How to treat Psoriasis: Naturally and According to Science
LEFT: Psoriasis on my neck RIGHT: Cleared after making some changes
Why take a research-based approach?
Over eighty clinical studies and my own personal experience with psoriasis were used to write this article. I spent 11 years trying to clear my psoriasis through consultations with MDs, dermatologists, naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, supplements, diets, prescribed medications and treatments. Even though I spent thousands of dollars and saw many professionals and clinicians I had limited success. My psoriasis would come and go and I still had little control or understanding as to why. After a lot of trial and error I began to read psoriasis research articles in my free time. Taking a research based approach helped me to understand psoriasis better, and clear it. I hope sharing this information helps others to do the same.
What causes psoriasis?
To summarize the studies is simpler than you might expect: Psoriasis is a genetic (inherited) inflammatory disorder that is naturally treatable by strengthening the immune system and decreasing inflammatory factors. The difficult part is identifying your triggers (inflammatory factors) that are creating your psoriasis symptoms. The underlying “cause” and “cure” for psoriasis is generally considered unknown in modern medicine but there has been a lot of research on what triggers psoriasis and helps to treat psoriasis.
What triggers psoriasis?
In order to get psoriasis, you need two things: certain genes that predispose you to get psoriasis and a trigger. A trigger is an inflammatory factor or harmful stimuli that can trigger your immune system to have an inflammatory response. But when you have the psoriasis gene you can not only have a normal inflammatory response but also a psoriasis response.
Psoriasis triggers that are supported by research:
Many psoriasis sufferers have more than one trigger. It is important to identify your triggers, so they can be addressed. Most studies show that if the trigger is addressed / removed then psoriasis symptoms will improve and even possibly clear.
Everyone could have a different combination of triggers. How I identified my triggers was by paying attention to when my symptoms increase or decrease. For example I noticed my psoriasis increased when: I was stressed or sick, worked excessive hours, not getting enough sleep, and ate highly to medium processed foods. I noticed my psoriasis symptoms decreased when: I got a good rest, would go on vacation or do a meditation and yoga retreat, was generally relaxed and took good care of myself, and ate more fruits and vegetables. By paying to attention to when my psoriasis symptoms increased (triggered) or decreased; I was able identified my main triggers that were: stress, infections and diet.
Research: Psoriasis Triggers
Research: Stress and Psoriasis
2018 "The associations between psychological stress and psoriasis: a systematic review”
2011 "Stress as an influencing factor in psoriasis"
2008 "Role of stressful life events in induction or exacerbation of psoriasis and chronic urticaria"
2020 "Influence of stress on the development of psoriasis"
Research Summary:
Studies confirm that stress can increase psoriasis symptoms and stress reduction programs can help to reduce symptoms. Here is a list of scientifically proven ways to reduce stress: Exercise, Yoga, Meditation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Massage, Nature, Regular Vacations, Chores and Repetitive Activities, Helping Others
Psoriasis Trigger: Stress
Remedy: Reduce Stress
Stress can take different forms:
Emotional stress: Relationship issues, loss of loved one, emotional trauma, betrayal etc.
Mental stress: Worry, negative thought patterns, mental exertion
Physical stress: Long hours, Lack of sleep, physical trauma (surgery, car accident)
Personal Experience:
I still feel that stress is a sneaky trigger and hardest to manage and understand. I underestimated its effect on my psoriasis and my health until I started to make changes. I did not realize how much extra stress I was carrying around with me until I began to drop it.
I think the trick for stress reduction is to find what you enjoy and what will work for you. In my case a regular practice of meditation and exercise is what worked the best for me. In terms of exercise I kept my routine pretty simple and easy, alternating between walking, running or doing yoga, for 35 minutes 3-4 times a week.
In terms of meditation I have tried many different types but the only type that I enjoyed and was effective for me was a meditation that incorporated breathwork with the Art of Living. Here is a link for you would like to learn more: Art of Living Meditation Program
Art of Living Meditation Research:
Research: Infection and Psoriasis
2021 "Presence of streptococci and frequent tonsillitis among adolescents with psoriasis"
2020 " Covid-19 and Exacerbation of Psoriasis"
2018 "Psoriasis and Infection. A clinical practice narrative."
