Is your Psoriasis Worse in Winter?

For some people with psoriasis, winter brings shorter days, colder temperatures, and worsening psoriasis symptoms. Don’t despair. You don’t need to tough it out until spring, counting the days until you get some relief from psoriasis. Here’s how to cope.

As temperatures drop, heaters clank on, the wind whips up and we’re overjoyed that we can now wear a ton of layers and boots - the battle for healthy skin begins. Dry air takes away the thin layer of oil that traps moisture in the skin, flaring itchy and painful conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and severe dry skin. Here, we are going to talk about how psoriasis gets aggravated during winter season -

Psoriasis is a chronic condition that affects a person's skin and joints (psoriatic arthritis link to: All you need to know about Psoriatic Arthritis). Although it is believed to be the result of an immune system malfunction, recent studies suggest that there have been a number of genes identified that have links to this condition. It is estimated that about 4.5 million people worldwide have this condition and that includes children.

Like most genetic conditions, psoriasis also has a unique, genetically determined time frame in which it gets triggered into action and it is different for every person that has it. For example, Natasha’s psoriasis condition gets triggered due to emotions and stress. Click on the below link to know - how?  While, for others it may be smoking, medication infections - and winter of course!

Triggers of psoriasis in winter

• Cold weather (causes dry skin)
• No or very little Sunlight (causes deficiency of Vitamin D)
• Extensive use of room heaters (causes dry skin)
• Attack of cold and flu (over-active immune system would rather speed up the skin cells growth)
• Drinking less water (dehydration leads to dry skin and results in slow elimination of body toxins)
• High intake of alcohol and tobacco (due to cold weather and Christmas-New Year holidays, alcohol consumption increases)
• Heavy clothing (frequent rubbing of affected skin and no way to evaporate occasional sweat)
• Stress (Holidaying/traveling out during Christmas-New Year holidays can make you tired and feel stressed at work).

Due to all these things in winter - tiny cracks or fissures tend to develop on the surface of our skin and Psoriasis develops much faster in areas where the skin is traumatized or damaged. Anything that can cause our skin damage is liable to intensify the condition.

Under normal conditions, the top layer of our skin recreates itself over a period of 28 to 30 days. The old cells are shed and new cells take their place. In psoriasis, however, this natural process is sped up greatly. Psoriasis can cause our cells to regenerate in as little as 2 to 3 days. When this happens, the old cells do not shed as quickly, but the new cells keep multiplying at a rapid pace. This causes the cells to stick together and form lesions or patches that are called plaques. In the most common form of psoriasis, the end result is a dry, scaly, inflamed, and sometimes, itchy patches of skin. The worst bit is that the drier your skin, the worse those patches are going to look and feel.

Psoriasis in winter - Management and Cure

However, managing psoriasis in the winter is not as difficult as most people think. Definitely, we’re not asking you to run off to the tanning booth - there are safer ways to manage and treat psoriasis. With some simple adjustments, a few precautions and psoriasis homeopathy treatment, you can effectively bring psoriasis under control and have a healthy looking skin as you would during the winter.

Homeopathic treatment for psoriasis is that smart and judicious way to make a huge difference, especially so in winter. Not only does a homeopathic medicine for psoriasis keep tiny cracks from forming in the skin, but it can also help the dry patches that are already present, feel and look better. Homeopathic treatment for psoriasis has, by far, the best clinical record, including the therapeutic ability to drive the disorder from the body - not just from its surface.

In summary, while winter does cause psoriasis to flare, any weather condition that is dry enough to make it hard for our skin to retain moisture can bring about the onset of this condition. Your best bet is to discuss the condition with your homeopath about the possible psoriasis homeopathy treatment to control the disease in the winter and try to manage the disease as per the following instructions/suggested tips:

Tips for Psoriasis care in winter

• Avoid hot water bath or limit the time
• Don’t let your skin dry – use a body moisturizer immediately after bathing
• Take Vitamin D in your diet to neutralize the effect of less sunlight
• Drink a lot of water – lukewarm water is a good option
• Prevent yourself from falling ill – cold and flu can worsen the condition
• Relieve stress
• Keep a check on smoking, alcohol and tobacco consumption
• Proper clothing – allow your skin to breathe for some time
• Take omega 3 fatty acids