Psoriasis Treatment: A List Of The Most Effective Remedies, Psoriasis Treatment With Folk Remedies

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Psoriasis treatment: a list of the most effective remedies

Psoriasis is one of the most mysterious and difficult to treat diseases. It is impossible to get rid of it once and for all. The only thing that patients can count on is to achieve a stable remission. Moreover, there is no single and generally accepted method for treating psoriasis by the world medical community, just as there is no drug that one hundred percent guarantees the onset of remission.

The tactics of treating this complex skin disease depends on a number of parameters:

• Type of psoriasis;
• The age of the patient;
• The presence of concomitant pathologies;
• The severity and chronology of exacerbations;
• Localization and size of the lesions.

Treatment of psoriasis is almost always complex: some of the medicines and procedures are aimed at eliminating the very cause of psoriatic exacerbations, some are designed to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease, and some are needed to maintain the body's own defenses. The sad thing is that almost half of patients are not helped by any of the three approaches to treating psoriasis. And the drug that has allowed a thousand people to drive psoriasis into permanent remission for several years, with a high probability, may not have any effect at all on another thousand.

In this article, we will discuss all the currently known means and methods of treating psoriasis, even the most controversial ones, and will try to answer the question of where to start for a person who has heard a disappointing diagnosis from a doctor. During the use of popular methods, procedures and medicines, it was possible to collect impressive statistics on their effectiveness. We invite you to read patient reviews and find out how many percent of respondents really helped one or another method of treating psoriasis.

Content:

• Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of psoriasis treatment methods
• Treatment of psoriasis with pure solid oil, as the most effective remedy
• Psoriasis ointments based on solidol
• Medication for psoriasis
• The latest methods of psoriasis treatment

Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of psoriasis treatment methods

According to the results of numerous surveys of people suffering from psoriasis, the hit parade of the best treatments for this disease looks like this:

• Biological preparations - more than 33% of patients completely cleanse the skin within 3 months of therapy (the cost of a course of treatment is from $ 20,000 and more);
• 37% - Ointments based on solidol (Cytopsor, Kartalin, Akrustal, Magnipsor, Antipsor);
• 33% - Compliance with a special diet - that is, refusal from foods, the use of which provokes exacerbation of psoriasis;

• 26% - Climate change, balneotherapy and spa treatment. Almost a third of patients note an improvement in their well-being simply due to moving to an area with a mild maritime climate and ecologically clean air. Annual rest in a sanatorium helps the same number of patients to avoid winter aggravation.

  Here is a list of the best profile resorts:

  1. Sulphide mineral waters: Pyatigorsk, Yeysk, Kayakent, Kemeri, Khilovo, Goryachy Klyuch, Sochi, Matsesta, Taminsk, Usolye, Krasnousolsk, Black Waters, Sergievsky Mineral Waters, Zakarpatskiy Sinyak;
  2. Radon mineral waters: Belokurikha, Molokovka, Mironovka, Khmelnik, Zhitomir, Tskhaltubo, Pyatigorsk, Krasnousolsk, Nilova Pustyn.
  3. Chloride-sodium mineral waters: Druskininkai, Kuldur, Ust-Kut, Angara, Sosonovskieminvody, Lake Uchum, Lake Shira.
  4. Rape mineral waters: Odessa, Evpatoria, Saki, Berdyansk, Lake Elton.
  5. Healing mud - Anapa, Evpatoria, Kuryi, Lyuben-Veliky, Kayakent, Yeisk, Kemeri, Saki, Klyuchi, Lake Elton, Lake Uchum.
  6. Children's sanatoriums: Leninskie Rocks in Pyatigorsk, Sokol in Anapa, Krasny Sturm and Sanatorium named after N. A. Semashko in Sochi;