Research Summary:
Studies have shown a correlation between the onset of infections and the onset of psoriasis. The infections that have been studied thus far are: strep throat (streptococcal pharyngitis), tonsillitis, covid-19, HIV and human papillomavirus. However, keep in mind there is significant anecdotal evidence that other types of acute and chronic infections increase psoriasis symptoms but these studies may be in progress or simply have not been investigated yet. Significant research has not been done on how to reduce psoriasis symptoms that have been brought on by infection. Current research has only correlated the on-set of acute and chronic infection (getting sick) with an increased risk of psoriasis symptoms. Therefore, we can only make an educated guess that strengthening the immune system to not get sick in the first place will help to reduce potential psoriasis symptoms that could follow.
Evidence backed ways to strengthen the immune system: Don’t smoke, Eat diet high in fruits and vegetables, Exercise regularly, Maintain a healthy weight, Only drink alcohol in moderation, Get adequate sleep, Take steps to avoid infection, Try to minimize stress, Keep up with current vaccines. You may notice how the ways to strengthen the immune system list correlates with the trigger list, this really highlighted how much psoriasis is correlated with the immune system for me.
Psoriasis Trigger: Infection
Remedy: Strengthen the Immune System
Personal experience:
I noticed when I would get sick my psoriasis became worse. I wanted to strengthen my immune system, so I would get sick less often. I tried many supplements to strengthen my immune system but the ones most effective for me were: Vitamin D, garlic, cat's claw (alcohol free), and MSM. (Sorry I am not going to give product recommendations because I do not want people to believe that this is about promoting these products.) I found these supplements help to strengthen my immune system so I got sick less often and helped with inflammation.
The number one supplement that is generally recommended to psoriasis sufferers is vitamin D because there is strong evidence of its ability to strengthen the immune system and decrease inflammation. There is generally agreement in the medical community that more research is needed on the relationship/ correlation between vitamin D and psoriasis. But there have been multiple promising studies that have shown that vitamin D has had positive effects on psoriasis sufferers. People have reported anecdotally that just the addition of vitamin D supplement has completely cleared their mild psoriasis symptoms, but this is not the case for everyone.
Vitamin D Research:
2022 “Vitamin D Signaling in Psoriasis: Pathogenesis and Therapy”
2017 “Vitamin D and its role in psoriasis: An overview of the dermatologist and nutritionist”
Research: Diet and Psoriasis
2020 "Nutrition and Psoriasis"
2019 "The Impact of Diet on Psoriasis"
2005 “Diet and Psoriasis: Experimental Data and Clinical Evidence"
Research Summary:
Many people have reported that what they eat affects their psoriasis symptoms; this is not just in your head. Several studies showed that a significant number of psoriasis sufferers benefited when switched to an anti-inflammatory diet. There are different types of anti-inflammatory diets, but in general anti-inflammatory diets can be described as low in processed foods and high in natural foods. If you need more information on anti-inflammatory diets you can click here, this site aligns the best with the studies I have read.
Psoriasis Trigger: Diet
Remedy: Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Personal Experience:
I noticed when I ate certain foods such as fried food, certain packaged foods, highly processed foods my psoriasis would increase with sometimes, within hours or a day within whatever I ate.
I switched to an anti-inflammatory diet (I ate no medium or high processed foods) until my symptoms cleared. I ate a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables. Now I am less strict but I learned a lot from this experience about what works best for me personally. For some people they start seeing improvements very soon in the first couple of days, for others it has been reported to take longer up to two months. A general rule of thumb (and simplification) is to increase vegetables and fruits, which are anti-inflammatory and decrease processed/packaged foods. It is helpful to experiment with what works for you. For example some people need to cut out dairy during this time (like me) and some don't. With some attention and creativity, I think most people can find out what works best for them and that they enjoy. This is the section I get the most questions on so I made a video to address these questions. (my video)
Research: Fatty Liver Disease / Clinically Overweight and Psoriasis
2018 "Effects of Weight Loss on Psoriasis: A Review of Clinical Trials"
2019 " Psoriasis: Obesity and Fatty Acids"
2015 "Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Psoriasis What a Dermatologist Needs to Know"
2016 “Relationship between psoriasis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”
2015 “Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and psoriasis: So far, so near
Research Summary: Fatty liver disease is when fat builds up in your liver. The main cause is consuming an excess of calories that build up in the liver. Studies have shown that both fatty liver disease and being clinically overweight correlates can increase psoriasis symptoms but the research has shown that a diet and an exercise regime can reverse both of these conditions as well as improve psoriasis symptoms. The NAFLD is a type of anti-inflammatory diet that emphasizes low/healthy fats.
