We are having a heat wave in Vt right now. It has got me thinking about skin care and hot weather and psoriasis. Let's share some ideas on what works for you.
I have noticed this popping up on some threads lately and I just had my yearly Derm check.
I have a large patch on my scalp but it is non-plaque forming so I skip treating it a lot. You know "the least steroids possible". But my Dermy instructed me this year to treat it a little more. I use Clobetasol Foam about twice a month. It appears as an angry red patch and doesn't really itch. It feels more like a scald. So she said to step it up to once a day or every other day. I was also concerned due to the side effect of thinning skin it might make my hair thinner right there. She reassured me it would not but would help to stop it from spreading on to my face. Good to know!
I have inverse and guttate psoriasis. So under my breasts and in my groin it becomes quite inflamed with hot weather and sweat. Of course I am terrible about remembering to treat it until it is a problem. My skin split open, "down there" last week and I had to skip swimming. So as usual I have to remember what I would tell a patient as I seem to forget it when I am the "patient"!
Grumpy gave some good advise not to use corn starch when treating yeast. It makes good sense it would only feed the yeast. I have always used corn starch under my breasts and in my groin when hot weather comes as talc has been implicated in a rise in ovarian cancer. I have continued to use corn starch but I do not have yeast growing. If it does I will stop it. I do use a fan or hair dryer to dry those areas thoroughly before applying OTC generic monistat to the areas when yeast invades.
When an area splits open I use triple antibiotic ointment on it until it heals while keeping it clean and dry.
I also wash a couple of times a week with an antibacterial soap (Dial) to prevent some skin issues.
What works for you and what type of psoriasis do you have?
Hi michael... Idk much about Clobetasol on the scalp--my dermy told me to use it only 2 days per week on my other psoriasis and use the betamethasone all the other days....MG217 is the only thing that's worked on my scalp.
Boy, about the inverse psoriasis, so many of you have brought this up. That is something I never really knew what it was! Never mentioned it to anyone, not even my doctors--too embarrassing, but I feel like we're all in the same boat, so wth! When my skin splits "there" I use a little bit of betamethasone cream and it clears up after only a couple applications... Thank god, because that is so painful!!!! To wash is absolute torture when it's split, and this sounds weird, but whenever our grandbabies have had really bad diaper rashes and I'm bbsitting them, I'm so careful when changing their diaper cuz I know exactly how that open skin feels down there! I always make sure they're slathered up with desitin or whatever works to heal it fast and prevent it in the first place. My daughters aren't as careful about it because they don't know how painful it is, I guess :-(
I get those little cracks on the tips of my fingers off the corner of my fingernails--all winter long! They are so painful! Do any of you get them?? Idk if they're psoriasis or what-betamethasone doesn't seem to help and they just have to run their course-they last about a week. My daughter had ONE this past winter and was complaining how bad it hurt.... I said how would you like to have FOUR at a time, and showed her my hands! Last winter they were the worst ever. They'd barely clear up and I'd get more.
Oh what we don't have to put up with sometimes!
I hope you get some good discussion going on the topics you've brought up, michael!!!
On the split fingers I find I can prevent them with Neutrogena Norwegian Formula and a pumice stone if I get callouses on the ends. If I still get them I tape them up with triple antibiotic and band aids over night and they are healed enough not to hurt. I then get better with the Neurogena and pumice stone and wearing my gloves in the cold weather. Good luck with them!
Thanks! I will try that next time I get one.... If it's PsA, maybe that'll be never, since the Enbrel is working so well! ;-)
michael in vermont said:
On the split fingers I find I can prevent them with Neutrogena Norwegian Formula and a pumice stone if I get callouses on the ends. If I still get them I tape them up with triple antibiotic and band aids over night and they are healed enough not to hurt. I then get better with the Neurogena and pumice stone and wearing my gloves in the cold weather. Good luck with them!
Ouch! My worst psoriasis is incredibly mild compared to what others here suffer. I have it on my scalp and it forms blisters and large dry patches which, if not treated, can flake off in quarter-sized pieces. The blisters hurt and itch and all I want to do it pop them and squirt clobetasol liquid on them. Of course that stings like crazy but at least I know they will go away once I’ve done that. The worst ones are the ones that are super painful to the touch but will not come to the surface. They make brushing my hair painful.
I have found that aggressive treatment on my scalp helps prevent the spread of P to my face, mostly in the hairline and small hairs on my jaw line. But the back of my ears frequently crack and split. That’s when I use momentasone and/or clobetasol cream or liquid. It all depends on how bad it is. I do know that if I get any blemishes on my face that my P will almost always go to that spot and make the healing process take a LONG time with lots of dry and darkened skin.
Other than pitted nails and the VERY occasional outbreak on my palms and feet I’m pretty much P-free and feel really lucky about it.
For inverse psoriasis in the nether regions, ask your dermatologist about 'Protopic'; contains Tacrolimus, a topical immunomodulator. It is very effective and doesn't thin the skin. It itches when first used until the psoriasis is brought under control, (probably the first 2-3 days). For maintenance level I use a microscopic amount every other day. A 30g tube is going to last me over 2 years at the rate I need to apply it.
Oh janeatiu, I think your scalp Ps sounds very painful and annoying! I don't think most of us have had to deal with blistery scalp. Ouch!
Ali, can tacrolimus be used anywhere, or is it just for inverse? If Enbrel doesn't take out my Ps, I think it's about time I find something that works better than the Rx creams I've been using.