• 19% - Salt baths are very effective both as part of a spa treatment and as home procedures. Sea salt contains potassium, magnesium, iodine and other useful minerals that have a beneficial effect on the skin affected by psoriasis, relieve itching and flaking, and even improve the patient's sleep due to the relaxing effect on the nerve endings. It is recommended to purchase high-quality, natural sea salt at the pharmacy and take baths 2-4 times a week at night;
• 14% - Ointments based on tar (Colloidin, Anthraminovaya and Antrasulfonicovaya ointment) - well relieve itching, promote scarring of psoriatic plaques and crusting;
• 12% - Selective phototherapy (SFT) is a physiotherapeutic method for the treatment of psoriasis, based on the therapeutic effect of ultraviolet radiation with a certain wavelength on the skin. It is not suitable for all patients, but for some it allows achieving a two-year remission in 1.5-2 months of regular procedures;
• 12% - Strong hormonal ointments (Budesonide, Mometasone, Betamethasone). At first, they give a very good therapeutic effect, but then the condition of the patients deteriorates sharply, you have to apply the ointment more and more, and it helps all the worse. A vicious circle is formed, comparable to drug addiction. Long-term use of such drugs leads to dysfunctions of the adrenal cortex and gradual atrophy (necrosis) of the skin;
• 12% - Baths, steam rooms, saunas and swimming pools - an absolutely harmless, but ineffective method of treating psoriasis. According to the majority of patients, staying in a steam room followed by swimming in cool water allows for a while to calm the itching and ensure a restful sleep, which in itself is not bad. But there are also people whose psoriasis, on the contrary, is exacerbated by excessive humidity and sudden changes in temperature;
• 12% - Sports and outdoor activities - any pleasant physical activity, whether it be cycling, dancing, hiking or playing football, helps to improve well-being, strengthen immunity, increase the patient's mood and self-esteem, which cannot but have a beneficial effect on the course of psoriasis;