Psoriasis Trigger: Fatty Liver Disease / Clinically Excess Weight
Remedy: NAFLD Diet and Exercise Regime
Personal Experience: This trigger did not apply to me but a regular exercise routine did help to decrease my psoriasis symptoms.
Research: Alcohol and Psoriasis
2012 "Alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk of psoriasis"
2013 "Alcohol consumption and psoriasis: a systematic literature review"
2011 "Alcohol and skin disorders: with a focus on psoriasis"
2011 "Alcohol, psoriasis, liver disease, and anti-psoriasis drugs
Research Summary:
The studies of psoriasis sufferers have shown a significant correlation between an increase of alcohol consumption and an increase of psoriasis symptoms. The studies showed that in general a decrease in alcohol consumption correlated with a decrease of psoriasis symptoms. There have been numerous studies showing that alcohol can act as an inflammatory.
Psoriasis Trigger: Alcohol
Remedy: Eliminate/Decrease
Personal Experience: I do not drink alcohol, so this was not on my personal trigger list.
Research: Smoking and Psoriasis
2020 "Impact of smoking on psoriasis risk and treatment efficacy: a meta-analysis'
2019 "The relationship between smoking, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis"
Research Summary: The studies of psoriasis sufferers have shown a significant correlation between an increase of smoking/tobacco consumption and an increase of psoriasis symptoms. The studies showed that in general a decrease in smoking consumption correlated with a decrease of psoriasis symptoms. Smoking has been researched extensively for its inflammatory effects.
Psoriasis Trigger: Smoking
Psoriasis Remedy: Eliminate/Decrease
Personal Experience: I do not smoke tobacco or other products, so this was not on my personal trigger list.
Commonly Asked Questions:
How did you clear your psoriasis?
I used the research based approached outlined above to addressed my personal triggers. I also incorporated the additional strategies that are supported by andedtocal evidence listed below.
Not everyone needs to incorporate additional strategies but I had a very stubborn, severe case of psoriasis that was spreading to my face and psoriasis arthritis at 26 years old. The below strategies have been shown to be useful for treating inflammatory conditions but have not yet been researched for their effectiveness for treating psoriasis. I personally used these additional strategies to help to speed the clearing/ healing process along and I found improvements
Enemas (distilled water only): Weekly enemas until psoriasis clears, I believe this helps to speed up the healing processes and flush toxins and inflammation from the system. Although enemas are an ancient practice that has been used for thousands of years, and are still used today in modern medicine not everyone agrees about how often this should be done. I did enemas weekly for about 3 months until my psoriasis cleared. As a side note I would never recommend a coffee enema under any circumstance, use distilled water only. Your body will have no way to break down the coffee as it is by-passing the stomach, going direct to the large intestine for absorption, this means it will go straight to your bloodstream and can cause unpleasant side effects such as headaches and nausea. In contrast with water enemas people report a general sense of greater well-being, relaxation, and feeling of lightness once you get used to it. Click here for a link on how to do water enemas. I noticed enemas helped when I had a flare up.
Saunas: I also found saunas to be helpful to sweat out toxins that may have built up the in system from stress, diet, environmental factors. I noticed this helped when I had a flare up.
Drinking lots of water. Especially drinking water first thing in the morning after I wake up. Staying well hydrated has shown so many benefits for our health that a book was written on subject called, “You’re not sick. You’re thirsty” but if you don’t want to read this book to summarize our organs are able to function better when we are hydrated and able to flush toxins more effectively when we are well hydrated.
Do you have any tips for what to do when you are having a flare up?
The one helpful thing I found, is taking a dead sea bath. A bath with dead sea salt has shown some promising results in studies at helping to relieve psoriasis symptoms temporarily by decreasing inflammation and decreasing stress and anxiety which can trigger flare-ups.
