange colour, you need to visit a dermatologist immediately. These are the major signs of psoriatic arthritis.
- Observe your mood: If you are expressing a low mood or feel depressed, you may decide to join a psoriasis support group or even visit a mental health expert. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviour are now prevalent among persons affected with psoriasis. Getting help for this skin condition is a sign of strength, not weakness; share your feelings.
- Learn about the treatment options for psoriasis. Some people do not necessarily treat psoriasis, but it is very important to know your treatment options. This will help you in making informed decisions.
- Let your dermatologist know if you can’t afford the medications. You may be eligible to get financial assistance.
- Discuss with your dermatologist before you stop taking the prescribed medicine: Suddenly stopping the intake of a prescribed psoriasis medicine can be consequential. It can make one type of psoriasis to develop into another type, which could be more serious. For instance, a person who is affected by plaque psoriasis takes a prescribed medicine called methotrexate. If the person abruptly stops taking methotrexate, this can make the plaque psoriasis develops into guttate psoriasis or erythrodermic psoriasis, which is more fatal.
PSORIASIS: MEDICATIONS
To help affected patients figure out how much psoriasis medicine to apply on the affected skin, dermatologists have developed an easy-to-use approach regarded as the “fingertip unit.” To make use of this approach, you need just the psoriasis medicine and your washed fingertip. A fingertip unit is equivalent to the amount of medicine that you can spread on your fingertip.
Following this approach, every part of the body requires a certain number of fingertip units. For instance, if there is psoriasis on most areas of your scalp, you will need to apply just three fingertip units of the psoriasis medicine on your scalp. If psoriasis covers your entire elbow, you’d have to apply one fingertip unit.
When next you need to use psoriasis medication on your skin, ensure you look at the directions on the table below. It contains information on how many fingertip units to you need to apply to each part of the body that is affected by the condition.
Area of application | Required fingertip units |
The Scalp | 3 |
Soles of your feet | 1.5 |
One leg and foot | 8 |
Face and neck | 2.5 |
Elbow (psoriasis covers most of elbow) | 1 |
One hand (front and back) including fingers | 1 |
Genitals | 0.5 |
Trunk (from the bottom of the neck to hipbones) | 8 |
Buttocks | 4 |
Knees (psoriasis covers most of knee) | 1 |
WHERE TO SEEK HELP & ADVICE
Clear Skin London provides professional skincare to those affected with psoriasis. If you need to speak with a Dermatologist in London, you can walk into our Dermatology Clinic situated at First floor, 117A Harley St, Marylebone, London W1G 6AT, Uk. You can also contact us on the phone by dialling 020 71833648.