• 12% - Ointments based on calcitriol (Osteotriol) or calcipotriol (Daivonex) - these drugs saturate the epidermis with the active form of vitamin D, penetrate well into the blood and normalize calcium metabolism, and this almost always leads to a decrease and gradual disappearance of psoriatic plaques. Of the minuses: ointments are expensive, the best ones are of German production, they are mainly sold on order;
• 10% - Therapeutic fasting is a radical method of treating psoriasis, it allows to achieve remission or at least reduce the area of skin lesions for almost all patients, but it has a lot of contraindications. It is better to take courses of therapeutic fasting in a hospital setting, and even more so, you cannot start fasting without permission, without examination and consultation with a specialist;
• 10% - Ointments based on salicylic acid - strictly speaking, they do not cure psoriasis at all, but promote the healing of plaques and crust fall off. After the skin is cleansed of the stratum corneum, it is advisable to start treatment with other means, for example, the same solid oil. Salicylic ointments, in a sense, prepare the epidermis, since they improve the absorption of active substances;
• 10% - Phytotherapy - this term means all methods of treating psoriasis with medicinal plants: ointments, lotions, rubdowns, compresses, taking decoctions and infusions inside. The roots of burdock, marsh calamus, dandelion, wheatgrass, chicory, lingonberry, chamomile, string, St. John's wort, celandine, nettle, raspberry, birch, oregano, valerian and many other plants demonstrate good effectiveness, but herbal medicine is always fraught with allergies and side effects;
• 9% - Healing baths with turpentine and herbal decoctions are a safer method of treating psoriasis, since the active substances only act on the skin for a short time. If you have no contraindications to taking hot medicinal baths, try taking them every other day for 20 minutes, adding pine resin, freshly chopped plantain, decoction of birch buds, juniper leaves or valerian herb to water heated to 38 degrees;
• 8% - Weak and combined hormonal ointments (Hydrocortisone, Fluticasone, etc.) - are often used during seasonal exacerbations of psoriasis, when no other methods can stop the growth of plaques and unbearable itching. The treatment of psoriasis with hormonal ointments should be approached very carefully, do not resort to it unnecessarily and gradually cancel it;
• 8% - Enterosorbents (Polyphepan, Filtrum STI, Polysorb, Enterosgel) are a good addition to the diet, they help cleanse the intestines of debris and thereby normalize the blood composition, which will not slow down to have a positive effect on the course of psoriasis;
• 7% - Ultraviolet and quartz irradiation - some psoriasis patients are helped by regular visits to the most ordinary solarium, especially in combination with the use of ointments based on active vitamin D. However, quartz lamps are preferable, if only because of the lower risk of developing oncology with regular irradiation;
• 7% - Vitamin therapy is a very controversial method of treating psoriasis, since in some patients therapeutic doses of vitamins cause a rapid improvement in their well-being, while in others - the same rapid deterioration with severe allergies and dyspeptic disorders in addition;
• 4% - Dietary supplements are an inexhaustible source of profit for pharmaceutical companies, for which psoriasis with its chronic and purely individual course is just a gold mine. "Revolutionary" remedies for psoriasis appear on sale with enviable regularity, however, in their composition, basically, there are long and well-known components. So, before buying a dietary supplement, ask what it consists of: will it turn out that you have already used it unsuccessfully, or, worse, you have an exacerbation. Consider also that the legislation on dietary supplements is very lenient, so the true composition of the drug may differ from the information on its label without catastrophic consequences for the manufacturer and seller;
• 4% - Immunomodulators - serious drugs that can be used for the treatment of psoriasis only according to the indications of an immunologist and on the basis of immunogram data, otherwise it can only make things worse;
• 4% - Calcium and sodium salts (calcium chloride, sodium gluconate, sodium thiosulfate) - sometimes with the help of a short-term course of such injections it is possible to stop the exacerbation of psoriasis and reduce the painful symptoms, however, the administration of calcium and sodium salts is not considered as an independent method of treatment;
• 4% - Hepatoprotectors (Legalon, Essentiale, Karsil, Liv 52) - stimulate and preserve liver function, thereby indirectly helping it cleanse the blood of toxins and prevent exacerbations of psoriasis. They don't work without a diet;
• 4% - Dental care - in some patients, exacerbations of psoriasis occur due to unhealed teeth, when the oral cavity is a constant focus of inflammation and a breeding ground for bacteria, whose waste products enter the bloodstream. To help such a patient, sometimes it is enough to heal the caries;
