Psoriasis or Eczema

Updated on August 14, 2008
A.B. asks from Magna, UT
35 answers

I have these patches of dry skin on my ankles. It's either Psoriasis or Eczema, I have been to the different doctors and they say both. I have tried everything I can get my hands on to get rid of it but nothing works. Some things work temporarily, but nothing long term. Please any advice on what I can use to get rid of it or at least get it under control.

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S.W.

answers from Boise on

My son has Eczema and it shows up when he has be drinking too much dairy. maybe trying to eliminate those foods. My doctor told me that Eczema can be an allergic reaction to Wheat, and Dairy products. Good Luck

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J.M.

answers from Grand Junction on

I grew up with eczema on my feet and legs, espeacially in the winter months. I always put Bag Balm ( a vermont product in a green tin) on my dry itcy areas and put socks on over that. also steam showers help.

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A.P.

answers from Denver on

I sell Arbonne cosmetics and we have 2 different products that work on psoriasis and another for eczema. If you want to try it let me know. A. at ____@____.com

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J.B.

answers from Billings on

I have struggled with eczema for a while, and was using an expensive prescription cream that would make it better, but never cleared it up. I also tried Eucerin, Lubriderm, all the high end moisturizing lotions, and could not get it cleared up. My Grandma gave me a bottle of Witch Hazel lotion. I have used it faithfully twice a day for about a week and it is almost cleared up! The brand she gave me was Stanley (she sells Stanley products) but I am sure there are other brands available.

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S.A.

answers from Boise on

My parents and young cousin had the same problem. It ended up being the laundry detergent that they were using on their clothing. The additives, soaps, and the Buytl Celosolve, Hydrochloric acid, and other chemicals that is in a lot of cleaners, and laundry detergent will give you eczema and other problems. I would suggest switching your laundry detergent and see what that does. Make sure it does not have any additives or chemicals that irritate the skin. Here is what I use you can go to www.shaklee.net/touchofgreen if you are interested. Or you can find other products in the stores. I just think shaklee saves more money.

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L.S.

answers from Provo on

When we first bought our house my two kids, at the time, started showing signs of eczema. We bought a high quality water softener and it went away almost immediately. It hasn't been the cure-all for all my kids, we live in a dry state, and my fourth gets it on his cheeks. We've tried a lot of the suggestions already made and his cheeks seem to be the worst in winter when the heater is on and the air is particularly dry. So maybe another suggestion would be an in-home humidifier. Good Luck.

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D.W.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I have the same thing. And using a tanning bed clears it up. I know, sun dries your skin out but the UV rays do something to it. To keep it gone, after you get out of the shower ALWAYS put good lotion on. Do not use the cheap stuff. i can only use the Johnsons and Johnson 24 hour moisture or Vaseline Intensive Care the Intensive Recovery kind. I forget the exact name. But it does work. If those do not do the trick, then you might need the shots that they give for it. It runs in my family so you might ask members of yours if they have it and what they have done. Good luck!

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J.M.

answers from Denver on

Vaseline, Eucerin, and aquaphor are actually great emolients used to treat eczema. You will need to apply these at least 2-3 times/day. No hot showers, warm water only. Overheating the area exacerbates the condition, so consider what socks you wear, cotton is best. You should also use mild soaps like cetaphil. No fragrances to your detergent, soaps, or lotions. Often eczema and psoriasis are treated with steroid creams. Neither condition is curable, you will continue to have flares and remissions.

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A.A.

answers from Denver on

Hi A.,

I recommend Body Balance... it's a liquid whole food made from aloe and sea veggies and we've seen tremendous results w/ skin conditions like yours. The aloe is incredibly soothing and healing and hydrating for the skin. Anyway, you can give it a try risk free (there's a 45-day money-back guarantee!).

Here's a link to the site: http://www.LifeForceSuccess.com and please feel free to call me or email me if you have any questions. ###-###-####.

Hope this helps,

A.

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K.Y.

answers from Boise on

My husband has Exzema on his face. He used MonaVie gel packs and it cleared up his face over night. He also drinks the MonaVie juice. He was out of his cream and decided to try the gel packs as a facial. He was amazed at how well and how fast it worked. Feel free to contact me if you would like more information. K.

