Psoriasis takes pride of place among the most common skin diseases. According to medical statistics, about 4% of the total population of the planet suffers from its symptoms. Pathology signals its appearance by red raised spots on the skin, which become inflamed, peel, and cause pain. The appearance of these eruptive elements - psoriatic plaques - is accompanied by intense itching. Patients with psoriasis face not only physical, but also moral discomfort - they have complexes because of their appearance, break off social ties, and withdraw into themselves.
Despite the prevalence of psoriasis, the etiology of this disease has not been fully studied. In this regard, modern science still does not fully know how to resist psoriatic plaques. The pathology is still listed as incurable, and patients diagnosed with psoriasis are prescribed exclusively symptomatic therapy aimed at minimizing the signs of the disease and preventing its relapses.
How to resist psoriasis? To achieve remission, it is necessary to use an exclusively comprehensive approach. Thus, the main components of the treatment of psoriasis of any form are:
- A diet whose purpose is to “alkalize” the body;
- Taking systemic medications (cytostatics, immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatory and sedatives, and, if necessary, antibiotics);
- The use of gels, ointments, creams, and topical sprays to relieve pain symptoms, eliminate itching and flaking, combat hyperemia and prevent further spread of psoriatic plaques throughout the body;
- Physiotherapy (skin exposure to ultraviolet light, cold, laser, etc.);
- Traditional methods of combating the disease occupy a special place in the structure of psoriasis treatment. Thus, decoctions, infusions, and tinctures based on medicinal plants have a good symptomatic effect. Most of these compositions have an anti-inflammatory, keratolytic effect on the skin, care for it, and demonstrate anti-relapse properties.
Tar soap for psoriasis
Tar has long been used for psoriasis because it has healing properties :
- disinfects, eliminates germs;
- relieves itching in psoriasis;
- relieves inflammation and redness;
- helps eliminate purulent elements.
The most convenient way to use tar is to wash with tar soap . It is surprising that the soap itself contains only 10% tar, but this amount is sufficient for a therapeutic effect for psoriasis.
In addition to birch tar, saponified vegetable oils and herbal extracts are added to tar soap. Therefore, its composition is completely natural.
When using, keep in mind that tar should not be used for kidney disease . In addition, tar increases susceptibility to ultraviolet radiation, so you should use it with caution in the sunny season.
Tar soap for psoriasis: list
Use of tar soap for psoriasis: can be used daily, and for some patients - even twice a day.
- tar soap from Nevskaya Cosmetics;
- Bio Beauty gel tar soap;
- Tegrin Medicated Soap;
- varieties of Crimean natural tar soap with additives of mud, stevia, sulfur.
In addition, you can make tar soap yourself. To do this, take birch tar and baby soap in equal parts, mix, roll into balls (or put in a mold), and dry. The resulting soap can be used for daily washing.
Tar soap for psoriasis: reviews
Reviews about tar soap are contradictory, but mostly positive. They note that this soap does not dry out the skin and helps remove plaques:
Review of tar soap by user sonia
Review of tar soap by cardinal
Review of tar soap by user zhenis
Review of tar soap by user Olik
Review of tar soap by user Amir
University
— Alexander Mikhailovich, I have been suffering from psoriasis for 10 years. Can it be cured permanently?
— Do your relatives have psoriasis?
- On the paternal side there is.
— During these 10 years, how many exacerbations have you had?
— Usually in winter and spring.
- How are you being treated?
— I mainly use ointments containing salicylic acid and vitamins.
— Psoriasis is a disease, the predisposition to which is transmitted genetically, occurs chronically and has a wide variety of manifestations. Most often, the skin and its appendages (nail plates) are involved in the process. Sometimes we see the systemic nature of lesions in psoriasis, when, for example, the clinical picture of psoriatic arthritis develops. Unfortunately, at the moment medicine does not have a universal remedy that could help everyone at once. Giving practical recommendations over the phone without seeing the patient is not an easy task; telephone consultation can in no way replace communication with the attending physician for a number of reasons, the most important of which are: an objective assessment of anamnestic, clinical, laboratory data in each specific case. If you have only used salicylic acid-based ointments, then I can tell you that you have not used the entire arsenal of modern medicine. It should be understood that there are general rules for the treatment of psoriasis. It is believed that if the pathological process affects no more than 3 - 5% of the skin, then the course of psoriasis is regarded as mild. In this case, you should limit yourself to using exclusively local medications: creams, ointments, emulsions containing corticosteroids, vitamin D3 analogues, tar, anthralin, topical retinoids, etc.