The dead sea is rich with zinc and bromide which are anti-inflammatory and magnesium which medical research has linked to reduced anxiety by stimulating the production of melatonin and serotonin which boost your mood and help you to sleep. This bath is especially beneficial before taking time to relax because magnesium also reduces the production of cytokines and cortisol, which leads to increased inflammation and stress. Studies have found that dead sea treatments improve psoriaisis symptoms including had improved hydration, reduced redness and inflammation.
You may have seen people make small changes, such as taking vitamin D, doing a cleanse or just stop eating dairy or something like that and their psoriasis goes away. Why does that work for some people and not others?
What works for one person may or may not work for another because our bodies/immune systems are in different places/shapes/ and all of our immune systems are unique. Some people only need to make smaller changes to treat their psoriasis effectively. While some people (like me) need to make more drastic changes. In general - the more extreme the psoriasis symptoms or prolonged the case - the more prolonged and extreme the protocols need to be.
Anytime a general treatment plan for psoriasis is recommended, as if it will work for everyone, I am doubtful because what we see in the research is that there are different triggers for everyone and treatment protocols should be based on our unique set of triggers.
What does the research say on topical treatments?
It is generally known that psoriasis is a complex inflammatory immune system issue and is more than skin deep. Keep in mind topical treatments can help to temporarily soothe the skin symptom (rash, dry skin, flaking) but do not address the inflammatory factors or triggers which are an internal immune system issue.
How long will it take to clear psoriasis?
The general rule of thumb is the longer and more severe your psoriasis the longer it will take to clear. Keep in mind that you need to give your remedies/changes time to work, the body takes time to heal and repair from the inside out. This may mean weeks or months, but you will know you are on the right track because you will start seeing improvements in symptoms.
Keep in mind if you go back to your old ways and start doing all the things that cause psoriasis in the first-place psoriasis could come back. We could take psoriasis as a sign that it is time to take better care of ourselves and health.
My belief is the key to clearing psoriasis naturally is to reduce our exposure to inflammatory factors and increase anti-inflammatory factors, strengthening the overall immune system and calming it at the same time. When psoriasis symptoms increase it is a signal that we need to make some adjustments. I do not believe psoriasis is untreatable, in fact we have seen in the research and anecdotally that so many people have improved and cleared their psoriasis.
So why doesn’t everyone who is exposed to inflammatory triggers develop psoriasis?
Only if you have certain genetic markers will you develop psoriasis. This is why psoriasis tends to run in families. But this does not mean that you will have psoriasis only that you can get psoriasis. There are environmental inflammatory factors (triggers) that determine whether or not you develop psoriasis.
What about pharmacological treatments options?
This is a matter of personal preference. I did try steroid creams in the beginning because that’s what was prescribed but it was not effective for me. My preference was to focus on natural treatments that have no known negative side effects. Natural treatment options, calm and strengthen the immune system. The pharmacological treatments often have some degree of risk of side effects. Many of the pharmacological treatments for psoriasis work by suppressing the immune system (hence suppressing the psoriasis which is an inflammation response) and some have shown that when used over a long period of time they become less effective and sometimes cause damage to the liver. This is no judgment on those that choose to go the pharmacological route, everyone needs to decide what course of treatment makes the most sense to them, but the pharmacological treatment route is more of a complex issue than I wanted to address. My experience and perspective is just one option on how to treat psoriasis, and it is up to the reader on what is the best choice of treatment for them.
Here are a couple research articles on the possible risks associated with the pharmacological treated psoriasis.
