Top tips for living with Acne and Psoriasis

Acne and Psoriasis although not related diseases, will often occur simultaneously in sufferers. This leads to complications with treatments, as a psoriasis treatment may aggravate the acne, or the acne treatment may be too painful to use on psoriasis sores. Here are some of our top tips for living with acne and psoriasis.

1. Get a proper diagnosis

Reading a medical handbook or searching the internet may lead you to believe that you are suffering from acne or psoriasis, although a proper medical opinion is the only way to really be sure. Similarly, even if you have correctly diagnosed your symptoms the best course of action may not be that which you find in a book – medical advances are occurring continually, and your GP would be able to advise on the latest available treatments.

Even if you would rather not take prescribed antibiotics, steroids or other medications – going to your GP for a proper diagnosis means that you know exactly what you are dealing with, vital for conducting further research.

2. Know your triggers

Both acne and psoriasis can be triggered by stress. Keeping a diary noting any key changes to your lifestyle, upheavals, stressful situations, and even noting when you may have eaten something unusual, is helpful when trying to find what triggers a flare up.

Hormones often play a part, either directly or by affecting our mood, so women should note their monthly cycle when observing when their flare ups occur.
Even small changes to your daily routine could be relevant, so keep note of your normal daily activities and make a not if you have an especially late night, or perhaps take significantly more or less exercise than normal.
These triggers can then become something which you avoid where possible, or which you can discuss with your GP. If your triggers are hormonal, there are a range of therapies available to help balance these out.

3. Hypoallergenic moisturisers

If you have acne and psoriasis occurring simultaneously, especially on sensitive areas such as the face, then you may find trying to ease both to be a difficult task. Due to psoriasis often creating sore lesions, and acne being aggravated by chemical creams, you may feel at a loss for how to help your skin heal.

Light, hypoallergenic moisturisers, especially natural ones, seem to be effective in soothing both the symptoms of psoriasis and acne, without causing further complications. Some gentle herbal remedies use naturally soothing plant extracts which help to heal the skin as it moisturises.

4. Try new treatments

It is a little known fact that some psoriasis sufferers with find that a certain treatment may work well for them for quite some time, and then suddenly stop being effective. Sometimes it will be effective again a few months later, but as a sufferer it is always a good idea to try a range of new treatments.
There are many online forums and discussion boards for psoriasis sufferers, some of which will also be acne sufferers, and these can be helpful for finding out about new treatments as well as sharing tips and advice.

5. Look for the root cause

If, through the analysis of your triggers you can identify the root cause of your acne or psoriasis then you may have an opportunity to avoid future discomfort. Although there are no cures for psoriasis, avoiding triggers and using treatments which are gentle yet effective should keep your condition under control.

If you find that stress is the main contributor to your breakouts then why not try increasing the amount of exercise you take, or perhaps trying hypnosis or meditation to ease tension.