If up to 10% of the skin is involved in the process (moderate psoriasis), it is recommended to consider the use of selective phototherapy, more often narrow-band (with a wavelength of 311 - 313 nm). The latter is considered the most effective and relatively safe. Currently, all regions of the country have installations for its implementation. In cases of severe psoriasis, phototherapy can be general in nature, with irradiation of large surfaces of the skin. If the process cannot be stabilized, the issue of prescribing systemic therapy, using antimetabolites, cytostatics, and systemic retinoids, is considered. If systemic therapy is ineffective, as well as in cases of initially malignant forms of psoriasis, it is possible to use a new group - genetically engineered biological drugs. It should be remembered that self-medication is dangerous and, I would say, emphasizes the patient's lack of respect for himself. Only a dermatologist can correctly assess your condition and the adequacy of your response to the prescribed therapy.
If one ointment doesn't help you, that's okay. You need to consult a specialist and select adequate treatment. Be patient. Psoriasis is not a stigma, it is a disease that you can and should live well with, and the quality of life of patients with psoriasis should be exactly the same as that of healthy people. And this depends not only on the doctors, but also on you.
TREATMENT SCHEME FOR PSORIASIS IS DETERMINED ONLY INDIVIDUALLY
— Is there an effective cure for psoriasis in Belarus?
— Today in Belarus there are all the necessary drugs for the treatment of psoriasis. But there is no panacea. In order to choose the medicine that is right for you, I need to ask you many questions. How did the disease begin, how long did it last, how was it treated, what was the result of the treatment? Look at the condition of your skin.
“I’ve had psoriasis for forty years now. Only the sun can save you. Ointments don't help. They say you need to take something internally.
— What ointments do you use?
- Salicylic acid, folk...
— How do you assess your condition?
- It doesn’t itch or hurt me. But I’m embarrassed to go to the beach - my knees and elbows are affected.
- As I understand it, you now only have emergency plaques. Do not try to remove them by any means, sometimes this can lead to a completely opposite, negative effect. Irrational aggressive local therapy is the cause of the complicated course of psoriasis. It is best to contact the nearest dermatovenous dispensary, where the doctor will competently select the necessary therapy, which should be carefully followed. Most often, psoriasis is very dependent on a person’s behavior and bad habits. You just need to learn how to care for him.
— My husband is 57 years old, and he has had psoriasis for 10 years. In recent years, the disease has spread throughout the body. He complies with all the treatment prescribed. But after ointments, the spots become red and inflamed.
“The fact is that the ointment base creates a film on the skin, which disrupts the processes of skin respiration, the blood vessels dilate, and the patient gets the impression that the element is becoming even redder. Hormonal ointments, whose effect is precisely to constrict blood vessels, in most cases relieve this redness.
— Maybe you can suggest something effective?
— Consulting a patient with a skin disease over the phone is very dangerous. You should contact the skin and vein clinic in your area, where you can get qualified help. If necessary, you will be referred for consultation to employees of specialized departments of medical universities in the country, State Educational Institution BelMAPO. Don't hesitate to ask for help. Currently, more than 100 treatment methods have been proposed, but none of them are ideal or 100% effective. Therefore, in each case the problem is solved individually.
— Is it supposed to be like that when the skin peels?
— The primary rash in psoriasis is a nodular element of bright red color, which is covered with silvery scales. Therefore, peeling is one of the most consistent clinical characteristics of psoriasis.
— Does my husband need a special diet?
- Is yours full?
- No, he’s skinny, he smokes all the time.
— For patients with psoriasis, smoking is especially undesirable. A person who smokes deprives tissues of oxygen, which is needed to normalize processes, including those affecting the development of psoriasis. Regarding the diet. If there are no problems with gaining excess weight, then no special recommendations need to be followed.
