Folk remedies for psoriasis - a review of effective recipes

Dermatological diseases cause a person a lot of problems: both aesthetically and generally. The skin looks unattractive, constant itching, pain, swelling and irritation affect the quality of life. Psoriasis is one such problem that can be troubling for many years, gradually progressing, increasing the duration and frequency of periods of exacerbation, and spreading throughout the body. Are alternative treatments effective here and which one is better to use?

What is psoriasis?

An alternative name for this disease is scaly lichen. Psoriasis is a chronic dermatological disease (dermatosis) of non-infectious origin. According to most doctors, it is based on autoimmune diseases: when a pathological production of a large number of antibodies is observed in the body. A couple of important points:

• In 30% of patients, the onset of the disease occurs within 15-25 years. People of both sexes are affected equally often.
• Psoriasis is characterized by an undulating course in which exacerbations arise spontaneously or as a result of external factors (alcohol consumption, smoking, stress).
• The course of the disease can look different even in the same patient in different phases of exacerbation and remission.

The clinical picture of psoriasis depends on the specific form it has taken. The main symptom is red papules: very dry, raised above the skin that fuse into large plaques that are areas of chronic inflammation. There are pale or gray spots in the center that look like hardened wax. Most often they form on the folds (outer and inner zone), but can also appear on:

• Scalp;
• Buttocks;
• return;
• Palm trees;
• plantar part of the feet;
• external genital organs.

Vulgar or simple psoriasis is the most common form (occurs in 80-90% of patients) and is characterized by the formation of foci of inflamed, hot skin covered with silvery-white scales. The affected area is compacted, when the gray layer is removed, the skin under it bleeds, it is easily injured. As the disease progresses, plaques of psoriatic plaques appear. There are several other forms of the disease that are listed on the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases):

• Psoriasis of the flexor surfaces (or vice versa) - inflamed red spots rise slightly above healthy skin, almost do not peel off, are only in the folds. The zones of the external genital organs, the armpits and the groin area are particularly affected. In women, spots may appear under the mammary glands. Often times, a fungal infection complicates the disease with increased sweating of the lesions.
• Teardrop-shaped - the elements of the lesion are small, dry, red or purple, in the shape of a drop or a small point. Large areas of the dermis are eroded, mainly on the thighs, shoulders, forearms, and back. This form often develops after a strep infection.
• Pustular (exudative) - the most severe form, characterized by the formation of bubbles filled with transparent inflammatory exudate (pustules). The nearby dermis is hot, edematous, densified, and prone to peeling. With a secondary infection, suppuration occurs.
• Arthropathic - skin manifestations are accompanied by an inflammatory process in the joints or connective tissues, mainly affecting the phalanges of the fingers or toes. In the case of a severe course of the disease, a disability of the patient up to bedridden cannot be ruled out.
• Erythrodermic - the inflammatory process and peeling in this form of psoriasis are generalized (widespread), the skin is actively exfoliating. Touching it can cause severe itching, swelling and pain. Psoriatic erythroderma can appear as an exacerbation of an unstable vulgar form, especially against the background of the rejection of glucocorticoids, and does not exclude a fatal outcome.

ICD-10 also mentions psoriatic onychodystrophy: the disease in this case does not affect the dermis, but the nail plates. The result is a change in the color of the nail bed (yellowing, lightening), the appearance of small spots or dots on the plate and transverse grooves below it. A thickening of the adjacent skin, especially the side ridges, detachment of nails, brittleness or their complete loss cannot be ruled out.

Treatment of psoriasis at home with folk remedies

Finding an effective way to fight a disease begins by determining the cause of its occurrence. There is not a single method of treating psoriasis, a lot depends on the severity of the patient's condition, age, the presence of additional pathologies and the specific form of the disease. Therefore, doctors allow traditional medicine to be used along with pharmaceutical preparations. They can have the following properties:

• Anti-inflammatory;
• antibacterial;
• decongestant;
• antifungal;
• Anti-healing;
• Anti allergic.

Neither drug therapies nor folk remedies provide a complete and definitive cure for psoriasis, therefore they are almost the same in effectiveness: choosing the right regimen will allow you to quickly improve the condition, increase the period of remission and reduce the severity of the acute disease stage. For maximum effectiveness, the alternative treatment should be comprehensive - acting internally and locally to pursue the following goals:

• eliminate the cause of the exacerbation (external factors, general or non-specific hypoallergenic diet);
• Relief of symptoms (local compresses and lotions based on herbal teas, raw grated potatoes, cabbage brine, homemade ointments, vegetable oils);
• Increase in the general defenses of the body (taking decoctions of herbs and alcohol or water tinctures inside).

