The One Best Way To Prevent A Psoriasis Flare-Up

Some people suffer flare-ups of psoriasis when they are under psychological stress. Other people who have psoriasis experience breakouts when they drink too much, when they smoke cigarettes, when they smoke cigarettes, when they drink too much, or when they eat bread or products containing gluten.

Still other people who have psoriasis have to deal with itchy, scaly, red or silver plaques when their skin dries out, when they get a skin infection, or when they have flare-ups of yeast infections. The most important day to day cause of ongoing psoriasis problems, however, is micro-injury to the skin.

The Psoriasis Trigger You Never See

How can invisible injury to the skin set off an itchy, unsightly outbreak of psoriasis? The answer lies in specialized skin cells known as keratinocytes.

The keratinocytes begin as stem cells that migrate from elsewhere in the body into the basal layer of the skin. In this deepest part of the skin, keratinocytes behave like ordinary cells from two or three cycles of cell division. Then genes in the keratinocytes are activated that produce differentiation factors, chemical signals for the skin cell in the basal layer to change itself from a keratinocyte into a corneocyte, migrating to the uppermost layer of the skin, where it dies in 30 to 60 days. 

Instead of multiplying two or three times, they multiple four to six times. They make so many copies of themselves that they cannot complete the process of making the connective protein keratin, so their "offspring" fail to stick together. Th result is dry, flaky, itchy, scaly skin.

In psoriasis, the keratinocytes are always overactive, but at some times they are more overactive than at others. When even a single skin cell is injured, it pours out chemicals that attract a class of white blood cells known as neutrophils. These white blood cell produce chemicals that dissolve some of the keratin surrounding the skin cell sending out the distress signal. They also release chemicals that cause redness and irritation.

The keratinocytes also produce chemicals that increase the skin cell's rate of reproduction from four to six times normal to as much as four hundred to six hundred times normal. Not only does the skin begin to disintegrate, but dying skin cells accumulate into red or silvery plaques that disfigure the skin and cause itching.

The important thing to understand about this kind of injury to the skin is that exposure to a tiny amount of an irritating chemical or abrasion that can't even be seen in a magnifying mirror is enough to trigger the process of excessive skin growth and inflammation. There are at least 10 common skin irritants that everyone who has psoriasis should know about.

Ten Common Skin Irritants in Psoriasis

Ironically, skin care products are some of the most common triggers of psoriasis flare-ups. Everyone who has psoriasis needs to read labels to make sure not to put products containing any of the following ten ingredients on the skin.

1. Nickel in inexpensive earrings, bracelets, necklaces, body piercings, and rings.

Many people who have psoriasis also have a nickel allergy. Skin contact with nickel can trigger both the allergy at the site of contact with the metal and psoriasis in the skin nearby.

If you happen to get a rash underneath a gold ring and you know you have a nickel allergy, don't worry that the ring might be fake. In this case the problem is more likely to be detergent that gets trapped beneath your ring.

2. Metal hooks and zippers.

Going commando (without underwear) can trigger psoriasis outbreaks where it isn't polite to scratch, at least in public. These are due to contact of the skin with the metal in the zipper. Women who wear brassieres with metal hooks sometimes get a similar reaction.

3. Long, hot showers.

If you have sensitive skin, long, hot showers are not for you. Instead, take a brief, warm-water shower. Warm water further breaks down the already-weakened keratin that holds skin cells together, causing further flaking, itching, and disfigurement.

4. Moisturizers that aren't really moisturizers.

If a moisturizer lists alcohol in its first three ingredients, it won't really moisturize your skin. Instead, it will dry it out. The best ingredient in moisturizers for psoriasis-prone skin is water, which is mixed with oils and surfactants to lock the moisture onto (not into) your skin, reducing itch and flakiness. Alcohol-based "moisturizers" make skin dryness worse.

5. Detergent cleansers.

All cleansers are not created equal. Detergent soaps break down the skin and make itching and redness worse.

How can you tell whether your skin care product contains a detergent? Detergents make big, "soapy" bubbles. Safe cleansers for psoriasis-affected skin make tiny bubbles or no visible bubbles at all, but feel slippery on the skin. 

6. Sodium lauryl sulfate (labeled in the UK and parts of the EU as sodium dodecyl sulphate), also known as SLS or SDS.

Sodium lauryl sulfate can set off psoriasis-like skin inflammation even in people who don't ordinarily get psoriasis. Be especially careful with toothpastes and mouth rinses that contain this ingredient. Splash from the mouth onto the skin can trigger a nasty skin reaction. Buy skin care products and oral hygiene products that don't contain this ingredient.

7. Botanicals that increase redness.

All botanicals are natural, but everything natural is not necessarily good for your skin. People who have psoriasis are usually particularly sensitive to the essential oils of citrus, cinnamon, wintergreen, and peppermint. If you can smell the fragrance, there is enough essential oil in the product to make your skin break out.

8. Problem preservatives.

Some preservatives in skin care products can cause psoriasis flareups. Among these are benzalkonium chloride, bronopol, chloroacetamide, chlorhexidine, chlorocresol, chlorquinaldol, diazolidiny ureal, dichlorophen, DMDM hydantoin, glutaraldehyde, parabens, quternium-15, sorbic acid, thimerosal, triclosan, and, the same chemical that is used in embalming fluid, formaldehyde.

9. Problem sun scare ingredients.

Skin rashes often result from use of sun screens that contain benzophenone, methoxycinnamate, padimate, or para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA).

10. Exfoliants in general.

Exfoliants lift and separate dead skin to open clogged pores beneath. Any product that intended for exfoliation is likely to be a bad idea if you have psoriasis.

The list of exfoliants to avoid includes luffa sponges, Lava soap, corundum crystals, and any kind of microdermabrasion or chemical skin people, even the vinegar and green tea "skin peels" popular for home use.