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C.W.

answers from Denver on

Well you havn't tried everything..
I can help- I have a product that works and it has been clinically tested as well. The best part is no harmful ingredients - completey non- toxic and it is amazing!

If you would like me to introduce the company to you - just let me know!

You can email me at ____@____.com or request more ____@____.com

Have a Great day!
C.

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S.W.

answers from Denver on

I have eczema...two simple things keep it at bay...Eucerin lotion and avoidance of hot water.

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P.H.

answers from Denver on

If if is eczema, you may be able to clear it up by taking fish oil supplements. Bad-tasting burps, but seems to work! Also, avoid any harsh soaps and lotions. When my son had eczema, he had to use plain Ivory soap for bathing, and then slather Eucerine cream on the spots throughout the day. Also be careful not to wash the area too much.

Hope this helps!

P.

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K.G.

answers from Denver on

After 2 years of non stop dry patches all over my arms and legs, I was able to get rid of all of them almost overnight by a lotion I saw mentioned on a message board for excema. It is called "Body Emulsion" by Neutrogena. I had to look around for it, finally found it at one Walmart and in a Walgreen's. The trick to it is, you have to put it on right out of the shower-before you dry off while the water is still on your skin. I was skeptical about trying it and spending more money since I had tried all of the reccomended stuff, Eucerin, Aquaphor, even the other kinds of Neutrogena lotions. This worked so well and so quickly that I was blown away! My skin became so healthy that I can now use any kind of soap I want (instead of Basis)and my skin won't break out as long as I use Body Emulsion after every single shower. I started doing this 10 months ago and have had only 2 patches crop up since then and they went away in 24 hours. Good luck.

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M.M.

answers from Denver on

My niece has been diagnosed with eczema. What my sister uses is the thick eucerine lotion that you buy in the tubs. It seems to work for her really well, but you need to make sure that you put it on every day. I would also recommend putting it on at night and then sleeping with cotton socks on to keep the moisture in. Hope that helps, that can be irritating and itchy.

M.

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J.O.

answers from Denver on

My daughter has severe eczema, her doctor suggested soaking the affected area, applying her medication (she is on elidel) then wrapping her severe areas in wet gauze and then covering it in dry gauze.A wet sock with a dry sock over works too. It has made a dramatic difference in her skin. She cleared completely in one area and that hasn't happened in 8 months. Good luck.

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C.S.

answers from Boise on

Hi A.. I had eczema on my legs and it was AWFUL...I know how you feel. I couldn't even wear shorts a couple of summers ago, it was so embarrasing. After trying every prescriiption the doctors could give me, I found 2 things that worked for me. 1.) Bella Bars natural soap alternative (I sell this, but this is not an ad) and Melaleuca's ReNew lotion. The combination of changing from harsh soap to a Bella Bar and using a better lotion has worked very well for me. The only time I have any 'flare ups' is during the season changes, and even then, it's minimal. Nothing like the constant itching and buring I was in (even with prescription treatment). Oh, you might try switching to ankle socks. To this day, I cannot wear regular socks, or they will itch and start a 'break out' (for lack of a better term)
If you try this, I truly hope it helps you.

Good Luck!
C.

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T.B.

answers from Denver on

Hi A.
So sorry to hear about your dry skin drama! It seems like this is a more and more common occurrence these days!
I do think a lot of it has to do with all the chemicals we are using on our skin on a regular basis like detergent, dryer sheets, soaps, lotions, etc.
You may just have sensitive skin that these chemicals and fragrances are irritating!
My sister in law started Bubble Goddess Bath Company about three and a half years ago, hand making natural and organic bath products. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND trying our soap and body butter. We have so many testimonials about it completely soothing and ridding eczema and even psoriasis in three days. I have no idea why three days is the magic number but that is what they all seem to come back with.
Most eczema treatments use fragrance, and mineral oil. Mineral oil is a by product of gasoline......GROSS!
It is added to most products commercially as a thinning agent to make it cheaper to sell. The worst part is it will NOT moisturize your skin, it just acts as an artificial barrier not letting anything good in or anything bad out! On top of that it tricks your skin into thinking it's moisturized and tells your body to turn off it's own moisturizing producers. This is why we apply lotion, then feel dry within 30min and have to apply again and again (the rebound effect)
Soap will play an important role in you clearing up your eczema/psoriasis too! Again most soaps sold commercially take out all the great natural moisturizing properties (fat and glycerin) which is why we feel tight and dry when we bathe. You should feel soft after bathing or showering if your using a soap that leaves these great moisturizers in.
Sorry to get so technical with you, it just seems like even doctors won't give out this information and are sending people out the door with Aquaphor, Cetafil, Eucerine etc which ALL HAVE MINERAL OIL and will just make the problem worse!
I would be more than happy to send you a sample of our soap and body butter so you can try it out.
I would also recommend the website www.solveeczema.org
Please let me know if you have any questions at all or would like me to send you a sample!
I'm more than happy to help!
GOOD LUCK!

