How to Remove Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic disease where your immune system becomes overactive and makes skin cells too quickly. As these cells build up, they form psoriasis plaques, thick raised patches of skin with silvery scales.
There’s no cure for psoriasis. But you can remove these psoriasis plaques. When you remove dead skin, it helps medications and ointments work better. It can also help you feel better about how you look. But you need to do it safely to avoid pain, infection, and bleeding.
Exfoliation for Psoriasis
You can treat psoriasis patches with chemical exfoliants. Unlike physical exfoliants, where you use a tool like a brush, sponge, or scrub to remove psoriasis plaques, chemical exfoliation uses chemicals to dissolve them. People with psoriasis plaques often have sensitive skin, so mechanical exfoliation may be too irritating for them. Instead, they may be better off with a chemical exfoliant.
Applied to the skin, products with these acids work by weakening the bonds between skin cells. This causes the outer layer to shed, which softens and removes scales. You can buy creams, lotions, gels, ointments, foams, and shampoos with these acids. They’re available over the counter (OTC) or in stronger doses by prescription. Side effects include irritation, stinging, and burning.
To get the best results from these products, take a warm (but not hot) 15-minute bath before you use them.
Some used for psoriasis include:
Salicylic acid. Also found in acne medicines, it’s one of the most common treatments for psoriasis. By softening a protein in your skin called keratin, salicylic acid helps psoriasis scales come off faster. Make sure to follow your doctor’s orders when you apply it. If too much is absorbed into your body, it can cause health problems. You shouldn’t apply it to large areas of skin or leave it on for long periods. And children shouldn’t use any products that contain it.
Alpha-hydroxy acids. This category includes glycolic and lactic acids. They may be as effective as salicylic acid, but gentler on the skin.
Urea. Urea absorbs water, which helps moisturize skin. It also thins your skin, which makes it easier for psoriasis plaques to peel off. Ideally, you want to use an over-the-counter cream that contains 40%-50% urea. Your medical provider may also recommend that you use a lotion that contains lower levels (around 5%-12%) of urea to make it easier for your psoriasis plaques to absorb prescription topical medications such as calcipotriene/betamethasone (Taclonex).
Coal Tar for Psoriasis
This smelly, sticky substance has been used to treat psoriasis for more than 100 years. Like exfoliating acids, it also causes you to shed the outer layer of dead skin. It can also reduce the inflammation and itching of psoriasis.
It comes in a variety of forms, such as soaps, creams, and lotions. Coal tar can stain your clothing. It also makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Studies show it works best in people who are also taking steroids for their skin.
Psoriasis Moisturizing Cream
Keeping your skin moisturized is key to managing psoriasis. Using moisturizers or topical treatments for psoriasis effectively can enhance its effects by locking in moisture, helping your skin heal and become less itchy.
Locking in moisture allows more moisturizers or topical treatments to be absorbed into your skin, which helps it remove psoriasis plaques. To use a lock-in method, you can apply a heavy ointment or oil, then cover the area with plastic wrap for a few hours or overnight.
If you are using this method to lock in medication, check with your doctor before you do it.
Vitamin E moisturizing cream. Research suggests that vitamin E blood levels are lower in people who have inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis. Vitamin E itself is a fat-soluble vitamin found in your skin oil. It helps keep your skin moisturized. So, it makes sense that creams or lotions that contain it may do a better job of locking moisture into your skin. Look for products that contain tocopherol or tocotrienol, both forms of vitamin E.
Bath Soaks for Psoriasis
Water softens and loosens dead skin, making it easier to shed. Take 15 minutes to sit in a bath. Because hot temperatures are drying, keep the water lukewarm. A few other tips for baths include:
Avoid harsh or scented soaps, which can strip the skin’s natural oils.
Choose a soap or cleanser designed for sensitive skin.
Don’t use a washcloth, which can trigger a psoriasis flare. Use your hands, instead.
When you get out of the bath, gently blot water from your skin with a towel. Leave a little, so your skin feels damp.
Apply your favorite thick cream or ointment immediately to seal in moisture.
Bath salts for psoriasis
High levels of magnesium in Dead Sea and Epsom salts can help gently slough off dead skin and get rid of the redness caused by psoriasis. Add two cups of salt to warm water.
