Psoriasis and Cruising

[CruisingCaity16]

I don't know how many others are out there, but I have psoriasis. For those of you who don't know it is a condition where your skin cells multiply too fast and stick together leaving red scaley patches. No it is not contagious.

 

Anyway on with the post. Do any of you have problems with your psoriasis in the salt water? I wasn't sure if it'd burn or not...I haven't been in salt water since I got it.

 

For the ladies, is there a waterproof makeup that you like to cover it up? I have it on my scalp, in my ears, and in around my eyebrows...with all of the peeling the skin tone doesn't match and I'm looking for a way to hide it.

[CruisingCaity16]

Thought of one other thing...for psoriasis people. I've been on lots of topicals, but I've found that coconut oil works really well for me and is alot less harsh. You can find it by the crisco in walmart.

[mariemorgan]

My dad has this.. He has never had a problem with salt water/burning. I would use the same percautions as you would normally in a tropical climate. I can't help with the makeup thing since he doesn't cover it up with anything other than clothing.

[mariakc]

I also have psoriasis...on my scalp, ears, and some patches on my back too. I do have to say...NOTHING helps my psoriasis like salt water and sun! After a trip, I am usually almost completely cleared up and stay that way for about 2 months. It's a miracle worker for me. I make sure I get in the ocean and keep my hair soaked for a while. Snorkeling is fantastic for me. If I have particularly bad spots, they do burn just a tad at first, but it is definitely worth it for the results.

 

Now...if I could only get my health insurance company to understand this and pay for trips instead of prescriptions!!!

[karen sharpe]

The ultimate treatment for Psoriasis? A trip to The Dead Sea in Israel which has a very high concentration of salt.I have also heard that the Vitamen D that your skin produces in the sun also helps lessen the skin rash.

Regarding covering it, I would consult a dermatologist first, some oils or chemicals might be an irritant. Best of luck.

[CruisingCaity16]

I'm glad to hear the salt water actually seems to help...I already know the sun helps. I flare up bad in the winter and have a cousin who has actually tanned in a bed a couple of times to help clear up bad flares. I don't do it because most of it won't be helped being on my scalp and all.

 

I wish i could afford the dead sea :P

[terri1020]

I've had psoriasis for years. Salt water is great for most psoriasis sufferers. Our home pool uses salt instead of chlorine, so I benefit all summer because of it. Just be careful because, for some reason, I seem to burn more when I come out of the salt water.

 

The funny thing about psoriasis is that one day something will work great and the next not at all. I am transitioning from Raptiva (which was a drug pulled off the market) to Humira and have just begun a flare...just in time for my May 24 cruise.

 

As for make up, I use a mousse foundation and a loose powder over it. Not waterproof, but covers well.

 

Good luck. You might get some great answers as well as support on the National Psoriasis Foundation message boards.

 

Terri

[Sea Born]

I too, have heard that the salt water helps it. When my mother was still living, she had it EXTREMELY bad, all over her body. Her doctor then prescribed to her "ultra violet" light treatments of some sort. She would get them 2 times a week and it worked miracles! It really made it all go away - not to mention, she actually had an awesome tan too! You might want to ask your dermatologist about this type of treatment, because it really did work on her. The only bad part of the treatment, was that she had to cover her entire body with some type of vasoline before each treatment and then that evening she would feel like she was sunburned, but that would quickly go away. Her insurance also covered the costs of these treatments too. Just thought I would give this bit of info, because she had been treated by several others prior to that and nothing really seemed to work very well.

 

Sue

[cb at sea]

Actually, salt water and sun are GOOD for Psoriasis...my daughter has it and that's what her doctor is recommending....and it's the one thing that consistently seems to help. She tends to become "immune" to the Rx creams over time....

[CruisingCaity16]

Yeah the rx stuff only works for awhile then i have to switch. You also have to be very careful with it. If it's a steroid cream it can thin your skin out. I'm warry of the uv treatments because of the exposure is just like a tanning bed, which I am generally against using.

 

Now I'm really excited to get in the salt water...maybe my head will stop itching for awhile!