- One more question. He uses hormonal ointments twice a day - morning and evening. This is right?
— All hormonal products should be used only for a certain time; you cannot accustom your skin to hormones; you need to take breaks. If you use a hormonal drug for a long time and often, psoriasis over time becomes insensitive to topical therapy. In addition, side effects of using local hormones develop. Therefore, you should not use topical corticosteroids for more than 10 to 14 days. It is better to use hormonal drugs once a day - in the morning. You should also know that not all hormonal agents have the same activity, and this, in turn, dictates special rules for their use not only in terms of duration and frequency of application, but also, for example, in the place of their application (face, torso, large folds and etc.). There are many nuances that only your treating dermatologist can help you understand.
— Is it worth taking baths with sea salt?
- It is very useful. And it’s very good if you can go to the sea, to the sun.
THE TENDENCY TO PSORIASIS IS INHERITED
— My granddaughter is 18 years old, psoriasis was discovered six months ago. In our family, only her great-grandfather had this disease.
— Psoriasis is a disease that is associated with genetics. But it is not the disease itself that is transmitted, but the tendency to it. And the reasons that trigger disease genes can be very different: stress, infections, medications, etc. That is why each patient must have an individual approach. In Belarus, 4.5% of the population suffers from psoriasis. Here we are almost at the level of Norway and Sweden, where the percentage is the highest (about 6%).
— I have a question about childhood psoriasis. My daughter is 10 years old and has had psoriasis since she was 5 years old. Then we even ended up in the hospital with psoriatic erythroderma.
- And this happens, unfortunately...
“After treatment, she ended up in intensive care. Fortunately, we made it out. Psoriasis, of course, did not go away. We try to contain it, but only with folk remedies. I keep her on a strict diet, and every summer and autumn we go to the sea.
— Do you use any ointments or creams?
- Nothing. Any impact causes an aggravation. At least, from what she was prescribed then. Has anything changed in the treatment of psoriasis over these five years?
— Today there are many approaches to the treatment of childhood psoriasis. And in order to choose the right one, you need to visit the dermatologist again. What is the girl's defeat percentage now?
- Only three spots on the head and on the elbows.
— Currently, the course of psoriasis in your daughter can be regarded as benign. Your task is to prevent progression; in some cases it is not recommended to touch the plaques at all. With excessive irritation, psoriasis can be transferred from a limited form to a widespread one. The proverb “Don’t make a fuss while it’s quiet” is relevant here.
Perhaps it will be enough just to care for the scalp so that dandruff does not bother you, so that the girl does not develop complexes. Now there are special shampoos for the treatment of psoriasis of the scalp. In most cases they contain tar, which has a keratolytic effect, i.e. Effectively removes excessive peeling.
— And we use shampoos with zinc...
- It is not right.
— My daughter is 14 years old, three spots appeared on her head. The dermatologist says it's seborrheic dermatitis. But my mother, brother and sister have psoriasis, and these spots are very similar to what my relatives have. Now my daughter has growths on her elbows, the doctor says it’s an allergy. But tests for allergens revealed nothing. What should we do?
— You can ask for a referral for a consultation to the dermatovenous dispensary to which you belong geographically. Of course, your girl needs to be examined. And you need to find your own doctor who will see your daughter constantly. This is the whole value of treatment.
— My son has been sick for 11 years. It all started in the head, then psoriasis spread throughout the body, and now it has caused complications in the joints. We just can't cope.
- How old is he?
— I’m already 30 years old, I’ve been sick since I was 19.
— Which joints are affected?
“It started on one finger, and now all the joints are affected. There is morning stiffness.
— Did rheumatologists look at him?
- Yes, they say treat psoriasis.
- Now there are drugs that can help your son. They usually start with antimetabolites; if there is no effect, the prescription of biological agents should be considered. You need consultation with specialists, perhaps a joint consultation with a dermatologist and a rheumatologist.
- Can my son be cured?
— If someone tells you that psoriasis can be cured, don’t believe it. This is a chronic disease. If the diagnosis is made and confirmed, it is relevant throughout life. The task of the doctor, the patient and his immediate family is to control the disease so that its manifestations either disappear completely or are mitigated as much as possible. At the present stage, our doctors have in their arsenal all the necessary effective means to achieve this goal.
