I have had psoriasis for the past 5 years. I have three main patches: on the top of my right foot, right hand, and scalp.

I have tried many things to treat this puzzling skin disorder. psoriasis does not yet have a cure, but several treatments are available. Here is my experience with some of them.

One of the first and possibly most important rules about psoriasis is to keep it moist. The dryer the patches become, the more symptoms you’ll experience. Dry patches of psoriasis itch the most, crack the easiest, and are the most noticeable with white or silver scales.

Lotion made for psoriasis that contains salicylic acid, which is an anti-inflammatory, has been very helpful. One great plus side to lotions is that, when they soak in, they are still acting on your psoriasis. So for me, lotions work best on my foot because they don’t rub off on my socks and lose their purpose.

Other creams that have caused some improvement are anti-fungal creams, antibiotic ointment, vitamin E oil, aloe Vera, olive oil, coconut oil, eucalyptus, and avocado. All of these help moisturize.

A second rule for psoriasis is not to scratch it. This is a hard rule because it itches like crazy, but you will see better results if you can resist the itch. There are anti-itch ointments on the market that can help. I have found that putting an ice cube directly on the psoriasis patch and gently rubbing stops the itch quickly, with the added bonus of moisturizing.

Third, get some sun. I have had some of the most drastic recessions of psoriasis after being at the beach for a couple of hours. The ocean keeps my hand moisturized, and lying in the sun offers plenty of vitamin D directly to the patches of psoriasis. vitamin D deficiency is one of the possible causes of psoriasis, and I find going to the beach a lot has been more effective than taking supplements for me. However, vitamin D supplements may also help.

As always, don’t go out into the sun unprotected. Wear sunscreen on the areas of your body not affected by psoriasis, and don’t linger in the sunshine for lengthy periods of time.

Another treatment modality is the use of coal tar. This is usually in a topical ointment form with the consistency of greasy, whipped yogurt. The hope here is that it will arrest the development of these patches with its high toxin levels.  This treatment is not suggested for long-term use. This treatment usually makes the scales and puffiness completely leave the patches, so the look like wrinkly, pink skin.

Some believe psoriasis may be caused by a fungus that thrives on carbohydrates. I tried a carb-eliminated diet for three days and saw some improvement. However, I had almost no energy and was light-headed and sick to my stomach for those three days. I would not suggest trying something like this without consulting a nutritionist first.

There are a few things I have tried that have not helped. Tea tree oil seems to dry out the psoriasis more. Turmeric turned the psoriasis a noticeable orange, but had no effect otherwise. Beeswax helped keep some moisture into the patches, but not as much as lotion.

What seems to be working the best these days is a multi-prong approach that basically involves anything I can think of to help keep it moisturized, not scratch it, stop irregular skin cell growth, and promote healthy skin. I pay attention to the cycles that it seems to go through. If the skin is cracked, I tend to it as a wound. If it is dry, I tend to it like dry skin. I keep the patch of psoriasis on my hand in the sunshine while I’m driving. I have received healings from a spiritual healer. I am making sun time a priority, and I am seeing positive results.