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Coal Tar – A Traditional, Effective Psoriasis Treatment

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Coal tar has been used as an effective treatment for psoriasis for over a century. It is a by-product of carbonized coal.

Coal is carbonized when it is processed and distilled for use as coke or coal gas. Though many of its components have not been identified, it seems to slow the growth of skin cells. This improves the skin’s appearance by reducing the inflammation and scaling characteristics of the psoriasis. Coal tar is found in many products developed for skin conditions, from shampoos to creams and bath gels. It is also used in combination with phototherapy to improve the condition of the skin.

The side effects of coal tar are few and for most, insignificant. It can irritate the skin, causing it to redden and dry the skin. These symptoms can usually be reduced by using moisturizer. Tar makes the skin photosensitive, which makes it more prone to burning than usual. Liberal use of sunscreen is recommended after phototherapy used in conjunction with the application of an ointment or cream containing tar.

Many people discard the possibility of using coal tar products, as they can stain the skin and clothing.  They also have a very strong accompanying odor and, when applied to the scalp, may temporarily discolor one’s hair.

Despite the messiness and odor, many psoriasis patients prefer products with coal tar over other remedies that contain steroids. The side effects for steroids are numerous and vary from patient to patient. There are some concerns about the safety of products that use tar. The FDA and the National Psoriasis Foundation have deemed it a safe, effective and inexpensive treatment for a variety of skin conditions. The concentration is between 0.5% and 5% and they carry warning labels that meet California’s Prop 65 requirements.

This puts them in the category labeled as No Significant Risk Levels. Solar radiation, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are similarly labeled. Formulas that utilize more than 5% are categorized as Group1 carcinogens and cannot be purchased over the counter. Despite 75 years of documented safe use, there is some controversy over its possible carcinogenic affects and the use of tar in some consumer products, such as cosmetics, is banned in several European countries As a result, many products that used to contain coal tar have been modified, replacing the tar with salicylic acid.  Many, however, feel that salicylic acid is not as effective.

Neutrogena’s T/Gel is a common over-the-counter coal tar shampoo that I use on a regular basis — my scalp would not be able to survive without it.

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How and When to Use Exfoliants to Treat Psoriasis

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Exfoliants are used to remove dead skin cells on the outermost surface of the skin. This removal reveals newer, healthier skin just below. This removal can unclog pores, helps reduce acne outbreaks and keeps the skin clear.

There are two types of exfoliation, mechanical or chemical. When using a mechanical exfoliation method, there is scrubbing of the skin, usually with facial scrubs or micro-fiber cloths. These scrubs and cloths contain a variety of ingredients from sugar, and salt crystals to almond shells and apricot kernels. Commonly used abrasive materials include loofahs and sponges. The coarseness of the material dictates how it will be used.

Users with dry or sensitive skin should avoid exfoliants containing pumice or crushed volcano rock. These ingredients are in products developed for use on the skin of the feet. Chemical exfoliation uses salicylic acid, citric acid or fruit enzymes. They can be purchased over the counter, or applied in higher concentrations by a dermatologist. These products contain enzymes that loosen the substance that holds skin cells together, allowing them to be removed. The mechanical products are generally recommended to improve skin texture, reduce fine lines and to treat dry skin. The chemical products are effective when treating blemishes, dandruff, dermatitis and psoriasis.

Psoriasis sufferers can reduce the visible build up of excess skin by using exfoliants. They must select products that are friendly to sensitive skin, or they risk increasing the inflammation. Scrubs that use shells, seeds or exfoliating beads are not recommended. They are too harsh and may get lodged underneath the scales. This will make the skin more vulnerable to cuts and bruising.

One of the potential results of exfoliating is that skin can grow back thicker than before. Depending on the type of psoriasis, this may cause skin cell build up to occur even faster.

Scalp psoriasis is painful, itchy and can cause hair loss. Exfoliating gels that contain salicylic acid are particularly effective when treating scalp psoriasis, eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. These exfoliants help stop the itching that accompanies dry skin. Many contain tea tree oil, eucalyptus or mint. These ingredients help the skin remain smooth and clean after the dry outer layer of skin has been sloughed off and contain antiseptic properties that help kill bacteria. The essential oils soothe the skin and reduce inflammation. “Pre-shampoo” products are designed to exfoliate the scales and remove the flakes of dead skin in the hair before shampoo is applied.

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Expensive Psoriasis Shampoos Vs. Holistic Treatments

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

psoriasis shampoos

You don’t have to be a math whiz to figure out that medicated psoriasis shampoos are a lot more expensive than standard shampoos.  Whereas basic shampoo brands such as Suave can go for about 99 cents for a bottle, you would be lucky to find any kind of psoriasis shampoo for five bucks (or less).  Occasionally my local grocery store, Fry’s, puts T/Gel on sale for about 5 dollars a bottle, but I have come to expect about 6 dollars a pop.  As you can see in the picture above, such pricing leads me to leave the shampoo bottles upside down until I can squeeze every last drop out of them.

