In part one, I introduced the auto-immune disease, Psoriasis, and listed the 59 chemicals that could irritate skin or worsen psoriasis. In this part, let's take a look at 9 other things that psoriasis sufferers should know - the natural alternative treatments for Psoriasis!
2.Next, get outdoors more often!
Present in natural sunlight, ultraviolet light B (UVB) penetrates the skin and slows the abnormally rapid growth of skin cells associated with psoriasis. Helps to create your natural Vitamin D. 5 to 15 minutes walk outdoors will do. Vitamin D alternative
UVS Handheld Therapy Lamp (a home unit which may be costly, and best used under a doctor's prescription and guidance). Please note I have not reviewed other products on this site for their safety/effectiveness.
UV-B light from sunshine reduces skin inflammation and slows the rapid growth of skin cells. If you are using the artificial UV light , use goggles or a pair of wrap-around UV-opaque glasses (coated lenses) to protect your eyes. (In hospitals, this is also known as Ultraviolet Light B (UVB) Phototherapy and it looks like this).
Thrice a week phototherapy is found to be more effective than if it was done twice weekly.
(I pretty much prefer natural sunlight because I am a cheapo and can do it in the comfort and privacy of my balcony.)
3. Have these on standby: towels soaked in Himalayan salt and water (table salt will also work). Anytime you feel an urge to scratch your affected skin, firmly press a soaked towel over the skin. The salt actually works!
4. Apply Neem cream or gel (from Neem leaves) before bed. Only cold-pressed Neem products will do. My only complaint is its possible unpleasant smell. You can take a look at this bottle of Neem Oil from Organixsouth.com called "TheraNeem".
In Singapore you can get Neem products from NeemShop at: 10 Sinaran Drive, #04-37 Novena Square 2 Tel: 65-63972636 (TheraNeem Leaf and Oil Cream smells of Vanilla, and dries quickly.)
5. Find a reputable fish spa like:
a. DoctorFish (Sentosa, Singapore),
b. Qian Hu Fish Farm (Singapore) and
c. Bottle Tree Village Fish Spa (Yishun, Singapore) - also does educational and nature tour!
d. Kenko Fish Spa (Pavilion Shopping Centre, Singapore)
e. Fishio Fish Spa in Asia (website under construction)
Image courtesy of CoolHunting.com
The idea is to soak your feet or your body in selenium-rich waters, while letting little fishes (aka GARRA RUFA) nibble away dead skin and other possible organisms responsible for encouraging detoriation of Psoriasis. These fish go into a feeding frenzy but will not devour you like the pranhas school! lol Costs SG$22++ per 40-minute Fish Spa Body Dip. Fish Spa Video
If you prefer to treat yourself at home with these miraculous 'Doctor Fish', visit Princefish.com (supplier of Garra Rufa fish in Singapore).
I was recommended a weekly fish spa trea, or if time allows - 2 to 3 times a week for over an 8 weeks period. I was told improvements can be seen just after the second treatment. For me, the area on my right leg has improved tremendously after the third treatment.
A Word about the Fish Spa in Singapore
"The Spa Association Singapore SAS) has said that banning fish-spa treatments such as Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa and Qian Hu Fish Farm is the way to go and it did not encourage its members here to provide the service for safety and hygiene reasons."
Have you seen surgeons using leeches to undo a blood clot in a brain? Do they find leeches yucky? Or police forming partnerships with able and fit dogs to crack down on cannibis? Do police find canines dirty?
Have you seen aligators leaving their mouths opened while the birds get to work in their mouths The birds get their food, and the alligator gets free dental care! No one gets hurt!
Once upon a time, journalists boo-ed the idea of blood donation. Now no one rejects the idea!
A lot of rejection towards alternative treatments stems from not understanding how things work. Fish, people and water can pretty much be moved around; "hygiene" can be controlled.
If the SAS' concerns are to be heeded, all swimming pools (with too much chlorine) in Singapore might as well be shut down.
The only down side of these Fish Spa Treatments and Body Dips? You have to get over the initial ticklishness before you can truly enjoy the treatment. (Of course, do not visit one if you have a cold or feel one is coming!)
You can now find Fish Spas in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Japan, Taiwan and Turkey! Turkey's 100-year-old Fish Spa in Kangal guarantees a cure within 21 days of continous treatment.
6. Water of the Dead Sea (Israel) is another natural place where psoriasis can be treated. Its high salinity and abundance of minerals like the ions of natural salt, potassium, calcium, magnesium and bromine - have a high biological value, similar composition of macro-elements found in the lymph and blood of a human. At the bottom of the Dead Sea, there's deposits of sulfur and innate (natural) asphalt, as well as such micro-elements, as zinc, copper, cobalt, etc.
If you don't want to fly out to Israel, you can get organic Dead Sea Mud to treat affected skin areas.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar, Evening Primrose oil and Tea Tree oil (also good for acne) are also natural alternatives to curing psoriasis.
8. Steroid creams (aka glucocorticosteriods or corticosteriods), Dithranol creams/ointment, tar shampoo/creams (made from coal tar and they really smell like coal tar and is usually BLACK!), internal forms of tablets (eg. cyclosporin, methotrexate, and retinoids like Tazarotene), Calcipotriol ointment (Vitamin D3 aka Calcipotriene), Anthralin, Salicylic acid, Acitretin, Cyclosporine, Methotrexate, Etanercept, Alefacept, Infliximab (given by IV) etc are not considered natural alternate medicines.
While most of these external creams irritate skin to some degree, overuse of steroid creams may cause thinning of the skin, dilated blood vessels, stretch marks, infection and excess body hair. With continued use, steroid creams may also become ineffective.
Serious and sometimes fatal side effects have been reported when dermatologists/doctors fail to or did not properly screen patients for Hepatitis B or Tuberculosis before administering the intravenous injections for psoriasis patients.
Also, those meant to be orally taken or injected (Acitretin, Cyclosporine, Methotrexate) can cause liver or kidney damage, those planning to have children in the next 3 years should totally avoid all these prescription drugs and shots.
Reference: Gribetz, C. et al. “Clearing Psoriasis: A New Era of Optimism.” Contemporary Dermatology 2003: Vol. 1, No. 1: 1-8.
9. Staying away from alcohol and cigarette-smoking also help to keep psoriasis from returning.
10. A friend of mine swear by hemp clothing which she said is "kinder than cotton". She said her rashes and psoriasis reduced after switching to hemp fashion.
I hope one day my external psoriasis will be totally cured. And if I keep my immunity system strong, I believe I don't need to suffer a "relapse"! :)
Related Info:
- Dr. Mercola explains external irritants etc that could worsen psoriasis.
- Merck's Psoriasis Drug Raptiva Too Dangerous to Use on Humans - European Health Authorities
- Medwire-news (2004) reports that UVB Combs as beneficial for treatment of scalp psoriasis.
- Light Therapy at Home helps Psoriasis - CBC.ca
- Singer LeeAnn Rimes encourages psoriasis sufferers to speak out (video)
- Controversial; Worms for Probiotic Health??
About this blogger: Kelly blogs at MyQute and tweets at Twitter. She writes about Risks and Deaths due to Food Toxicity, Pollution, Environmental and Health Issues, Animal Cruelty, Vegetarian Recipes, Wordpress blogging, sources of Design inspiration, Twitter tools and tips, Art and Framing, etc. Getting more aware of National (and International) Laws & Justice. Beside keeping track of crime non-fiction and swearing at real-world news, Kelly loves kawaii (cute aka qute) things, and exploring other countries' nature and cultural museums.