One study found that people with psoriasis plaques who soaked in a 20-minute daily bath with Dead Sea salts for 3 weeks experienced more improvements in their symptoms than those who just soaked in lukewarm water.
Oils for Scalp Psoriasis
Roughly half of people with psoriasis get scales on their scalp. Thick scales on your forehead, hairline, behind your ears, or on the back of your neck can be softened with coconut, olive, or peanut oil. Massage a small amount into your scalp, then put on a shower cap overnight, and shampoo in the morning. Repeat for two or three nights. The dead skin should soften and wash away.
You can use a comb to lift off the softened scale. Hold it almost flat, and gently move it in a circular motion. Don’t scrape your scalp. Read more on the different ways to treat scalp psoriasis.
Salicylic Acid Shampoo
Available by prescription and over the counter, this product helps break down scales. You may need to leave the shampoo on the scalp for about 5 minutes. Use as directed by the label. For some people, salicylic acid can cause temporary hair loss.
After using one, follow with a regular shampoo. This will make sure you get rid of any odd “medicine” smell and make your hair easier to style. Learn more about the types of shampoo used to treat psoriasis.
Takeaways
People with psoriasis develop psoriasis plaques on their skin. You can safely remove them with over-the-counter products such as moisturizers that contain salicylic acid, lactic acid, or urea. If you soak in a bath with Epsom or Dead Sea salts, you may loosen the scales so that they shed more easily. If you have psoriasis plaques on your scalp, you can try an over-the-counter salicylic acid shampoo.
FAQs on How to Remove Psoriasis Patches
How do you remove dead skin from psoriasis naturally?
Soak in a warm bath. Water softens and loosens dead skin, making psoriasis plaques easier to remove.
What are the best products for removing psoriasis scales?
You can get rid of psoriasis plaques with chemical exfoliants such as salicylic acid, lactic acid, or urea. These weaken the bonds between skin cells and cause them to shed. Don’t use physical exfoliants such as washcloths, loofahs, or nail files. These can damage your skin and cause bleeding and infection.
Can you peel off psoriasis scales?
You can use an over-the-counter topical cream or moisturizer that contains salicylic acid or lactic acid to help shed your psoriasis plaques, but be gentle. You can even put baby oil on your psoriatic patches. It will change the reflective properties of your scales, so you don’t see them.
What moisturizers help with psoriasis flakes?
Moisturizers that contain coal tar will help you shed psoriasis patches. So will products that contain salicylic acid, lactic acid, or urea. You may also want to try a moisturizer that contains vitamin E.
Show Sources
(Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images)
SOURCES:
James Swan, MD, professor of dermatology, Loyola University Medical Center.
Dominic Ricci, MD, dermatologist, Baylor Scott & White Health.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: “Questions and Answers About Psoriasis.”
National Psoriasis Foundation: “Over-the-Counter (OTC) Topicals,” “Herbal and Natural Remedies.”
Dermatology and Therapy: “Urea in Dermatology: A Review of its Emollient, Moisturizing, Keratolytic, Skin Barrier Enhancing and Antimicrobial Properties.”
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.
DermNet New Zealand: “Salicylic acid.”
The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance: “Scalp Psoriasis.”
American Family Physician: “Treatment of Psoriasis: An Algorithm-Based Approach for Primary Care Physicians.”
American Academy of Dermatology: “Psoriasis: Recommendations for Coal Tar,” “Psoriasis: Recommendations for salicylic acid,” “What is Psoriasis?” “How to Safely Exfoliate at Home,” “8 Ways to Stop Baths and Showers From Worsening Your Psoriasis,” “How Should I Remove Psoriasis Scales?” “What Psoriasis Treatments Are Available Without a Prescription,” “How to Safely Exfoliate at Home,” “What Does Psoriasis Look Like.”
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology: “Dead Sea Bath Salt for the Treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris: A Double-Blind Controlled Study.”
Indian Dermatology Online Journal: “Bathing Practices in Dermatology: Uses and Implications for Patient Management.”
PLoS One: “Serum Vitamin E Levels and Chronic Inflammatory Skin Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.”
National Psoriasis Foundation: “Over-the-Counter Topicals.”
Cleveland Clinic: “Vitamin E for Skin: What Does it Do?”
