Psoriasis is a skin condition caused by a marked acceleration in the skin cell’s life cycle. New cells are being produced more quickly than they are needed, and they build up on the surface. The excess of skin cells forms red scaly patches that are itchy and painful.
What causes psoriasis?
The prevailing school of thought is that psoriasis is caused by an autoimmune response from the body. The body’s immune system is meant to protect it from harmful attacks that result from internal and external factors. During an immune response, the threat to the body is neutralized. However, sometimes the immune system has crossed wires and starts attacking perfectly healthy cells.
The most common part of the immune system is the T cell and other white blood cells, which keep the body protected from harm. However, overactive T cells can attack healthy skin cells, triggering the production of new skin cells. Think about what happens when you injure yourself.
The T cells start producing new skin cells to replace the damaged ones. In this instance, you need new skin cells, and the T cells oblige. But overactive T cells will stimulate the production of new skin cells when they aren’t needed. They will keep doing so as they perceive a threat to the skin’s integrity. The result is more skin cells than the body needs; all of them accumulating on the surface.
Treatments for psoriasis
Unfortunately, there is no cure for psoriasis, although there are many things people who have it can do to mitigate the symptoms. Psoriasis comes and goes, and patients can go months between outbreaks.
Establishing triggers
Some people are lucky enough to be able to see a pattern in their psoriasis outbreaks and link them to triggers. Not everyone will be able to do this, and the triggers vary from one person to another. If you know your triggers, you might be able to avoid them. For those that are unavoidable, you can be prepared for the consequences.
Common psoriasis triggers include skin injuries, stress, smoking, drinking, and infections. If you’re taking medications for another condition, you should speak to your doctor about whether it could be a potential trigger for psoriasis.
Topical corticosteroids
These creams are the most frequently prescribed treatment for psoriasis. Corticosteroids reduce the inflammation caused by psoriasis and the swelling, redness, and discomfort associated with it. They also relieve the severe itching that accompanies the appearance of psoriasis.
Moisturizers
The scaly dry patches of psoriasis on the skin can be painful and embarrassing. The extreme dryness is best treated by using a rich moisturizer, such as an emollient.
Moisturizers containing natural products like aloe vera are very popular among people living with psoriasis. The gel, harvested from the leaves of the aloe vera plant, is a natural moisturizer and will reduce the redness, itching, and swelling.
CBD oil
CBD, or cannabidiol, comes from the cannabis plant family, usually from the hemp plant. CBD oil should not be confused with hemp seed oil, which contains only minimal amounts of the compound. CBD is instead harvested from the leaves of the hemp plant.
Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the psychoactive component in marijuana that induces the ‘high’ most people are familiar with. CBD oil products contain only trace amounts of THC, so they cannot have any mood-altering effects.
CBD acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and helps the body’s immune system respond to the pain and inflammation psoriasis causes. The compound interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system to do this. When it comes to skin conditions, CBD is often applied topically rather than ingested. Before trying any CBD oil products, you should discuss the matter with your dermatologist.
