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What is Psoriasis Lotion?

Misty Amber Brighton
Misty Amber Brighton

Psoriasis lotion is a product used to relieve the itching and flaking of the skin, which is often caused by this disease. Some of these products may be purchased over-the-counter, which means that a prescription is not necessary. In more severe cases, a doctor might prescribe a medicated cream for his patient to use. These lotions may contain steroids to stimulate the growth of healthy skin in those afflicted with this dermatological ailment.

The skin disease psoriasis is characterized by extra patches of skin, which are referred to as plaques. These are normally found on the face, knees, elbows, feet, and hands. Body lotion that is typically used by people to soothe common dry skin might not be effective in reducing the severity of these skin plaques. This is because a general type of lotion does not usually penetrate deep into the body's multiple skin layers.

A bottle of psoriasis lotion.
A bottle of psoriasis lotion.

Some brands of psoriasis lotion can contain natural ingredients that are believed to smooth and soften the skin. For instance, aloe vera is often used because it can help heal abrasions or breaks in the skin as well as to remove dead skin cells. Oatmeal-based lotions are sometimes administered to help soften plaques and alleviate itching.

An overactive immune system is often a contributing factor in the development of this condition. This can sometimes mean that a psoriasis lotion purchased without a prescription is ineffective in treating this disorder. People who do not respond to self-treatment may want to seek the advice of a physician. He might prescribe a cream that contains medication designed to slow the immune system of an affected individual. This can help prevent new patches of skin from growing before old skin cells can be shed.

Many people use aloe vera gel to help relieve the discomfort of psoriasis.
Many people use aloe vera gel to help relieve the discomfort of psoriasis.

How often these products are used often depends on whether or not the psoriasis lotion was prescribed by a physician and the severity of the disease. Those who use over-the-counter lotions may use them once or twice a day for a period of seven to 10 days. If the ointment was obtained by a doctor's prescription, it will normally be applied twice daily for a period of two to four weeks.

Psoriasis lotion is applied to one's hands to treat itching and flaking skin.
Psoriasis lotion is applied to one's hands to treat itching and flaking skin.

Although there is no cure for this disease, using psoriasis lotion often alleviates the suffering of an affected person. Maximum relief from a particular product is usually obtained when the directions for usage are followed precisely. Proper application might also reduce the number and severity of psoriasis outbreaks.

Discussion Comments

anon302770

Lotions normally help only to moisten the skin to avoid dryness but it has no cure at all. Topical creams or ointments can help, but must be prescribed by doctors. Some ointments or creams have steroids and cannot be used for long periods of time.

My doctor recommended I use petroleum jelly before applying the ointment or cream. It's a bit messy but it helps the skin to absorb the medicine. The Anthralin solution is available and I purchase it at my doctor's office.

Domido

I actually had a student who had psoriasis so badly that no lotions did her any good at all.

She tried everything from over the counter and inexpensive to top of the line. She had about a million different prescriptions as well.

However, none of them helped. She lived with severe psoriasis all over her body except for on her face for several years before she got any real help.

Of course, it probably didn’t help matters that her mother was a single mom with uninsured children. Medicaid was simply not going to pour out tons of money for this kind of stuff.

Eventually, her condition became so bad that she was able to get shots of some sort that actually helped.

She was a gorgeous and talented young woman, and I always felt so sorry for her whenever her condition acted up.

John57

The best lotion I have found for my psoriasis is Oxipor. You don't have to get a prescription for it and I have used it off and on for many years.

At the first sign of another break out, I will immediately apply some of this lotion. As long as I was persistent with it, I get good results.

This is a coal tar treatment that has been useful for many people. There are newer medications available, but since I have had such good results with this, I keep using it.

It can seem kind of expensive for a small bottle of it, but if it stops the itching and clears it up, I think it is well worth the money. I don't usually use up one whole bottle every time so always have some on hand.

bagley79

It took a long time for my psoriasis to completely go away. I tried several different lotions and creams and while they would provide some relief from the itching for awhile, I could never get it to completely disappear.

I got tired of fighting it on my own, so finally went to see a doctor about it. I told him of all the different psoriasis lotions I had tried and that none of them really did the trick.

She suggested a combination of a prescription lotion which would be stronger than what I was using and some ultraviolet light therapy.

This combination of treatment is not something that I would want to be on for an extended period of time, but after a few treatments my psoriasis went away. It has not returned and I wish I had seen a doctor sooner instead of trying so long to get rid of it on my own.

vogueknit17

I've heard about other alternatives to lotion, if that isn't enough. One of the most interesting is the idea of going to a spa with "doctor fish" that swim in the water and feed on the damaged, affected skin. I remember there are similar treatments for people with a lot of callouses and dead skin on their feet.

It sounds crazy, but if you can afford to travel to one- most are in places like Serbia and Turkey- it might be really effective.

sunshined

If you have ever suffered from psoriasis, you know how annoying this can be. Not only can the patches of skin be unsightly, but the constant itching can be drive you crazy.

When my psoriasis first showed up I thought it was just a minor skin irritation that would quickly go away. I didn't want the extra expense of a doctor visit and a prescription cream, so tried an over the counter psoriasis lotion.

The first thing I tried was some Nutraderm lotion that was supposed to help with the dryness and itching. It did help some with the itching, but even after using it for a couple of weeks, the psoriasis never went away.

I then tried a lotion that had some corticosteroids in it and had much better results with this than the first lotion I tried.

popcorn

If you have psoriasis and can't stop the itching a good idea in addition to lotions is to try some different additions to your baths in order to soothe your skin.

Dead sea salts are one of the best things you can add to your bath water as they have a greater mineral content and are proven to help exfoliate the flaky skin that comes with psoriasis. On top of that salt water is also well-known for its ability to calm the skin so that you don't itch as much.

If you want to make your skin less inflamed you can also add some sandalwood oil to your bath water. Not only does this smell amazing but it works wonders on your skin.

lonelygod

Psoriasis is one of the worst skin conditions that you can have in my opinion. Not only does it look terrible, but the itching can drive you up the wall.

For myself I tried a huge assortment of over-the-counter lotions and none of them really worked on all of my symptoms. While some would make my skin plaque softer initially, it would do nothing for the itching, which was my biggest problem.

I eventually gave up and headed into the doctor who referred me to a dermatologist. My dermatologist prescribed me a steroid-based lotion which was supposed to help my skin recover, especially in the places I had been scratching. I am glad to say that with a prescribed lotion my psoriasis symptoms are well under control.

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    • A bottle of psoriasis lotion.
      By: homydesign
      A bottle of psoriasis lotion.
    • Many people use aloe vera gel to help relieve the discomfort of psoriasis.
      By: cedrov
      Many people use aloe vera gel to help relieve the discomfort of psoriasis.
    • Psoriasis lotion is applied to one's hands to treat itching and flaking skin.
      By: roblan
      Psoriasis lotion is applied to one's hands to treat itching and flaking skin.