UV rays discourage psoriasis for one of two main reasons:
- Artificial or natural UV rays may regulate (kill and destroy) the cells that cause psoriasis (T-cells).
- When the skin is exposed to natural sunlight it produces vitamin D, which is vital for healthy skin and general bodily functions. Due to the fact that people like to stay indoors these days, many (including psoriatics) suffer from vitamin D deficiencies.
As with any other psoriasis treatment, common sense should be exercised when deliberately exposing your skin to UV rays. Said another way: Don’t sit in a tanning booth or out in the sun to the point that you literally burn your skin! Burning yourself with natural or artificial UV rays will actually be counter productive as skin irritations and/or trauma tends to exacerbate psoriasis symptoms.
That said, your particular skin type should be considered when you head out to the beach to relax, catch some rays and maybe kill some of your psoriasis symptoms. Generally: If you have lighter skin, then you will burn, not tan, and thus you should err on the side of spending less time in the sun. Other types of skin, which adapt better to sunlight, will tan before burning and can thus endure more exposure to direct sunlight. Try to avoid burning your skin in any case as, over time, this increases your chances of developing skin cancer.
Realistically, it doesn’t take very much time in the sun to give your skin a full “dose” of sunlight. Your skin soaks up sunlight like a sponge, even to the point of making up for an extended period of sunlight deprivation.
Try to keep in mind what you know about your own skin. Do you burn easily? If so, then use plenty of sunscreen and expose yourself to direct sunlight for only limited periods of time (15 minute shifts would be my recommendation).
Different parts of the world have different degrees of harshness from the sun (I know that in Phoenix, where I live, it’s about as harsh as it can be). Then again, different parts of the world have virtually no sunlight for extended periods of time, in which case it may be a good idea to try a man-made UV light treatment alternative.
Ask your doctor what he or she thinks about UV radiation for psoriasis treatment, especially for your unique case. There are varying degrees of risk associated with UV treatments depending on the kinds of medications you are taking or your skin type.