Komsomolskaya Pravda , May 17, 2015
Tar shampoo for psoriasis
Tar shampoos have been used against psoriasis of the scalp since the times of Ancient Rus'. They differ in the type of tar that is included in the composition - birch, juniper, pine.
Tar shampoo for psoriasis: list
Russian and Western companies produce tar shampoos:
Shampoo Psoril
- shampoo “Psorilom” (medicinal);
- "Friderm tar" - medicinal;
- "Algopix" - medicinal shampoo;
- shampoo from Nevskaya Cosmetics (Russia) - cosmetic;
- tar shampoo 911 (Russia) - cosmetic;
- shampoo from grandmother Agafya (Russia) - cosmetic;
- Finnish tar shampoo - cosmetic;
- tar shampoo “Golden silk” - cosmetic;
- shampoo Tana (Russia) - cosmetic;
- “Birch-tar” shampoo - cosmetic;
- tar shampoo “One Hundred Beauty Recipes” - cosmetic.
Tar shampoos have a great advantage: a completely natural composition.
Tar shampoo for psoriasis: reviews
Be careful: tar shampoos do not help all patients; in some they provoke allergies on the head.
Review of tar shampoo by user 777
Review of tar shampoo by user Marinkaa
Laundry soap
Laundry soap is widely used in folk medicine and everyday life.
Properties of laundry soap:
- has an antibacterial effect;
- relieves itching;
- reduces skin irritation;
- cleanses the upper layers of the dermis from toxins and bacterial parasites.
Antibacterial action is an important criterion when choosing a drug for the treatment of psoriasis. Eliminating a possible infection reduces the likelihood of infection of damaged skin areas and speeds up tissue restoration.
Indications for use
The main symptoms of psoriasis include:
- the formation of a reddened spot raised above adjacent areas of the skin;
- waxy crusts on the affected areas;
- peeling of the dermis;
- itching;
- scales on psoriatic plaques are easily separated.
The alkaline environment of laundry soap promotes drying and healing of affected skin areas, and reducing itching reduces the likelihood of plaques being scratched.
Contraindications
The use of laundry soap for psoriasis has its contraindications:
- dryness of the upper layers of the skin;
- increased tissue sensitivity.
Under the influence of the alkaline environment of the soap solution, noticeable irritation may appear on the skin, so long-term use of soap is not recommended to avoid overdrying.
How to use it correctly
The method of using laundry soap as a medicine prescribes:
- Cover the affected areas with a thick soap solution 3 times a day.
- The soap solution should remain on the skin for no more than 10 minutes.
- Use for plaques on the scalp 2 times a week.
Important information: What kind of ointment is Radevit?
Using laundry soap, you can make a mask according to a folk recipe:
- Rub the soap.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of tar and soap shavings.
- Add 1 cup chicken fat, 3 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon each of salt and fir oil.
- Stir until a uniform consistency is obtained.
- Before use, you need to add a little medical bile.
- The resulting mass is applied to the skin before bedtime.
- In the morning, the mask must be washed off thoroughly.
For the first use, it is recommended to use the product for a short time to avoid side effects or burning. Folk remedies are a good solution during remission of the disease or during periods of minor rashes. If large-scale skin lesions occur, a complex effect of medications and procedures prescribed by a dermatologist is required.
Treatment of psoriasis with tar and laundry soap, despite the availability of modern medicine, is still a fairly popular method. This is a safe way to reduce the risk of complications or allergies to chemical components.
Conclusions about tar soap and shampoos
Tar soap helps get rid of itching on the head and body; you can use it every day. It’s not difficult to choose: almost all tar soaps are of a natural composition and contain 10% tar , which is enough for a therapeutic effect.
Be careful with shampoos: they can cause allergic reactions. Most reviews, however, are also positive.
Read in detail about the healing properties of tar in the material: “Tar for psoriasis.”
If you are a supporter of natural treatment methods, be sure to check out the collection of recipes against psoriasis: “53 traditional methods for psoriasis.”
The most modern and effective treatment method: “Ultraviolet 311 nm against psoriasis.” In addition, this method is also natural, because the sun has long been considered a healer of many diseases .
