If you’re looking for an awesome natural approach to treating psoriasis (I had it for about a year before getting rid of it) then look no further because today’s post will cover an array of different remedies for this annoying skin condition.
Back in 2013, I noticed a couple of red, scaly and itchy patches across my stomach which refused to go away.
My family and I thought it may have been an allergic reaction to something I must have eaten out.
Unfortunately, as weeks went on, it spread to different parts of my body and grew in size! My stomach, elbows, chest, back, thighs, lower legs and even on my ear lobes! Worst of all was when it spread to my scalp.
Scalp psoriasis is insanely horrible!
Because it was all over my scalp, it would itch like hell every time I was outside or stressed or under any lights. I remember there was a time it caked my scalp so thick that when it itched, my t-shirt would be covered in scaly flakes (Yuck)!
By that point, I visited the dermatologist and he prescribed me two steroidal creams – one for my body and one for my scalp.
He warned me not to use it longer than 2 weeks and that I should control my stress.
Cool? Anything about diet? Nah! Nope! Nothing! Let me just say this, I went to the wrong doctor for psoriasis because this isn’t a ‘skin’ condition, it’s an immune system problem.
Why?
Well, psoriasis is an ‘Autoimmune’ disease.
Meaning that if you can get your immune system to function properly and reduce inflammation within your body, chances are that psoriasis will clear up (which is exactly what happened to me).
I wish that I visited a skin specialist who had in-depth knowledge on how to regulate the immune system.
Do Steroids Work?
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Yes! They do work! But, the problem with steroids is that they aren’t exactly a healthy permanent or lifelong treatment option.
Too many side effects and the probability of your body growing immune to medications can prove to be troublesome.
I tried the meds for 2 weeks and it did improve and heal my psoriasis pretty damn well.
But, weeks later it would return with a bang!
I had to search for an answer and I found that diet plays a huge factor in flare ups and regulating the immune system. You can read more on healing your body with food in this article.
5 Foods That Cause Psoriasis To Flare Up
According to my own personal experience and others, whom I’ve personally spoken to, the following foods or ingredients in products tend to aggravate or worsen our psoriasis symptoms.
As far as possible, try to limit or completely cut out the following items (obviously under the supervision of a medical professional) and monitor your symptoms.
1. Dairy
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If you’re either lactose intolerant or respond poorly to milk from cows that have been treated with high dosages of antibiotics, cut traditional dairy out.
In fact, even if you don’t have any of the above-mentioned issues, limit the consumption of dairy and opt for products enriched with lactase that is generally sourced from cows that are grass fed and not pumped with antibiotics.
This could drastically improve digestion of dairy and prevent inflammation.
For more information, check out this article on the connection between dairy and inflammation.
2. Wheat/Gluten
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The problem with most products that contain wheat and gluten these days is that they are usually junk food accompanied with a host of other crappy ingredients like high fructose corn syrup.
If you’ve experienced different forms of flare-ups or inflammation in your body from eating products with wheat and gluten, reduce or eliminate them until your psoriasis clears up.
Look, if you have no problem digesting wheat and gluten then opt to eat stuff that’s healthy rather than store bought junk.
3. Soya
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Is soya even soy anymore?
I mean, soybeans have been genetically modified to such a degree that it barely contains the same makeup it once did decades ago, right?
Personally, my system doesn’t handle soy very well if it’s in large quantities.
Anything more than the amount found in a single chocolate and my psoriasis used to flare up.
4. Sugar
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Sugar is bad for you, period! There’s literally no reason at all for humans to consume sugar.
The only safe form of sugar is from fruits in the form of fructose accompanied with fiber (even then so, eat in moderation).
But, for the sake of healing psoriasis, limit all sources of sugar (even lots of fruits) until you notice a visible reduction of psoriasis patches around your body or scalp.
5. Nightshades
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My heart bleeds for nightshades but I know that my body cannot handle it anymore.
When thinking of nightshades, think tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant.
Tomatoes and peppers tend to be the nightshades that affect my psoriasis the worse.
When I tried the autoimmune protocol, I cut everything out and tested my reaction to each nightshade.
My body can handle some potatoes and eggplant provided that it’s not an everyday thing but tomatoes and peppers create an immediate inflammatory reaction.
Whether or not you can handle normal amounts of nightshades again after this protocol depends on your body.
Reintroduce these nightshades into your diet one at a time and make a note of how your body responds.
4 Remedies For Scalp Psoriasis
Often I get asked what I used to get rid of scalp psoriasis and I truly don’t have a ‘secret’ remedy or oil that works.
In all honesty, for me, it’s been a combination of the following 4 items that have cleared and maintained my psoriasis free scalp.
