?s about tanning
I have a couple of questions for those dealing with psoriasis. First of all,
how do you feel about tanning? Supposedly tanning is supposed to help, but I
recently read an article that says sunburn is bad for psoriasis. Well,
anyone that’s ever been in one of those tanners knows you burn pretty quickly
since they are so strong. This would seem to defeat the purpose. Any
opinions?
Also, how do you bathe? I know that bathing is supposed to be better than
showering, but that’s not always convenient. Also, I use one of those
solange things in the shower. Since they are mildly abrasive and you’re not
supposed to scratch, are these harmful? For me, they help with the scaly
patches. But are they more harmful than beneficial? Any opinions would be
welcome.
~Tammy
November 28th, 2003 at 7:12 am
Tammy
When I was first diagnosed with psoriasis, the dermatologist said tanning
helped, but
it would get worse if it burned, so there is a fine line. I used tanning booths
for
only 8 minutes at a time several times a week for a couple of months and I could
tell
it helped my condition. I found that the scaly build up slowed down and they
weren’t so raw when I maintained a tan. The only thing I didn’t like was the
patches
seemed to tan a little darker than the surrounding skin, but like I said, they
weren’t scaly and raw, so I decided I could live with a few smooth, brown
patches on
my legs rather than the red stuff.
That was about 3 years ago. I have chosen not to use the tanning beds anymore,
but
just use sunscreen and get a little bit of exposure in the summer. The reason
being,
I am more afraid of wrinkles and cancer than I am of the red spots. I get moles
easily from the sun and my back has tons of moles that I didn’t have before I
used
the tanning bed that year.
I prefer to shower rather than bathe, myself, and I took my doctor’s advice and
only
use soap on "anything that has a gland", i.e., face, armpits, crotch, feet. I
don’t
scrub anywhere else and it seems to help my psoriasis to just let water and
whatever
shampoo runs down do the job. I know I am nowhere near as severe as many people
out
there, so my method might not work for others. I only have it on my knees,
elbows,
waistline and occasionally my backside.
Janet
November 28th, 2003 at 3:11 pm
Hi Janet
The likeliest mechanism for a protective effect of sunlight is
vitamin D, which is synthesised by the body in the presence of
ultraviolet B. Using sunscreen defeats the purpose of being in the
sun in the first place. Also, you should not wear sunglasses, at
least during your short exposures. The glands behind the eyes were
placed there for a purpose, to be able to absorb the healing rays of
the sun. Constant use of sunglasses, or glasses for that matter,
prevent those rays from effectively reaching where they need to be.
Doug