T. B.
Team Leader
Bubble Goddess Bath Company
"Natural Bath Products For Your Inner Goddess"
###-###-####
____@____.com

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C.E.

answers from Provo on

my son and i had dry itchy patches of skin so we got some cream from a dermatologist, but it did nothing to help. the cause turned out to be one of the laundry soaps i'd been using (a generic oxiclean). our skin didn't react to the soap immediately, so it didn't occur to me for a long time that the problem might be that soap. i had just been looking for products that had recently been introduced into our home. so maybe it is caused by your laundry soap, or if you're not wearing socks, maybe something in your shoes?

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J.W.

answers from Pueblo on

My daughter has a skin ailment as well - hasn't been diagnosed, like you, everyone says something different. A chiropractor saw it, however, and recommended fish oil pills. It has seemed to work for her! A word of advice though - I took them while prego with her and had horrid fish burps. The doc said that if I had burps, the pills were rancid. I'm just telling you b/c I stopped taking them and never thought to get new ones, so thought I'd pass it on!
Good luck!

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M.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I have eczema and for me I actually had to get a medication from the doctor while using Eucerin calming cream. I have found that it works better than the regular eucerin. The other thing that I have noticed that helps is sing Cetaphil(Brand or Generic)soap. It is mild and is great to use on babies as well since it is so gentle. It might help to wash your hands fist then put mineral oil on them and finish off with lotion and medication if you have it. My eczema is currenly under control so I haven't have to use the medication as long as I use the right lotion as mentioned above. One more thing is maybe try using Lasinoh nursing cream. It is pure Lanolin and seems make my hands feel soft and new. I will use it on my daughter s well if I notice any dry patches and it clears them up by the end of the day. Good Luck.

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K.J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

i call it utter butter, but its the stuff you use on cow's nipples. It helps

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J.L.

answers from Provo on

You know most of these people are recommending soaps and lotions and other ways of treating the symptom. I would highly recommend eliminating dairy for 2 weeks and see if it doesn't solve the problem altogether. I know a lot of people who say their eczema has gotten better if not gone away completely when they took dairy out of their diet. It could be the one way your body is telling you something is wrong.

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M.H.

answers from Pocatello on

Sometimes Eczema can be caused by an allergy to wheat, or an allergy to soap or shampoo. Try changing your soap to an unscented one or even one that is 100% Glyceryn. I have found that essential oils help a lot with skin. Here is a recipie I found in a book called "The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy"

Vegetable Oil (I like to use Almond Oil) 2 Tablespoons
Jojoba oil 30 Drops
Evening Primrose oil 10 Drops

To this blend add Essential Oils:
Chamomile German 10 Drops
Yarrow 5 Drops
Tagetes 5 Drops

Apply this to your skin twice a day.
If you feel like you don't want to go through the expense of buying all this stuff, email me at ____@____.com and I can send you some.

Good luck!
ME

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J.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I have kids with eczema. I would try the most simple solution first & work your way to more expensive or elaborate solutions as needed. What works best for my kids (and they have pretty bad cases) is to avoid soaps altogether if possible - if you have to use them, put them on quickly & rinse them immediately. Then, every time you get out of the shower or bath, BEFORE you towel off, rub baby oil on your skin where you have problems - while the skin is still wet. Then pat the area dry & apply Eucerin. I do this for my kids on a daily basis, and most of the time it keeps it from flaring up. If it does flare up, I use a little hydrocortisone cream and Eucerin 2-3 times a day. If that doesn't work, I have some a prescription cream (Elidel) that I use. But I find that with the baby oil & Eucerin, it is rare that they have outbreaks. Good luck!

