Q. My husband has psoriasis. His skin is dry and flaky and he gets very bad patches that bleed.
He has found that the sun helps heal his skin but he refuses to wear sunscreen, thinking it will undo the benefits of the sun. I think it’s better to have bad skin than skin cancer. What do you say?
A. Dermatologists have been using ultraviolet light to treat psoriasis for decades. Natural sun exposure also works; it may be bolstered with oral medications (Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, online May 15, 2014).
Twenty minutes daily should be enough to keep the psoriasis under control without increasing his risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen is likely to block the benefits of UV radiation, but it could be used if he is going to be out in the sun longer than twenty or thirty minutes. Getting sunburned is uncomfortable for anyone, but could be worse for your husband because it might aggravate psoriasis.
Some visitors to this website have found that applying glycerin to affected skin can ease the symptoms of psoriasis. Others report that eating cilantro, curcumin or cayenne can help control itching and redness.
