Psoriasis is a difficult condition to live with. While at times it may be manageable, other times you may break out to the point where you aren’t even comfortable going outdoors in a short sleeved shirt. But with this condition, not only can it affect your skin but it can also affect your nails and joints. Out of all those who have psoriasis approximately 10-55% have some form of nail psoriasis. Nail psoriasis can affect your nail plate, the nail bed (under the nail) or even the nail matrix which is the tissue from which the nail grows.

The fingernails are more affected than the toenails. What you will normally see are one or more of the following:

Nail Pitting: This is the most common form of nail psoriasis. You will see small depressions within your nail as if they’ve been punched out.

Nail Discoloration: The nail will turn a yellowish or yellowish-pink color. It will look like drops of oil within your nail plate. This is called an ‘oil drop’. In the case of it being yellowish-pink it is called a ‘salmon patch’.

Nail Crumbling: From a weakened nail matrix, crumbling or even total loss of your nail is possible due to the effects of nail psoriasis.

Nail Separation: What you’ll see here is areas where the nail has lifted off of the nail bed. These areas will appear white due to pockets of air forming where the nail has lifted up. This is also known as ‘onycholysis’ and with it inflammation around the nail usually follows.

Nail psoriasis can be so bad that you won’t be able to keep doing your regular daily activities due to the extreme pain caused. It is for this reason that as soon as you notice any symptoms you look into a form of treatment immediately to prevent the condition from worsening. There are many treatment methods available online for your psoriasis which will effectively manage and even clear your condition. Don’t wait until too much damage is done before you take action.

By: Allen Iser

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Allen Iser has experience dealing with psoriasis and is a proponent of

As a consequence of our exposure to this world of psoriasis we began research and came to understand just how widespread it is. In Great Britain 1 in 50, in Australia between 1 in 25 and 1 in 50 and in the USA 4.5 million adults have been diagnosed, 20% of those with conditions which would be considered moderate to severe.

It would seem that world wide 125 million people are sufferers. Of these, 28 million will develop psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis is:

A skin condition that causes thickened red areas sometimes silver or scaly in appearance. This thick scaling results from an increase in the number of skin cells. Whereas in the majority of the population normal skin cells mature in 28 to 30 days in psoriasis the process is seven to ten times faster. Your skin cells cannot shed that quickly and the resultant piling up of cells leads to raised scaly plaques, eventually leading to silvery white scales when the dead cells are farther from the surface.

Psoriasis most commonly affects elbows, knees, legs arms and back but may flare up anywhere including the scalp, nails and mouth. Nails could lose their luster, developing ridges. The pattern is of periodic flare-ups then healing. This cycle may be triggered by stress, certain food allergies, infections, nutritional deficiencies, reactions to medication, climate change and even the build up of toxins from unhealthy eating.

The fact that you are reading this shows your willingness to try various treatments until you find what best suits you. This is paramount in your quest for relief.

Treatments:

There are many forms of treatment and more appear from time to time. These include:

Systemic medications – prescription medications that affect the entire body – steroid, coal tar. Usually reserved for patients with moderate to mild psoriasis.

Phototherapy. Usually used for patients with a condition that does not respond or whose condition is widespread.

Topical treatments – agents applied to the skin which help slow down or normalize the excessive cell reproduction and reduce inflammation, these could be steroid or non steroid based.

Alternative approaches – diet, mind therapies, sun and water therapies.

According to some sources many cases of psoriasis went into remission during WW 11 when protein and caloric intake were restricted lending credence to the idea that diet could be an important part in controlling the outbreaks. Many physicians suggest limiting the consumption of animal proteins and including sufficient fiber.

There is widespread agreement that the diet should be high in fresh vegetables, fruits and also whole grains but low in saturated fat. Fiber is essential in maintaining a healthy colon. Raw fruits and vegetables are also recommended, as is fish for the Omega-3 fatty acids, especially salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring.

Essential are adequate quantities of Vitamin B complex, B1 (thiamine) to improve circulation and healthy skin.B6, also for the skin, B5, to aid in adrenal function, B12, to aid cell formation and longevity. Vitamins A, C and E, Zinc, Folic acid and Glutathione and milk thistle extract to cleanse the liver.

Shark cartilage may be used to inhibit the growth of blood vessels. Regular, moderate exposure to sunlight may help, preferably not in high peak hours but before 10am or after 2pm to avoid sunburn, since UV rays slow down cellular division in the skin.

Finally, it cannot be overstated the paramount importance of keeping the skin moist. In this way significant relief may be obtained. This may be achieved with a variety of topical methods and in the past couple of decades one of the most effective of these comes from jojoba based products the “Ultimate Moisturisers”. The jojoba plant (pronounced ho-ho-bah) is unique among the plant kingdom and when applied to human skin mixes instantly with the skin’s own sebum. It then makes its way deep into the skin’s cell and matrix level where it holds water in the skin by forming a lipid layer. Since jojoba naturally contains Vitamins A, D&E, is antibacterial and antifungal it kills almost all common skin bacteria and fungi. Furthermore it is almost indistinguishable from the skin’s natural sebum.

If you are suffering from psoriasis then you will have skin that is raised, itchy, red and will have the appearance of silvery scales on the surface. Psoriasis can be found on any area of the body such as that of the knees, face, scalp, feet, back, legs, nails and also the elbows.

Psoriasis is a condition that affects many people and if you consider the population of the USA alone, it is suggested that some two-percent of the population in America suffers from psoriasis. This is a lot of people and if you think about this on a global scale then indeed there are many millions of people that are suffering from this condition.

If there is a factor that causes a trigger of psoriasis for any additional flare ups to appear then this can result in the skin becoming more inflamed than before. There is no set time or age when the symptoms of psoriasis first appear but it is generally seen in teenagers and those in their adult life. It is quite often to be a family condition and this can be passed from one generation to the next. There are some cases where the condition appears during a particular season, but the condition is not considered to be contagious.

There are a number of treatments that are considered to be useful for treating psoriasis and you need to be considering using treatments that are natural and organic.

Some of the most effective treatments for psoriasis include that of chamomile as this is known for its ability to help skin that is dry and flaky. There are many practitioners who would suggest using this herb over any over the counter products that are chemical based.

Then there are brazil nuts and these are full of Vitamin E and this vitamin in particular is becoming very popular amongst many products that are designed for treating dry skin.

Another natural treatment is that of red pepper and there are actual creams that are made of hot peppers.

There are course other natural treatments that are available in the treating of psoriasis mainly that of milk, thistle, yellow dock and also grapes. Aloe vera should not be ignored in the treatment of psoriasis and neither should neem or jojoba.

If you are finding that you are suffering from psoriasis then you need to avoid foods that are very spicy and also too much salt. If a salt free diet is not possible then the usage of rock salt may be suggested.

Take a close inspection also of the clothes that you are also wearing as any man made fibres need to be avoided and any itching of the skin also needs to be avoided too.

It is also important that you getting outside and exposing your skin to the rays of the sun in order to obtain Vitamin D. There are also many Vitamin D supplements that you can obtain, but sunshine will be more effective. Just take care that you are not spending too much time in the sun as this will lead to the skin becoming burnt.