2011 “Immunosuppressive drugs - how they work, their side effects and interactions”
2014 “Side-effects of topical steroids: A long overdue revisit”
Thank you to the many physicians, researchers, and scientists who worked countless hours for those affected by psoriasis
A complete list of sources used in this article
2016 The inflammation response in Psoriasis: A Comprehensive Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27025861/
2019 Psoriasis: More than Skin Deep https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/psoriasis-more-than-skin-deep
2019 Risk Factors for the Development of Psoriasis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31491865/
2021 Psoriasis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33812489/
Psoriasis Triggers
2018 Psoriasis risk factors and triggers https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30566552/
Psoriasis and Genetics:
2020 Psoriasis and genetics https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31971603/
2018 Genetic risk factors include HLA-Cw6 and mutations in the caspase recruitment domain family member 14 gene, CARD14. individuals https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30566552
2012 Genetic susceptibility to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: implications for therapy
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22050552/
2015 Genetic, Epigenetic and Pharmacogenetic Aspects of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26476223/
2007 Clinical associations of the risk alleles of HLA-Cw6 and CCHCR1*WWCC in psoriasis”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17340018/
2004 “An update on the genetics of psoriasis”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15450331/
2012 “Genetic susceptibility to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: implications for therapy”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22050552/
2001 “Genetic aspects of psoriasis”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11422183/
2005 “Mapping and identifying genes for asthma and psoriasis”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16096103/
Stress
2018 "The associations between psychological stress and psoriasis: a systematic review” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29516474/
2011 "Stress as an influencing factor in psoriasis" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21611682/
2008 "Role of stressful life events in induction or exacerbation of psoriasis and chronic urticaria" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19171981/
2020 "Influence of stress on the development of psoriasis" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31592542/
Infection
2019 "Respiratory virus infection triggers acute psoriasis flares across different clinical subtypes and genetic backgrounds" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7161746/
2021 "Presence of streptococci and frequent tonsillitis among adolescents with psoriasis"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35174209/
2020 " Covid-19 and Exacerbation of Psoriasis" https:/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32436303/
2015 "Human papillomavirus infection and psoriasis: Did human papilloma virus infection trigger psoriasis?"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4660567/
2018 "Psoriasis and Infection. A clinical practice narrative." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30079566/
Vitamin D Research:
2022 “Vitamin D Signaling in Psoriasis: Pathogenesis and Therapy” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9369120/
2017 “Vitamin D and its role in psoriasis: An overview of the dermatologist and nutritionist” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5486909/
2021 “Research has shown that Vitamin D treatment is effective when applied topically to the skin for plaque-type psoriasis.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7825555/#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20treatment%20is%20effective,adjuvant%20treatment%20option%20in%20psoriasis.
Diet:
2021 "The Effect of Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Capacity of Diet on Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Phenotype: Nutrition as Therapeutic Tool?” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/55499118/
2020 "Nutrition and Psoriasis"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32751360/
2019 "The Impact of Diet on Psoriasis"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/51774892/
2005 “Diet and Psoriasis: Experimental Data and Clinical Evidence"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16181450/
2018 "Is Psoriasis a Bowel Disease? Successful Treatment with Bile acids and Bioflavonoids suggests it is." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29908580/
Fatty Liver and Clinically Overweight
2018 "Effects of Weight Loss on Psoriasis: A Review of Clinical Trials" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6318144/
2019 " Psoriasis: Obesity and Fatty Acids" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6684944/
2019 "Metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver stiffness in psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31254236/
2015 "Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Psoriasis What a Dermatologist Needs to Know" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4382145/
2016 “Relationship between psoriasis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5209456/pdf/PG-11-25606.pdf
2015 “Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and psoriasis: So far, so near
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381160/
2017 “Psoriasis and fatty liver are frequent companions - If you have psoriasis consider the NAFLD diet” https://www.fattyliverfoundation.org/psoriasis
Alcohol:
2012 "Alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk of psoriasis" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22568495/
2011 "Alcohol, psoriasis, liver disease, and anti-psoriasis drugs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22004481/
2013 "Alcoholism can be considered a risk factor for pellagra, psoriasis, nummular eczema and purpura pigmentosa chron dermatoses, which can, as well, be considered alcoholism indicators.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23793198/
2013 "Alcohol consumption and psoriasis: a systematic literature review" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23845150/
2011 "Alcohol and skin disorders: with a focus on psoriasis" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21611681/
Smoking:
2016 "Psoriasis and Smoking: Links and Risks" Smoking also impacts on the clinical severity of psoriasis and its onset (start).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5683129/
2020 "Impact of smoking on psoriasis risk and treatment efficacy: a meta-analysis'
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33121308/
2005 "Smoking and psoriasis"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15891254/
2019 "The relationship between smoking, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30380949/
Pharmacological Risk Factors:
2015 “Risk of Serious Infection with Biologic and Systemic Treatment of Psoriasis: Results From the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR)” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25970800/
2011 “Immunosuppressive drugs - how they work, their side effects and interactions” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22139982/
2021 “People with Psoriatic Disease Taking Methotrexate Are More Likely to Develop Liver Disease Compared to Those with Rheumatoid Arthritis on Methotrexate”
2014 “Side-effects of topical steroids: A long overdue revisit”
