With psoriatic arthritis, your skin needs extra protection. The condition affects people in different ways and affects the skin differently. Changes in lifestyle will greatly favor your skin. Some unhealthy habits can worsen the skin situation. In addition to prescription medications, your doctor will also guide you on clothing that may worsen your skin symptoms.
You can improve skin symptoms at home by doing the following:
1. Drink lots of water
Plenty of water helps keep your skin in good condition by hydrating from within. Psoriatic arthritis causes the skin to have a high tendency to dryness. This can cause itching and flaking. Water will help you keep your skin hydrated. You can check if you are dehydrated by looking at the tone of your urine. The yellow hue suggests that you have not had enough water. Make it at least eight glasses each day.
2. Avoid any trauma to the skin
Trauma to the skin can be from sharp objects, burns, and even insect bites. It can worsen the symptoms of psoriasis on the skin. You should always consider wearing protective clothing when performing tasks. In the kitchen, your gloves must be on. Avoid walking barefoot as this could lead to injury from stepping on sharp objects. Mosquito bites can cause skin irritation, avoid them being in the house when they are active mainly at dusk. You can also control insects by using some medicated repellent.
3. Manage stress
Stress is not good for your overall health. With psoriasis, stress can complicate the situation. Find time to do what you like. Join fun groups, do it with friends, and take some time off to relax. Yoga is a great exercise that engages both the mind and the physical to relax you. Make sure you get enough sleep. Staying up late can be stressful.
4.Phototherapy
This is good for controlling excessive skin growth. It uses ultraviolet light from the sun. You can test it at home by scheduling some time in the sun. You can start with at least 4 minutes as the time increases each day. Remember to use your sunscreen, it should be at least SPF 30 to stop harmful rays that can cause cancer and sunburn.
5. Use your moisturizer
Apparently, with itching, flaking, and dryness, moisturizing is the best thing to do for your skin. Hydration of the skin adds an additional protective layer. The moisturizer will soothe the skin relieving dryness and itchiness. Your moisturizer should be free of any fragrance.
6. Take your prescribed topical medications
In addition to your daily medications, your doctor will prescribe some other treatments that you can get at your nearest pharmacy. It can be an extract of coal, tar. Tar is good for enhancing skin complexion. The tar also works to ensure that skin cells do not overgrow and works to soothe inflammations.
You can also get a recommendation for the shampoo that is medicated. They contain antifungals and steroids to relieve psoriatic arthritis of the scalp. Your doctor may also prescribe hydrocortisone in an ointment to control skin lesions and relieve itching.
7. Treat your skin with a salt shower
Salt water has been used over the years as a remedy for skin lesions. You should also try it. This will involve adding table salt or Dead Sea salt to the tub. The tub should have lukewarm water. You can then enjoy the bath by soaking for 20 minutes.
8. Be kind to the skin
This applies when taking a shower. Be sure to avoid long, hot showers. It can strip the skin of much-needed essential oils and lead to dryness. Avoid strong liquid soaps, as they have a high tendency to dry out the skin. Switch to short, lukewarm showers with a mild soap. After your shower, gently pat your towel to slightly dry skin, then immediately apply your moisturizer.
9. Make some lifestyle changes
Some unhealthy habits can make skin symptoms worse. You should resort to making some healthy changes for the sake of your health. This includes eating a healthy diet. Foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins can be of great help in improving the condition of the skin. This is not only straightforward, but they can also prevent excessive weight gain that could make the situation worse. Do more exercises that will greatly improve your condition and also help you maintain an ideal weight. Try to limit or eliminate smoking and alcohol, this can be detrimental to your situation.
Conclution
Do not deny yourself healthy skin, do some efforts to protect it and achieve a bright and smooth complexion. Regardless of whether you have psoriatic arthritis or not, you can still have your skin at its best.