Diet is an important element in psoriasis therapy. The patient should refuse alcohol, confectionery, animal fats, all stored products with preservatives, flavoring and flavoring additives and coloring agents. If it is known what kind of food provokes exacerbations, they refuse. According to the rules of a non-specific hypoallergenic diet, it is necessary to remove from the diet:

• Chocolate;
• Coffee;
• Citrus fruits;
• Potato;
• Flour;
• Eggs.

Before treating psoriasis with folk remedies for internal use, alternative medicine experts advise cleaning with activated charcoal. The general condition improves, but the drug does not affect psoriasis plaques, so it cannot be considered an independent agent. The cleaning is carried out as follows:

1. Calculate the daily dose of charcoal: take 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight. Rounding takes place according to the classic rules of mathematics: a number up to 5 - down, a number after 5 - up. So if you weigh 46 kg, a person needs 5 charcoal tablets.
2. Take the tablets in the evening, chewing them finely, and drink half a glass of warm water for 3 days. Some experts advise drinking charcoal for 40 days, but such measures are not safe for the digestive tract.

The principles of alternative treatment

Regularity and consistency are the basic rules relevant to all alternative medicine methods. Prepare for the fact that folk remedies for psoriasis do not give an immediate result, and if the disease is chronic, then you need to take several courses with breaks. Be sure to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Observe the indicated dosages. If you have increased sensitivity, you can lower it, but you should not increase it without consulting a doctor.
• Stick to a set schedule for local treatments (especially baths).
• Do not combine folk remedies with hormonal drugs (with the exception of a doctor's prescription).
• Do not try to peel off the scabs of psoriatic plaques yourself, avoid injuring the skin.
• If the condition worsens, the chosen remedy should be canceled and a doctor's appointment should be made.

Ointment for psoriasis at home

Dermatologists call the most effective local remedy an ointment based on Solidol: you can buy it at the pharmacy or make it yourself at home. To do this, you need to buy the main component (pharmacy) and combine it with baby cream in equal parts. After that, sea buckthorn oil is introduced here (for 4 parts of the mixture - 1 part of the oil), mixed smoothly and the plaques treated 3-5 times a day. Treatment lasts until they go away. A few more effective recipes:

• Take 1 tbsp. l. Fat, petroleum jelly and liquid honey, add a raw beaten egg (you can only use egg yolks), 1 tsp. chopped oak bark. The mixture is infused for 2-3 hours and stored in the refrigerator. The application of the ointment is possible with a frequency of up to 3 U / day until the plaques are completely eliminated.
• Burn some rose hips to get ash. Mix it with equal proportions of petroleum jelly. Use the ointment on inflamed and swollen areas before bed. The duration of treatment is 3-4 weeks.

Using tar

Treatment of psoriasis with folk methods necessarily involves the use of birch, juniper or pine tar, which can disinfect the skin, reduce inflammation and dry it out. If there is no allergic reaction, tar can be applied to the inflamed areas in a single thin layer (not touching the face) and left on for 15 minutes before bedtime. Safer drugs are made according to the following recipes:

• Take in equal parts petroleum jelly, tar, fresh celandine juice (introduced last). Mix. Treat the affected areas in the morning, afternoon and evening for 3 weeks.
• Burn birch twigs, mix the resulting ash 1: 1 with tar until smooth. Apply ointment to stains morning and evening. The duration of treatment is 14-20 days.

Based on propolis

Beekeeping products can speed tissue healing and disinfect well, and propolis is considered a powerful natural antibiotic that kills pathogenic microflora. Ointments based on it reduce inflammation and redness (redness), have an antiseptic effect. The most effective folk recipes:

• Melt 500 g of butter in a water bath (little fire! ), Add 50 g of powdered propolis to a state. Allow the mixture to cool and return to a plastic form, apply to a thick layer of cheesecloth folded three times, like a compress on psoriasis rashes. Keep it on for 2-3 hours. The procedure is carried out once a day for a month.
• Heat 100 g butter and 30 g finely grated propolis in a water bath. Stir, add grated beeswax (20 g), crushed Apilak tablets (10 pieces) and bees bread (1 tablespoon). When all components are dispersed and the mixture becomes homogeneous, remove from heat and allow to cool. Enter camphor oil (1 tablespoon, can be replaced with fish oil). Use up to three times a day for psoriatic rashes or large plaques. Duration of treatment - until the condition improves.