• 3% - Cleansing the body - this means not only cleansing the intestines using hydrocolonotherapy, but also detoxification courses for other organs: liver, lungs, kidneys. All these activities have a beneficial effect on the course of psoriasis;
• 3% - Anthelmintic therapy - the presence of worms, lamblia and other parasites in the body inevitably leads to poisoning by their waste products, and blood pollution turns into an outbreak of psoriasis. Therefore, all patients are advised to take feces for analysis for prophylactic purposes;
• 3% - Plasmaphoresis - a technique for blood purification hardware, which is used in the treatment of severe forms of psoriasis in a hospital setting. It gives a very good therapeutic effect, but it does not last long - about one and a half to two months;
• 3% - Cosmetic creams and oils - are good at helping to cope with skin flaking, especially when applied immediately after a bath or shower. The simpler and more natural the composition of the cosmetics, the better. Give preference to baby creams based on vegetable oils;
• 3% - Psychics and healers - for obvious reasons, it is impossible to objectively assess the effectiveness of the magical treatment of psoriasis, however, the patients of healers and witches claim that they have recovered thanks to the sessions, and demonstrate clear skin. Well, nobody canceled the power of suggestion;
• 3% Anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis - some patients with common psoriasis can avoid exacerbations with a prophylactic course of these drugs;
• 2.5% - Sulfuric and zinc-sulfuric ointment - the simplest drugs for the treatment of parasitic skin infections (lichen, scabies), but they can also reduce itching and flaking in psoriasis;
• 2.5% - Purified, melt, activated and charged water - there are many methods of imparting medicinal properties to plain water, from consecration in a church to cation-anion separation, but we can only say with confidence that drinking such water will not cause harm to your health, but whether it will help to overcome psoriasis is a big question;
• 2% - Homeopathy - treatment with microscopic doses of natural poisons in order to trigger an immune response to defeat the disease. With psoriasis, the technique is ineffective;
• 2% - Heat therapy and infrared radiation is a controversial method of treating psoriasis, since in some patients, warming causes exacerbation instead of improving well-being;
• 2% - Corticosteroid injections are a "fire" technique, which is used only in a hospital setting and only in the absence of other ways to help a patient with a severe form of psoriasis;
• 2% - Oatmeal baths are a safe and easy way to reduce inflammation and itching in psoriasis. Regular intake of oatmeal baths helps almost all patients to varying degrees;
• 2% - Cytostatics - highly toxic drugs that have a destructive effect on the kidneys and liver. Used to treat life-threatening psoriasis under strict medical supervision;
• 1.5% - Apitherapy - treatment with bee products, and more specifically - apitoxin, bee venom. The principle of apitherapy is close to homeopathy - it is expected that the poison will stimulate the patient's immunity. Sometimes it works, but let's not forget that apitoxin is also one of the most powerful natural allergens;
• 1.5% - Naftalan oil is a unique natural product extracted at the Azerbaijani resort of the same name Naftalan and used for the treatment of psoriasis by the method of applications and baths;
• 1.5% - Fungicides - preparations for internal and external treatment of fungal diseases. Sometimes they alleviate the condition of patients with psoriasis, are used only as directed by a doctor because of the risk of complications;
• 1% - Yoga, meditation, hypnosis, auto-training, neurolinguistic programming and other personality management techniques can be useful in the treatment of psoriasis, since the success of recovery in any disease depends on the correct attitude;
• 1% - Starch baths are not as effective as oat baths, but they also relieve itching and reduce flaking well. Starch can be very drying to the skin, which cannot be said about oatmeal. But some patients need just such an effect. For one procedure, dissolve 800 g of potato starch in a saucepan with cool water, and then pour the solution into a warm bath;
• 1% - Retinoids - vitamin A preparations, provide symptomatic treatment of psoriasis, since it is with a lack of this vitamin that a person develops a tendency to dryness and peeling of the skin;
• 0.5% - Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique based on the effect of using thin needles on biologically active points of the human body associated with the corresponding organs. A very controversial and unsafe method: firstly, you will need a highly qualified acupuncturist, and secondly, great luck for acupuncture to work at all;
• 0.5% - Bioresonance and wave therapy - modern physiotherapy techniques that are not very well tested in practice, and so far cannot boast of great success in the treatment of psoriasis;
• 0.2% - Respiratory gymnastics, urine therapy, laser therapy and other controversial methods deserve attention, but can hardly guarantee a positive result.

