What Do You Need To Know When Aging With Psoriasis?

Aging With Grace

It won’t make you look older than anyone else your age when it comes to psoriasis. Whereas it can surely raise the chances of some of the age-related health problems. You will want to be careful with the products and treatments you use to fight the signs of aging because the condition can cause sores on your scalp and skin. 

Take a Whole Health Approach 

You might focus only on your skin when you think about psoriasis and your health. As you age you need to take a broader look at your health.

Similar to lymphoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, psoriasis can make you more likely to get some kinds of cancer. Like osteopenia and osteoporosis, it can also raise your risk of low bone density conditions.

For type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, coming as a group of medical problems that include heart disease and high blood pressure, the same is true.  

Getting psoriatic arthritis, is about 30% of people who have psoriasis.

Causing stiff and swollen joints and other issues like fatigue is the condition. Especially if it's not treated, psoriatic arthritis often gets worse over time. 

Shari Lipner, MD, Ph.D., a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, says it's especially important to work closely with all your doctors if you have psoriasis. 

Make sure your primary care physician or family doctor knows what kinds of psoriasis treatments you are getting and have gotten in the past if a dermatologist or rheumatologist treats your psoriasis. Making you more likely to have health problems like infections or cancer are some psoriasis medications. So wanting to keep a closer watch on you may be your doctor. Making psoriasis worse maybe some medications used to treat arthritis, heart disease, and other conditions. 

Helping you stay healthy as you get older is eating right and exercising regularly. Easing psoriasis symptoms, they can also help with inflammation and keeping your weight in check. Similar to heart disease and type 2 diabetes, a healthy lifestyle also lowers your chances of psoriasis-related health problems. 

Choose a Skin-Soothing Anti-Aging Routine

Check the label closely if you use over-the-counter products to help with wrinkles, sunspots, dryness, or other signs of skin aging. Lipner advises skipping gel-based products. Being drying and painful for psoriasis affected areas, they usually contain alcohol. 

Choose products that are alcohol-free and hypoallergenic instead.

Products with ceramides, lipids, and hyaluronic acid should be looked out for. As you age your body makes less of these natural moisturisers. Softening your skin and helping with psoriasis scaling is by adding them back with a lotion or cream. 

Laura K. Ferris, MD, Ph.D., an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, is of the opinion that helping with flaking and aging is salicylic acid. For skin affected by psoriasis that can also be a good choice. 

Sometimes called Retin-A, retinoids are compounds made from vitamin A. For anti-aging, they are thought to be the gold standard. Helping with wrinkles and brown spots too are they. If you have psoriasis, it’s okay to use an over-the-counter or prescription retinoid product. Lipner then says for guidance, ask your dermatologist. She explains, building up over time, you should start with a very small amount. During a flare-up don’t use retinoids. 

Be Careful With Cosmetic Procedures

Causing plaques or lesions is when you have psoriasis injuring your skin even on purpose with an anti-aging procedure. Ferris then says with injectable cosmetic procedures like fillers and Botox, that’s rarely a problem. Whereas contributing to a flare are chemical peels, dermabrasion, and some laser resurfacing procedures. 

Work with your dermatologist to figure out a personalised plan for your skin as no two people are the same. 

Finally, Take Special Care With Your Scalp

Colouring your greys is fine whereas be careful. It’s smart not to shampoo your hair 1 or 2 days before and after dyeing it even if you don’t have plaques on your scalp. Helping prevent irritation that could cause a flare, this lets your hair’s natural oils protect your scalp. 

So that your scalp stays in the best shape it can, be sure to use any topical medications your doctor prescribes before and after dyeing as Lipner explains. 

Therefore, when you go to a salon ask the stylist to shampoo as well as style the hair gently. Think about going with highlights or lowlights instead if you are in the middle of a flare or are especially sensitive. That which keeps hair dye from getting on your scalp, they can be put on with foil.