The trick is to be consistent and religious with the application.
One or two applications won’t make much of a difference but as weeks go on, you’ll notice how much better and clearer your scalp is.
1. Green Tea
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Let’s start with soaking your hair with green tea rather than harsh chemicals and shampoos.
Green tea is packed with antioxidants and is the one beverage that could transform your life.
Believe me, I’m underselling that numerous benefits of green tea.
Before applying apple cider vinegar, I like to soak my scalp in a bowl filled with green tea and allow it to sit on my head for about 15 minutes.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
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Then, I move onto spraying apple cider vinegar onto my scalp. This will literally soften and weaken the scales on your psoriasis patches so much that if you run a comb over your scalp, it will remove most of it without much force at all!
I did this almost daily for the first 2 weeks and then slowed down as the scales and patches reduced with each application. It can make your hair feel brittle so skip a day or two and condition.
3. Coal Tar Shampoos
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Immediately after removing the scales from my scalp, I rush into the shower and apply a thick foamy amount of coal tar shampoo onto my scalp for about 5 minutes. Because my scalp is mostly ‘scale’ free after using apple cider vinegar, the coal tar shampoo tends to penetrate the skin far more effectively than if I skipped the ACV treatment.
Coal Tar tends to slow down the production of new skin cells thus aiding in the treatment of scalp psoriasis. I washed my hair with coal tar 3 times a week or as instructed by my doctor.
4. Oiling
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Lastly, to prevent damage to my hair follicles and to improve the overall condition of my scalp, I apply a combination of oils rich in fatty acids. Usually, I use a mixture of coconut, almond, emu and argan oil at night and wash it off the next morning. Since introducing essential oils into my regimen, I noticed the thickness and growth of my hair have significantly increased so that’s an awesome benefit!
5 Lifestyle Changes You Can Make To Heal Psoriasis
Knowing that chronic inflammation within the body aggravates conditions like psoriasis makes it easy for us to adopt a lifestyle that reduces inflammation.
When I overcame psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, my entire focus shifted towards making as many anti-inflammatory changes as I possibly could.
It started with eliminating inflammatory contributors from my diet and then progressed on to other aspects such as fitness, sleep, stress management and nutrition.
Below is a list of lifestyle changes I made that drastically improved the state of my psoriasis.
1. Exercise Daily
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It doesn’t have to be anything intense.
Jump rope for 15 – 20 minutes, run, swim, do bodyweight exercises in your room, gym or lift weights. Just be sure to get some form of additional exercise into your routine.
This will reduce stress, stimulate the production of those feel-good hormones and help in reducing inflammation.
2. Sleep Way Before 12pm
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I think most of us don’t take into account how serious sleep deprivation is. You can only go for so long before all those late nights catch up and destroy your system.
Late night sleeping has been connected with inflammation and a compromised gut. On the flip side, getting enough sleep and sleeping early has been shown to result in rejuvenation and less inflammation.
Try to hit the bed before 11 pm!
3. Juice Loads Of Greens
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Don’t feel like eating green leafy vegetables? No problem!
Just juice them! I find this to be a quick and easy solution for people who can’t stand the sight of eating greens (which is baffling to me).
Juicing vegetables is known as a predigested technique which improves the body’s ability to absorb a higher percentage of nutrients from the green juice (apparently 70% and upwards).
4. Supplement With Omega 3 Fish Oils
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Omega 3 Fish Oils are packed with amino acids that are anti-inflammatory in nature. I noticed an overall improvement in the condition of my psoriasis and skin in general when supplementing with fish oil.
You can opt for taking the capsules, eating lots of fish high in Omega 3’s or drinking cod liver oil.
5. Drink Green Tea Daily
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Looks like we’ve finally come full circle. I started off this article with the application of Green Tea onto my scalp and I’m ending it off with the consumption of green tea. I don’t know of any other drink of this nature that provides so many benefits.
Green tea is a must-drink in our home and we average at about 3 cups every single day!
Concluding Remarks
Like anything alternative you may try, the key to results comes in the form of consistency and incredible effort. I understand that this process is a complete lifestyle overhaul but the results are worth it.
You obviously have to account for the fact that your diet will comprise mostly off freshly cooked foods, healthy sources of protein like chicken, fish and meat, loads of vegetables and bone broth.
The one side effect of this ‘protocol’ is that you’ve probably never felt as good as you will feel while on it.
I swear to God, if we ate like this on a more permanent basis, we’d be stronger, healthier and fitter.
With that being said, I wish you all the luck on your journey to a psoriasis free body and hope you experience wonderful results like I and many other people have.
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