Treatment of psoriasis with pure solid oil, as the most effective remedy

What solid oil is used to treat psoriasis?

At the moment, the shelves of auto parts stores are mostly filled with press solid oil of the US-2 brand - this is an inexpensive and convenient lubricant made from synthetic fatty acids. However, it is poorly suited for the treatment of psoriasis, if only because some manufacturers add harmful additives to improve performance.

For medicinal purposes, it is best to use a medical solidol produced specifically for this, but it is almost impossible to purchase it in a pharmacy in pure form. Pharmacy chains offer a wide range of ready-made ointments for the treatment of psoriasis, but their effectiveness is highly questioned by patients. According to reviews, the best result can be achieved with ordinary fatty grease without any mineral and herbal additives, that is, pure grease.

We recommend that you test first ready-made pharmacy ointments, and only then, in the absence of visible improvements, start sorting through brands of pure technical solidol in search of a suitable option.

The benefits of solidol in the treatment of psoriasis

The method of treating psoriasis with solidol has been used for more than sixty years and is one of the most popular for several reasons:

• Does not require large material costs;
• Very easy to use;
• Rarely causes allergies and side effects;
• Neutralizes burning and itching after the first 2-3 procedures;
• Quickly reduces skin flaking and accelerates epithelialization;
• Allows you to completely get rid of the visible manifestations of psoriasis in 60-70% of patients;
• Gives a persistent, long-lasting effect.

Other recipes for the treatment of psoriasis based on solidol

1. The most effective recipe. Apply regular clean technical grease to the affected skin areas with a thick layer, hold for 10 minutes, then rinse with water using tar soap to eliminate the characteristic odor. After a week of daily procedures, increase the time of exposure to the solidol on the skin to 20 minutes, and so every week until you reach one hour. Then, subject to good tolerance, switch to night solid oil compresses: wrap the smeared areas with plastic wrap, cotton pajamas on top and sleep. Treat for at least three months.
2. Mix in a clean glass jar 250 g of fatty grease, 2 tablespoons of bee honey, a quarter of a tube of baby cream, 2 tablespoons of pharmacy sulfuric ointment, the protein of one chicken egg, one teaspoon of ash from rose hips and chestnuts and one tablespoon of chopped celandine leaves … Store the resulting ointment in the refrigerator and apply generously to the affected skin areas twice a day, morning and evening, rinse off after two hours. Use up all the ointment in a week, do not store any longer!
3. Pour 4 tablespoons of ground elecampane root with half a glass of boiling water and keep in a water bath for 15 minutes, then strain the broth, cool slightly and pour into a half-liter glass jar of solid oil, mix thoroughly and store the finished ointment in the refrigerator for no longer than two weeks. Treatment of psoriasis with this ointment is carried out twice a day for one hour, after which the skin is washed with water with baby or tar soap.
4. Mix in a glass jar 300 g of grease, 100 g of lime honey and 2 egg yolks. Store the finished ointment in the refrigerator for no longer than two weeks, and during this time, apply a thin layer of it to psoriatic plaques three times a day and rinse off after 2 hours. Then carry out another two-week course of psoriasis treatment with the same medicinal composition, but with the addition of two tablespoons of dry celandine powder. This ointment must be washed off after an hour.
5. Prepare ashes from rose hips and oak bark. Mix 25 g of such ash with one hundred grams of grease and ten grams of dry celandine powder, close the jar and store it in a dark, cool place for two weeks. Then mix thoroughly and store the finished ointment in the refrigerator. Treatment of psoriasis with this composition is carried out three times a day for 1-1.5 months. Apply the ointment in a thin layer to the plaques and wash off with baby soap after 2 hours.

Recommendations and contraindications for the treatment of psoriasis with solidol

This technique has no direct contraindications, since the components of solidol do not penetrate the skin into the bloodstream and do not cause significant changes in the body. However, both the solid oil itself and ointments based on it can cause allergic reactions. Therefore, regardless of whether you are prone to allergies, before starting treatment with a ready-made ointment or a homemade folk remedy, check whether solidol is right for you.

Be sure to conduct a preliminary skin test for allergies or individual intolerance to solidol. To do this, apply a little substance to the skin of the inner surface of the elbow and hold it without rinsing for 12 hours. If redness, itching and swelling do not appear, you can start treating psoriasis with solidol.

The success of therapy largely depends on the patient's lifestyle. You must follow the diet prescribed by your doctor and refrain from drinking alcohol. It is very useful to undergo a course of cleansing the body before starting treatment with freshly squeezed vegetable juices or herbal infusions. The less toxins your blood contains, the less the risk of seasonal flare-ups of psoriasis, and the higher the chances of getting the disease under control. Take care of yourself and be healthy!