How to make soap at home
If a patient with psoriasis for some reason does not want to use the finished product (it contains, although an insignificant, but still noticeable percentage of synthetic additives that can cause allergic reactions), he can make such a remedy with his own hands.
An approximate recipe for making homemade tar soap looks something like this:
- A piece of regular baby soap (can be bought in a store or pharmacy) without additives or fragrances;
- Olive or linseed oil (20 g is enough);
- 15 g of tar substance (sold in pharmacies and specialty stores);
- 10 g purified water.
A piece of soap is grated, mixed with purified water and placed in a steam bath - the mass should acquire a homogeneous consistency. After the composition has completely cooled, you need to add the prepared tar to it and pour in the oil. The mixture is poured into molds and left in a cool place to harden - usually 1-2 days are enough for this. Once ready, the natural product is used instead of regular soap for washing, compresses, hair washing and other medicinal purposes.
The best remedies for Psoriasis
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Laundry soap
Laundry soap is widely used in folk medicine and everyday life.
The medicinal qualities of the product are explained by its composition, which includes a large amount of fatty acids and exclusively natural ingredients.
Properties of laundry soap:
- has an antibacterial effect;
- relieves itching;
- reduces skin irritation;
- cleanses the upper layers of the dermis from toxins and bacterial parasites.
Antibacterial action is an important criterion when choosing a drug for the treatment of psoriasis. Eliminating a possible infection reduces the likelihood of infection of damaged skin areas and speeds up tissue restoration.
Indications for use
The main symptoms of psoriasis include:
- the formation of a reddened spot raised above adjacent areas of the skin;
- waxy crusts on the affected areas;
- peeling of the dermis;
- itching;
- scales on psoriatic plaques are easily separated.
The alkaline environment of laundry soap promotes drying and healing of affected skin areas, and reducing itching reduces the likelihood of plaques being scratched.
Contraindications
The use of laundry soap for psoriasis has its contraindications:
- dryness of the upper layers of the skin;
- increased tissue sensitivity.
Under the influence of the alkaline environment of the soap solution, noticeable irritation may appear on the skin, so long-term use of soap is not recommended to avoid overdrying.
How to use it correctly
The method of using laundry soap as a medicine prescribes:
- Cover the affected areas with a thick soap solution 3 times a day.
- The soap solution should remain on the skin for no more than 10 minutes.
- Use for plaques on the scalp 2 times a week.
Using laundry soap, you can make a mask according to a folk recipe:
- Rub the soap.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of tar and soap shavings.
- Add 1 cup chicken fat, 3 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon each of salt and fir oil.
- Stir until a uniform consistency is obtained.
- Before use, you need to add a little medical bile.
- The resulting mass is applied to the skin before bedtime.
- In the morning, the mask must be washed off thoroughly.
For the first use, it is recommended to use the product for a short time to avoid side effects or burning. Folk remedies are a good solution during remission of the disease or during periods of minor rashes. If large-scale skin lesions occur, a complex effect of medications and procedures prescribed by a dermatologist is required.
Treatment of psoriasis with tar and laundry soap, despite the availability of modern medicine, is still a fairly popular method. This is a safe way to reduce the risk of complications or allergies to chemical components.
The article was written based on materials from the sites: helperskin.ru, psoriazov.net, irecommend.ru, evrikak.ru, kozhainfo.com.
What are the benefits of tar soap components?
As a rule, tar soap contains natural birch tar. However, its amount in a bar of soap is only 10% of the total mass of the product. The remaining 90% includes those components that the manufacturer considered necessary to add, for example, various oils and sodium chloride.
Wood tar is a good antiseptic, due to which it has the following effect on the skin:
- kills skin infections;
- stops inflammatory processes;
- prevents complications in the form of fungal infections;
- exfoliates dead particles of the epidermis;
- activates skin regeneration processes;
- improves blood circulation.
In addition, when washing with this product, there is a significant reduction in acne. The beneficial effect that soap has on the skin is a good addition in the treatment of psoriasis.
Indications for use
In addition to treating psoriasis, tar soap is used in the following cases:
- as a way to get rid of blackheads;
- to give hair shine;
- for various skin diseases;
- to get rid of skin irritations.