Baths for psoriasis at home

Moisturize the epidermis, stimulate the excretion of toxins through the opening pores, eliminate itching, pain and inflammation - therapeutic baths contribute to this. In folk medicine, this is one of the most important therapeutic methods for most dermatological diseases. Baths are prescribed when the symptoms of the exacerbation subside, while:

• the water temperature is between 35 and 37 degrees;
• before the bathroom you need to wash in the shower;
• do not eat before the procedure (interval - 1, 5-2 hours);
• Baths are taken every other day, the duration of the procedure is 10-20 minutes.

The number of sessions depends on the severity of the disease and the form determined by the doctor. What you bathe with is also determined individually: Popular recipes for psoriasis based on herbal brew, turpentine, soda and salt solutions are popular. For therapeutic bathing, the following can be used:

• sea salt (against itching, burning sensation; 1 kg per 10 liters);
• Baking powder (for itching, irritation; 300 g for the entire bath);
• any strength (for edema, inflammation; 800 g per 2 l, pour into the bath);
• Pine needle extract (100 ml per 250 l, pour into the bath);
• Medicinal herbs in combination or separately: chamomile, sage, yarrow, eucalyptus, nettle, field horsetail (decoction - 2 tablespoons per 500 ml, diluted in a bath).

sparkling water

Cleansing the body from toxic substances and toxins, softening the skin, drying it, exfoliating - these properties make soda a good folk remedy for psoriasis. It is recommended to use it internally and externally. Systemic treatment consists in taking a glass of warm water on an empty stomach, diluted in 1/2 tsp. Baking soda. When the powder is dispersed, the solution should be drunk in small sips. The procedure is repeated for 2-3 weeks and is contraindicated in diseases of the stomach, esophagus and intestines. For external use, the recipes are as follows:

• Pour baking soda with warm water in a ratio of 1: 1 - you need a very thick gruel, which is applied to a cotton swab in an even thick layer and applied to the affected area. It is removed after an hour, the process is repeated 2-3 times a day. The duration of treatment is until the plaques are eliminated, but if after 10-14 days there is no effect, the agent is discarded.
• Make a concentrated solution of 3 tsp. Baking soda and a glass of hot (no higher than 60 degrees) water. Moisten gauze folded in it three times, apply it to the affected skin like a compress and keep until it cools. Do this morning and night until the condition improves.

linseed oil

Eliminating peeling, softening the affected skin, stimulating its regeneration, moisturizing and caring are the main properties of flaxseed oil, which is a good folk remedy, used locally for psoriasis. It is easiest to treat the inflamed areas with pure unrefined oil several times a day. An alternative are compresses and ointments according to such recipes:

• Add 2 tbsp to 50 g of marigold ointment. l. Flaxseed oil, stir. Treat plaque-free plaque before bed. Repeat the process for 10-14 days.
• Mix plantain juice with linseed oil 1: 3, stir. Soak gauze or cotton wool pads in this mixture and apply lotions to the affected areas. Remove after half an hour. Treatment is carried out during an exacerbation of the disease with a frequency of 1-2 r / day.

Iodine treatment

The disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and hemostatic properties of iodine have made it a good folk remedy for psoriasis. Local and internal use of the drug is allowed, but the latter option has a variety of contraindications:

• Disruption of the endocrine system (especially thyroid pathology);
• Vascular disease;
• Heart defect;
• Liver disease;
• Tuberculosis;
• Age up to 3 years.

Topically, iodine (do not dilute, do not mix with anything) is applied to psoriasis patches when they have a small area of coverage. Do this 1 r / day or less if it is slowly being absorbed. Do not cover the treated area with a bandage. Inside, iodine is taken in 5 drops, diluted in warm water (100 ml), morning and evening. Such therapy is carried out for no more than 12 days.

Decoction of bay leaves

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties due to the high content of essential oils in the chemical composition are the main reasons why bay leaves have become a popular folk remedy in the fight against psoriatic plaques. In addition, it reduces the swelling of tissues, prevents the development of arthropathic forms of the disease, and removes excess salts from the body. To get the result, the broth should be taken for 3 weeks and prepared as follows:

1. Take 7-10 dry bay leaves and pour 400 ml of boiling water.
2. Cover and bring to the boil over low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Let the broth stand on a warm burner for another 15 minutes. Filter through a cheesecloth.
4. When the product has cooled to room temperature, you can use it. A single dose - 50 ml, three times a day, a quarter of an hour before a meal or an hour after.