Psoriasis ointments based on solidol

On sale you can find many ointments for the treatment of psoriasis, including those based on solidol (by the way, one of the most effective, not counting hormonal ones), which one to choose? Everything is very individual, because the composition of the drugs is different, and even the concentration of solidol in them is not the same. Although it is called the main active ingredient, it follows from most instructions that a tenth of pure solidol is there, and everything else is additional components of dubious effectiveness.

Ready-made ointments for the treatment of psoriasis based on solidol are divided into three types in composition:

• Vegetable - Kartalin, Markin's ointment;
• Vegetable and mineral - Magnispor, Makeev's ointment;
• Mineral - Rybakov's ointment.

To find the best option for yourself, it is recommended to undergo one course of treatment with ointments of each group and compare the effect. If there is no improvement, you can resort to treating psoriasis with pure solid oil or homemade ointments based on it. We will give detailed recipes below, and we will start the conversation by discussing the most popular ready-made ointments.

The standard course of treatment for psoriasis with any of the following ointments is 4-8 weeks; you should not expect a lasting positive effect earlier. But after a week, the itching and the external manifestations of the disease should decrease, and if this does not happen, then it hardly makes sense to continue using the drug, it is better to try another one. All ointments are applied in a thin layer to the affected skin 1-2 times a day and are not washed off … Additional aspects of treatment can be found in the instructions for each specific drug.

For comparison, we present the composition of the most popular solid oil ointments for psoriasis:

Solipsor Solipsor - fatty grease, petroleum jelly, lanolin, talc, potato starch, birch tar, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, extracts of garlic, burdock, walnut, string, calendula, birch and licorice;

Magnipsor Magnipsor - fatty grease, mineral salts of the Dead Sea, extracts of medicinal plants, vegetable oils of sea buckthorn, pumpkin and tea tree;

Antipsor Antipsor - fatty grease, petroleum jelly, lanolin, camphor, linseed oil, extracts of string, birch, dried cress and celandine, chitinous fibers from crustacean shells;

Kartalin

Picladol Picladol - fatty grease, lanolin, birch tar, lard, fir oil, celandine extract;

Cytopsor Cytopsor - fatty solid oil, petroleum jelly, refined mineral oil, citric acid, castor oil, boric acid, calendula alcohol tincture;

Psorium Psorium - fatty grease, extracts of calendula, chamomile, rose hips, St. John's wort, yarrow, wheat germ, aloe, honey and beeswax, eucalyptus, cedar and sea buckthorn oil, vitamins A, B, E and D;

Psorilam Psorilam - fatty grease, petroleum jelly, lanolin, stearin, zinc pyrithione, glyceryl monostearate, boric and salicylic acids;

Psori cream Psori-cream - fatty grease, petroleum jelly, lanolin, naphthalan oil, birch tar, mint and sea buckthorn oils, extracts of string, licorice, sage, milk thistle and eucalyptus.

Diprosalik Diprosalik is a Swiss drug for external use with anti-inflammatory and keratolytic effects.

Antipsoriasis Not registered as a medicinal product.

Medication for psoriasis

In the case when the patient has been diagnosed with moderate to severe psoriasis, or when other types of treatment do not help, the doctor may suggest an oral or injection option for taking medications.

The most common oral and injectable medications used to treat psoriasis include:

Biological preparations

This class of drugs works on your immune system by stopping the effects of inflammatory processes on your immune system. These drugs are given intravenously.

Over the past 15 years, the FDA has approved 11 biologics for psoriasis:

• Adalimumab (adalimumab)
• Brodalumab
• Etanercept
• Ikekizumab (ixekizumab)
• Infliximab (infliximab)
• Ustekinumab (ustekinumab)
• Secukinumab
• Guselkumab
• Certolizumab (certolizumab)
• Tildrakizumab (tildrakizumab)
• Risankizumab

A newer biologic agent that targets the main cytokine inhibitor interleukin-17A (IL-17A) has shown impressive therapeutic results.

