Psoriasis Treatment

Finding a psoriasis treatment that works for you

I’ve had psoriasis for 25 years. My case is just bad enough to be bothersome, but not so severe that I’m desperate for relief. As a result, I’ve waffled back and forth all my life about whether or not to treat it. Since it affects mostly my legs, I can cover it up with long pants and not care that it’s unsightly.

In the summertime, though, I think back to the days when I greeted the warm weather with skirts and bare legs with more than a little nostalgia. The plaques also seem to come and go on their own for no discernible reason, and at their worst the itch borders on unbearable.

So, I can go for months without caring enough to treat the condition. But every so often I wind up at my doctor’s office, asking about the latest treatment for psoriasis. Invariably I’ve found that home treatment for psoriasis is more trouble than it’s worth. I’m not good at sticking to any kind of regimen, even something so simple as applying an ointment 2-3 times a day. Some things I’ve tried, like Dovonex, seem to do no good at all anyway. I’ve had the most success with that old standard psoriasis topical treatment, coal tar. It does make a noticeable difference, but it’s messy and it’s smelly; improvement is gradual and the plaques never seem to fully disappear. Maybe I lose interest and motivation too soon.

I’ve never given phototherapy a fair shake – as you may recall, I keep the affected areas of skin covered up as much as possible. Besides, I’m fair-skinned, and it’s been powerfully ingrained in me that UV exposure is the root of all evil. I’m finding that the overall severity of my psoriasis is increasing as I get older, however, and I’m getting more anxious for a treatment that works. Psoriasis treatment centers are able to offer UV therapy in safe, controlled conditions, but if I’m too lazy to put a cream on every night before bed, I can’t see myself making regular trips to a medical clinic.

They say that different psoriasis patients respond better to different treatments, and it’s a bit of trial and error to find something that works for you. Part of this is just the mysterious physical makeup of the disease, but in my case at least personality also plays a role. I need a low-effort, low-mess solution that I can actually stick with.