Important Information: Dr. John's Psoriasis Cookbook
This soap can be used even with wounds and abrasions; its use will not cause discomfort, but will only improve the situation.
Contraindications
Please note that this product may not be suitable for all people. The following contraindications exist:
- individual intolerance to tar;
- period of bearing a child;
- lactation.
Also, you should not use the product if you have kidney problems. Before using the product, you must test for an allergic reaction by applying it to your wrist for a few minutes.
Important! If itching and burning occurs while using the product, you should stop using soap.
How to use soap correctly?
For a product to quickly help get rid of psoriasis, it is not enough to simply use the product like regular soap. The following nuances must be observed:
Since this soap dries the skin very much, after each use you need to lubricate the skin with Vaseline or any greasy cream. After using the product, you should rinse your skin with chamomile decoction. If psoriasis affects small areas of the skin, then there is no point in lathering the whole body; attention should only be paid to the rashes themselves. For scalp psoriasis, it will be more convenient to grate the soap and dissolve it in a small amount of water before use.
You can begin therapy to eliminate the disease with this product immediately after the first signs of the disease appear.
Are there any contraindications?
You should not use sulfur tar soap if you have allergic reactions or if you have overly delicate skin or severe sensitivity of the scalp. Dermatologists do not prohibit the use of this medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, provided that the baby also does not have allergies. Infants can use tar only in consultation with a pediatrician; there are a number of specialists who believe that it is not useful.
Important! Before using tar sulfur soap as a treatment for psoriatic lesions, despite the large number of positive reviews on forums, you should consult a doctor.
How to make tar medicine with your own hands?
Connoisseurs of natural cosmetics prefer to create tar soap according to original recipes, and not just buy what is already on sale. A recipe that even a novice soap maker can handle:
- Buy birch tar and, if desired, buy essential oils. It is important not to forget that with psoriasis they can cause skin irritation.
- Take regular baby soap (for example, “Alice”).
- To dilute the composition, you can brew chamomile or celandine (1 glass of decoction, no more).
- Rub the soap on a grater. Pour all ingredients into a saucepan and stir until smooth. To make the soap softer, it is recommended to add base oil (you can buy it in the soap making department). Some patients add cream.
- Lastly, you need to pour in birch tar (no more than 1 tablespoon). A homogeneous viscous mass can be poured into molds. After hardening, the bar can be used for treatment.
Essential oils are poured in immediately before forming the bar. Oils easily evaporate when heated, so pouring them in advance is pointless.
Interesting! A decoction of chamomile or celandine, which is part of the soap, increases its beneficial properties and helps treat psoriasis.
Efficiency of therapy
According to patient reviews, inexpensive and effective cosmetics with tar significantly improve the skin, reduce the area of psoriatic rashes, and relieve pain, itching and discomfort.
I like the tar smell and the price of the soap. Treatment also helps with exacerbations. The only negative is that you need to additionally lubricate the body with a rich cream, otherwise the soap will greatly tighten and dry the skin.
Anna, Minsk.
I have been suffering from psoriasis for a long time. I tried many remedies, but they didn’t help. The soap was recommended to me. Just a couple of days later the rash went away and the peeling disappeared. I will continue to use it.
Sofia, Kaluga.
How to wash properly
During periods of exacerbation of psoriasis, showering and bathing should be done a little less frequently than usual. You should not use your usual gel, shampoo or soap for hygiene procedures for psoriasis.
During the period of exacerbation of psoriasis, a person must perform all hygiene procedures, guided by the following principles:
- try to spend less time in the shower and in the bath;
- use a special anti-psoriasis gel, shampoo and soap;
- choose only mild skin care products that have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects;
- before taking a bath or shower, lubricate the areas of skin affected by psoriasis with regular Vaseline;
- dry the skin with a soft towel, using light movements so as not to touch the inflamed area;
- Be sure to wipe your skin dry.
If we are talking about washing the face, a person also needs to use a special gel so that the effect is as soft and positive as possible. When a person washes during an exacerbation of psoriasis, it is better for him not to use hard washcloths, because they can seriously damage the skin. If a gel is used, a small amount of psoriasis medication must be used.