Ikekizumab was approved in March 2016 and has shown very promising results in clinical trials. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, 1/3 of the subjects had clear skin after just three months of using the drug. Other recently approved biologics Brodalumab and Secukinumab also target the IL-17 inhibitor.

Doctors prescribe biologics for people with moderate to severe psoriasis. In addition, they are prescribed for those patients who have been unresponsive to other treatments or because of possible side effects. Biologicals are not recommended for patients with a weak immune system or an organism weakened by any infection. Before you start taking biologics, your doctor should do a complete screening for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

Price? Biologics are quite effective in treating psoriasis, but they are expensive. According to a 2014 study, treatment with adalimumab can cost more than $ 39,000, etanercept more than $ 46,000 a year, and ustekinumab more than $ 53,000 a year.

Retinoids

Retinoids reduce the production of skin cells, however, once you stop taking them, your psoriasis symptoms are likely to return. The side effects of retinoid treatment are extremely unpleasant: hair loss and inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth.

Pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant in the next three years are strictly prohibited from taking retinoids due to the high risk of birth defects in the fetus.

Cyclosporine

Cyclosporine (Sandimmune) suppresses the body's immune system and the manifestations of psoriasis are reduced. However, this means that it is very easy for you to get sick, as the immune system will be weakened. The side effects of the drug are also quite serious: it increases blood pressure and impaired kidney function.

Methotrexate

Methotrexate, like cyclosporine, suppresses the body's immune system. Taking the drug in a lower dosage has a high likelihood of reducing side effects, but with prolonged use, it still seriously affects the body. Liver damage and decreased production of red and white blood cells are just a few of the side effects of taking the drug.

The latest methods of psoriasis treatment

Surgery

No, this is not at all about removing plaques that have not healed for years with a scalpel, as you might think. A domestic specialist, Dr. V. Martynov, proposed a very interesting, and most importantly, an effective method of surgical treatment of psoriasis. He performs surgery on his patients to restore the valve of the small intestine, which is responsible for cleansing this part of the intestine from toxins and pathogenic microflora. As a result, after a few months, the immune system is restored, and the person forgets about psoriasis for at least several years.

Phototherapy with narrow-band 311 nm ultraviolet radiation

It is this method of ultraviolet radiation that shows the best efficiency in the treatment of psoriasis. Narrow band phototherapy is suitable for patients with all skin types, including those with very light and sensitive skin. The incidence of side effects is minimal, the procedure takes only a few minutes, and after 10 weeks of regular visits to the physiotherapist, a permanent remission usually occurs.

Over the past few years, lamps for narrowband phototherapy sessions have appeared in many government hospitals, so the technique has become more affordable.

Calcitriol Vectical Ointment

More recently, a new American-made ointment based on active vitamin D, calcitriol, Vectical, has appeared on the market. In clinical trials of this drug, 800 volunteers with psoriasis took part. For 18 weeks, they applied ointment daily to the affected skin areas, and during this time, the manifestations of the disease significantly decreased in a third of the subjects.

Vectical ointment is still contraindicated for children under 18 years old, since the necessary tests have not yet been completed. The manufacturer also warns that during treatment you cannot stay in the sun for a long time, it is undesirable to combine the use of Vectical ointment with taking diuretics, and it is not recommended for people with calcium metabolism disorders.

PUVA therapy

PUVA therapy is a type of phototherapy. This method of treating psoriasis works using a photoactive substance and subsequent irradiation of the patient's skin with ultraviolet radiation of type A (wavelength from 315 to 400 nm).

A positive result with PUVA therapy is achieved in more than 80% of cases. The effect is already noticeable after the first 4-6 sessions, and remission can last up to several years.

PUVA therapy slows down the growth of epidermal cells, and this is achieved by exposing the patient's body to ultraviolet radiation of type A after taking photoactive drugs of the psoralen group.

More about PUVA therapy for psoriasis>

The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist

Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).