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What is the Ingram Method?

Monday, October 12th, 2009

The Ingram Method is like the Goeckerman Regimen except even more hardcore.  The Goeckerman Regimen involves combining coal tar and UVB light to bombard the skin with anti-psoriasis treatment.  The Ingram Method adds one more step — a thick coat of anthralin paste to top it all off.

As you might have already deduced, this process is time-consuming and messy.  When the Ingram Method (or the Ingram Regimen) was invented, it was confined to psoriasis day-cares.  Now that UVB equipment is available for at-home use, however, the Ingram Method has the potential to be a bit less inconvenient.

The Ingram Method involves a heavy application of coal tar, then UVB light on affected areas of the skin.  Afterwards, antralin paste of different levels of potency is applied to skin lesions and left there for up to 24 hours. 

Antralin paste (available in brand name medications such as Drithocreme, Anthra-Derm and Micanol) can irritate the skin, so medication should start with a low concentration and then move up as the skin shows no signs of irritation.  Anthralin medications are available by prescription only.

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The Goeckerman Regimen for Moderate to Severe Psoriasis

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

The Goeckerman Regimen is a psoriasis treatment that involves exposing the skin to UV-B light shortly after soaking up heavy doses of coal tar.  This particular psoriasis treatment has been in use since 1925, when a doctor at the Mayo clinic named Dr. Goeckerman developed it.

Coal tar or UV-B light have proven to treat psoriasis on their own so, from the point of view of “heavier treatment is better,” it makes sense that the two working together would have even better results.  On the other hand, there are others (including Neutrogena, maker of T/Gel) who recommend avoid mixing these two, since coal tar can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight.

The Goeckerman Regimen is called a “regimen” because it’s a deliberate, intensive, prolonged process that is designed to clear up psoriasis treatments quickly.  It’s traditionally done at a hospital over the course of a few days.  Depending on the dermatologist in charge, different degrees of UV-B light are administered in combination with different levels of coal tar concentrations (usually 1-5% solutions).

Advantages:

  • A high rate of success
  • It can suppress psoriasis for a relatively long time.

Disadvantages:

  • It’s a messy process
  • Too much coal tar can stain your skin
  • Both of these elements, coal tar and UV light, are suspected carcinogens (possibly cancer-causing), so I would be hesitant to combine the two in such intense concentrations.

Obseration:

  • The Goeckerman Regimen bears a close resemblance to another psoriasis regimen – PUVA – which combines psoralen with UV-A light.

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