Wellness with tea

Herbal teas used internally are an important part of psoriasis therapy. On their basis, concentrated decoctions, which are prescribed in small doses, or lighter infusions, which should be drunk instead of tea, can be made. They help cleanse the body and skin, boost immunity, reduce inflammation, and improve general wellbeing. Remember that herbs are allergens, so if there is an individual intolerance, they can provoke an exacerbation. Effective folk remedies for psoriasis on the body and face:

• Chamomile tea: Brew 1 teaspoon of flowers with boiling water (200 ml), let steep for 10 minutes, drink warm. You can put honey, mint leaves, lemon balm, vanillin on the tip of a knife (recent studies by American scientists have shown that it helps reduce inflammation in psoriasis). Drink 2 glasses of this tea a day. Treatment lasts 1-2 months.
• Monastery tea: brew 2 tablespoons under a liter of water in a thermos. l. Collection of violets, St. John's wort, burdock and licorice roots, hop cones, poplar buds from the grass. Insist for 8 hours, drink 400 ml per day, dividing into 2 servings. Treatment lasts for a month. Then they take a break and repeat the course. Throughout the year they do 6 courses with a month's break in between.

Kalanchoe

For skin problems, dermatologists recommend using aloe or kalanchoe juice externally and internally (they have similar properties). For local use, an ointment based on honey, warm water and Kalanchoe juice (volume ratio 1: 3: 1) is made, which must be infused for 3 days in a dark, cool place. According to the resulting product, the affected areas are lubricated in the morning and evening. With this ointment, you can apply compresses 2-3 hours before bedtime. Duration of treatment - until the condition improves.

Use of hydrogen peroxide

Washing psoriatic plaques daily with undiluted 1. 5-3% hydrogen peroxide is the easiest way to use this remedy. You can make a lotion on a cotton pad, cover it with a bandage and leave it on for half an hour. Repeat the process 3-4 times a day. In addition, if there are no problems with the digestive tract, you can do the following treatment:

1. Drink 1 drop of peroxide (1. 5%) diluted in half a glass of warm water on an empty stomach in the morning.
2. Take 2 drops the next day.
3. Increase the dose daily until you have reached 10 drops. Then also reduce. The entire course lasts 20 days.

Cure psoriasis quickly

There are a large number of effective folk recipes that will help cope with psoriasis rashes in a short time, but for each patient the number of the most effective is individual. For general cleansing of the body, you can drink 2 tbsp 3 times a day. l. fresh celery juice (from the stems). In addition, experts recommend trying the following options:

• Mix the cord and alcohol (vodka can be used) 50 g each in a glass container, store in a cool place for 10 days. Squeeze out the grass, mix the tincture with lanolin and petroleum jelly (30 g each). The resulting ointment can be used in the morning and in the evening for psoriasis spots, and in addition, the alcohol tincture of the train can be prepared separately and drunk 10-15 drops during the day (they are dissolved in 50 ml of warm water). The treatment lasts 3 weeks.
• Cabbage brine contributes to the rapid regeneration of the dermis and the healing of plaques: you need to moisten the affected areas 6-8 times a day (until the rash disappears). You can also use milk foam (bring to the boil in an enamel pot and let it drain).
• Pour clover flowers (4-5 tbsp L. ) with a small amount of boiling water (100 ml) let it steep (10-15 minutes). Put them in double-folded gauze and put a compress on the inflamed area for a couple of hours. The procedure is repeated daily until there is improvement.

How to get rid of psoriasis once and for all

According to experts, local treatments have a predominantly symptomatic effect. If you need folk remedies for psoriasis that work from the inside and give more meaningful results, consider herbal teas that are taken internally. They need to be drunk over a long period of time (3-6 months or more), but even they are not a guarantee of completely eliminating the problem, since psoriasis is difficult to treat. Effective recipes:

• In the first part, cranberry leaf, alant root, corn silk and celandine are taken. St. John's wort, marsh calamus root and a sequence - 3 parts each. Through the 2nd art. l. the resulting collection add a couple of inflorescences of black elder, pour every 400 ml of boiling water. Warm the broth under a lid over low heat for 10 minutes, leave for half an hour and filter. Drink 100 ml in the morning and in the evening one hour after meals. The duration of treatment is 4 weeks. With diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the safety of using this folk remedy should be discussed with a doctor.
• Mix flowers of black elder, violets, chamomile and marigold with sage, string and celandine (same ratio). Brew 5 tbsp. l. collect in 1 liter of boiling water, leave to rest for 3 hours. Drink 100 ml for half an hour before meals for a month. The remedy is most effective in the chronic form of the disease.
• If the rash is small and covers a small area (not common throughout the body), psoriasis can be treated at home with fir water. For 40 days, drink it in 100 ml between meals or in the morning on an empty stomach (the latter option is more effective). After that, you need to take a break for 14 days and drink fir water for another 30 days.