Psoriasis has long been known to man. It was mentioned for the first time in the Bible, but the cause of these rashes was not fully understood until now. Scientists are trying to link the disease to a complex disorder of the immune and endocrine systems, and believe it is hereditary. But absolute success has only been achieved in one thing: the conviction that the disease is not a manifestation of a physical infection. That is, psoriasis is not contagious.
What is psoriasis?
Another name for this disease is scaly lichen. It mainly affects the scalp, the outside of the elbows and knees, and develops a dark pink scaly rash. Among them, psoriatic plaques form quickly. They have distinct white growths consisting of dense scales that cause cracking in the affected area with the formation of itchy and oozing wounds. Although the cause of rashes is unknown, the mechanism by which they appear is well known. With the appearance of psoriatic scales, the life cycle of epidermal cells in these and adjacent areas is drastically shortened to 4-5 days, compared to the normal 28-30 days.
Is psoriasis dangerous?
As its cause is unknown, but there is convincing evidence that the disease is systemic, affecting not only the skin but also the internal organs, resulting in the following diseases in the body:
- Psoriasis-like changes on the urethra and bladder mucosa
- Causes subacute conjunctivitis, lens sclerosis, and other eye and eyelid disorders
- Increased hepatocellular insufficiency and splenomegaly are observed in the liver as the disease progresses
- swollen lymph nodes
- have muscle weakness, their atrophy has a tendency to progressive weight loss
Long-term complications of psoriasis can be listed, but it is clear from this short list that the disease is serious and dangerous. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that current therapeutic agents can only control and inhibit the progression of the disease, not cure it. Psoriasis is permanent, but may be accompanied by long-term relief.
What can make the disease worse or trigger a relapse?
Although the manifestations of psoriasis are non-systemic, there are factors that can cause a rash to appear in various areas of the skin. Therefore, patients should be aware of this and be as vigilant of their effects as possible. The progression of the disease can be aggravated by the following reasons:
- overweight. Notably, among people with psoriasis, most have varying degrees of obesity.
- pressure. Many patients note that their psychological responses to traumatic situations and circumstances exacerbate disease manifestations.
- Some medications that patients take for various reasons can cause relapses.
- low temperature.
- Damage and scratching of psoriatic plaques. It has been noted that, in the vast majority of cases, mechanical irritation of scaly lichens causes them to grow and develop new rashes in the nearby area.
- water procedures. In some people, a worsening of the disease process was observed after bathing or swimming in a pond.
- sun rays. Doctors believe that moderate exposure to sunlight is beneficial for people with psoriasis. But a certain number of patients claim that the bathing makes their disease worse. And, no matter how long they are in the sun. Therefore, there is still no clear answer to the question of whether psoriasis can be exposed to the sun. In this case, to decide for yourself how useful or harmful the sun is, you need to consider several factors at the same time: individual tolerance to the sun, skin color and type, stage of the disease and its shape.
UV light for psoriasis: good or bad
- Phototherapy as one of the treatments for psoriasis:
- PUVA therapy is photochemotherapy, and its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Commonly used in the treatment of exudative and psoriasis vulgaris. Very effective for rashes on the scalp, palms and feet. Prescribe UV exposure 3-4 times a week until the psoriatic plaques are completely gone. On average 15-25 procedures are required, including topical exposure sessions.
- SFT therapy is selective light therapy. A maximum of 5 procedures per week were prescribed for exudative and psoriasis vulgaris. In the absence of erythema, the radiation dose increases each time. Full course of treatment - 20 - 30 sessions. It has a significant therapeutic effect in 85-90% of cases.
- UVB therapy is light therapy and its effect is comparable to PUVA therapy. The course of treatment is 20-30 procedures.
Psoriasis and solariums: good or bad?
The main difference between tanning in a solarium and tanning in the sun is that under artificial conditions, the production of melanin is not exposed to dangerous UV radiation, especially UV-C rays that are harmful to the skin during tanning. Solariums do not use this type of radiation. However, in the initial stages of disease manifestations, artificial tanning helps to suppress the development of the rash. Therefore, doctors do not recommend the use of solariums to treat psoriasis, but they have found no contraindications to its use as a treatment.
Effects of solarium radiation on the skin
- UV-A rays are beneficial for patients with psoriasis, seborrhea, acne, neurodermatitis.
- UV-B rays initiate the active production of vitamin D3, which reduces the effects of stress on the body, which are known to trigger psoriatic rashes.
Therefore, visiting the solarium does not negatively affect the course of the disease and can inhibit it to some extent. But why do some people only suffer from artificial tanning? The answer is that there are different combinations and wattages of solarium lights. When choosing a salon, you should ask about their spectral composition, which is one of the most important characteristics. Lamps are designed with various combinations of UV-A and UV-B radiation. For example, those with UV-B below 1% are classics, and those with UV-B above 1% are professional.
It is also important to have a reflector. The effect of radiation on the skin is attenuated if not present, and concentrated if present. The reflector can be located either inside the lamp itself or outside it. Whether there is a reflective layer in the lighting device can be understood by looking at the lamp. If there is, then its radiation efficiency is 10% higher than conventional radiation efficiency.
Therefore, it is necessary to choose the right tanning studio and the right combination of UV radiation in order to make solarium treatment for psoriasis beneficial and not harmful. Too much is always bad for the skin and leads to the formation of tumors and other problems. The ratio of UV-A and UV-B rays is very important for people with psoriasis. The best option here is the following combination: UV-B waves with a length of 311 nm. and UV-A waves 300-400 nm. This UV radiation scale has a Daavlin photo booth that emits light in the narrow spectrum nbUVB 311nm. Those who visited it noticed a dramatic improvement in their condition. The course of treatment is 20-30 courses of treatment.
Hence the question: Do solariums help with psoriasis? Can confidently answer - yes. But it is important not to choose a studio close to a residence lightly, but to be interested in the spectral properties of the luminous lamps in it. It is important to know that vertical tanning methods are better than horizontal tanning methods. The time spent in the cabin should not exceed 5-6 minutes and should be rotated every other day. Moderate doses of UV light help strengthen the immune system. This is very necessary for psoriasis patients.