Included in the picture above:

  • T/Gel — Extra Strength (4% Neutar) and Stubborn Itch Control (2% Neutar as well as menthol)
  • T/Sal — Active ingredient: Salicylic acid.
  • Selsun Blue, with menthol and 1% selenium sulfide, which is a common dandruff medication

Cost is a major factor that must, by necessity, be calculated into one’s daily psoriasis-battling regimen.  If insurance doesn’t cover a certain medication, if copays add up to too much or if you don’t have any insurance at all then, short of taking up a life of crime, you will have to seek out other options to treat your psoriasis.  It is because of such resource limitations that holistic treatments (changing your entire lifestyle to treat psoriasis) are sometime necessary.  This can be a good thing much of the time since treating psoriasis generally involves becoming more healthy all-around.

In addition to being more affordable, holistic, herbal and generally more natural treatments can be more effective in the long run for treating your psoriasis.  If your body is equipped from the inside-out to fight off this condition, then additional brute-force drugs such as steroids or immunosuppressants will become unnecessary.

This is similar to the effect that drinking less caffeine has on my ability to concentrate and work effectively.  It’s nice to get that jolt of energy, but there is inevitably a let-down afterward, during which work seems even more difficult than before.  During the let-down phase I feel compelled to drink more caffeine, thus increasing my dependence on this drug.  But, when I opt for sleeping enough and drinking more water, my brain works better over longer periods of time.

The theory behind holistic psoriasis medications is similar to the principal of sleeping more rather than drinking caffeine.

Modern medicine is adapting to the fact that the body is, much of the time, better equipped to deal with biological issues than any man-made drug.  This points to the general fact that you, if you are suffering from psoriasis, should use shampoos such as those listed above but, at the same time, keep exercising, eating right and maintain a healthy state of mind to the best of your ability.

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Selsun Blue with Menthol – Product Review

Monday, October 19th, 2009

selsun blue menthol

Selsun Blue is designed primarily to treat itchiness (pruritus) and flaking caused by seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp.  Since scalp pruritus is the main symptom I experience on a regular basis and since psoriasis is similar to seborrheic dermatitis, I decided to give Selsun Blue with Menthol a try.

The most effective type of T/Gel I have found to treat my psoriasis has been T/Gel Stubborn Itch Control, which contains coal tar (2%) and menthol.   The soothing effect of menthol is effective at suppressing pruritus flares-ups on my scalp in addition to the the longer term medicinal effects of coal tar.  In the case of this particular kind of Selsun Blue, the active ingredients are selenium sulfide (1%) and menthol.  While coal tar suppresses skin cell proliferation, selenium sulfide is primarily an antifungal compound — it kills the fungus (malassezia) that feeds on the skin’s natural oils, leading to itchiness and dandruff.  Selenium sulfide has also been proven to suppress keratinocyte proliferation (excessive skin cell production), which leads to the itchiness and scaling characteristic of psoriasis vulgaris (plaque psoriasis).

Observations:

Selsun Blue with Menthol had less of an immediate effect on my scalp than T/Gel with menthol, but as of now, about 2 hours after applying this shampoo, my scalp feels quite at ease.  I have not felt the need to scratch for at least an hour now.  With the help of the residual menthol, my scalp feels as “normal” ore as free from pruritus as it ever does.  This is encouraging for me since, as I said, my main symptom is an itchy scalp.  In addition to being bothersome and distracting, scratching all day is causing a lot of damage to my scalp, which is leading to accelerated hair loss.

***

There are some other advantages to using Selsun Blue that may lead me to switch over to this product over T/Gel:

  • Coal tar is a suspected carcinogen over long periods of exposure.  Experts might claim that I would have to soak my entire body in pure coal tar all day for a year to be at risk of developing cancer… but this argument doesn’t really put my mind ease.  Soaking my scalp with a diluted coal tar solution on a regular basis is comparable, so why risk it?  Also, petroleum based products across the board do not have a great reputation for promoting physical health (from consumables to topical ointments to gasoline).  If crude oil splashed onto your skin would your impulse be to quickly wash it off or would you allow it soak in for a while?
  • Selsun Blue with menthol is significantly less expensive than T/Gel with menthol.  While T/Gel is about $7.00 for 4 ounces (at my local grocery store), Selsun Blue is about $9.00 for 11 ounces.  That’s about half as much, ounce for ounce.
  • Selsun Blue with menthol doesn’t smell as bad as T/Gel with menthol.  For a person who is not accustomed to the smell of coal tar shampoos, the aroma can be suffocating.  This particular kind of Selsun Blue smells like a combination of menthol, Irish Spring soap and sunscreen.

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