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L.G.

answers from Denver on

HI A.,
I use an essential oil combination of Palmarosa, Blue Chamomile, and Calendula added to some shea butter or cocoa butter. I also recommend a nervine support tea blend to take internally with herbs like: Chamomile, Oat Straw, Marshmallow, Lavender, Lemon Balm, and Scullcap. I carry all these at my clinic in Denver but I am sure you will be able to find them at any health food store. Adding Omega oils will help as well (fish oils, borage, evening primrose, flax...) If you have other questions or want to come by the store, we are located at 423 East Alameda Avenue. Denver Colorado. ###-###-####. Be well! L. Golub, Clinical Herbalist

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

We've found two things. Mangosteen juice cured our son for a long time. I can recommend two reliable brands -- not all work. Also, we do a bath "every" night for 10-15 minutes and use Ivory or Dove soap just before getting out. While the skin is still wet, slather with Vanicream -- you have to ask for it at the pharmacy, but it is OTC. Since doing these two things, he's had beautiful skin.

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M.O.

answers from Denver on

I also suffer with these problems and will start by saying I don't think it is curable, but there are definetly ways to cope.
If you are having a particularly bad reaction try calamine lotion or PURE aloe vera gel. Don't use any scented lotions on these areas and moistures with a light scent free lotion like Aveeno daily.
Best of luck!

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S.T.

answers from Denver on

My daughter has eczema and we give her a bath, waiting until the very last minute to lather up - mild soap only, and quickly wash hair too. Without letting her stay in the bath with soapy water, we rinse her off well and get her out. We then slather her with Eucerin lotion (it's in a tub-like container). After swimming, we have to rinse her quickly and apply Eucerin at that time as well. During a "breakout" I will apply the lotion twice, sometimes three times a day and that really helps to hurry up the healing process.

Perhaps you should try Eucerin lotion as well - diligently - and for at least two weeks. Good luck!

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S.T.

answers from Denver on

Hi A.,

There is a lotion called Renew that contains Melalueca oil in it. I've had several people get great results with it regarding the symptoms you described. I can get you a sample to try. Look closely at the other products you use on your skin as well as the cleaners and detergents. Many of them contain chemicals and toxins that make it difficult for your skin to ever get under control too.

Another suggestion is to look closely at the water you drink and especially the water you bathe in. Our skin absorbs a huge amount of water when we bathe and shower and the chemicals in our water get absorbed by our bodies. Look at how much your bath water drops. I can definitely email you more info on that as well. Our bodies are designed to process toxins, but with the pollution in our water, air, cleaners and products, and food supply, it overtaxes our bodies. If you can reduce the amount of toxins going into your body, all the better.

Take care,
S.

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M.C.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I have Psoriasis and since it isn't a skin problem as much as an immune system problem I found that when I ate better and made sure I got enough sleep, my skin flare ups weren't near as bad. The skin plaque is just a symptom of other issues if it is psoriasis. I love neutrogena products, they help greatly.

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S.H.

answers from Denver on

A., I don't sell Arbonne, so not going to try to get you to buy something..but, my grandaughter has excema and she uses the baby arbonne product for it and it seems to work. She has also gotten a prescrip from her doctor that helped. Can you do that? I hope it helps as I know how much our GD suffers.

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K.L.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Nothing will get rid of it entirely. You will always have flare ups. That's because it's genetic. You can help it by lotioning up right after your shower. Don't use anything with scents-especially laundry soap and dryer sheets. They can cause flare-ups. Trust me, I've had it my whole life. Try different lotions until you find one that works. It can stop working over time and you'll have to find a new one. I like Neutrogena, Aveeno, even a little Vaseline directly on the spot works well.

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E.B.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Cod liver oil works best. 1 tsp a day. I got peach flavor from WHole Foods and I just mix it in a smoothie or yogurt for my 2 year old son. It works amazing and fast.
Good luck!

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J.P.

answers from Denver on

You have either a food allergy or an allergy to something you're putting on your skin. I suggest you get allergy testing, either through a chiropractor that specializes in electro-dermal screening (I can recommend one) or through traditional medicine. You can treat the problem from the outside all you want, but it won't be cured until you treat it from the inside. Also, try taking omega 3 fatty acid pills.
J.

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