Psoriasis is a disease of the skin that manifests as inflamed red patches with silvery white scales.  Psoriasis affects thousands of people each year.  It is a chronic, non-contagious disease. 

Because of its unattractive appearance, sufferers are always anxious to heal their psoriasis.  Unfortunately, psoriasis is likely to reoccur.  Most cases of psoriasis are mild (covering less than 3% of a patients body), but even those suffering from a mild case say that it has a negative effect on their lives.

The itching, pain and discomfort caused by psoriasis makes it difficult to sleep well and sometimes interferes with normal daytime activities.

Since psoriasis seems to worsen when the sufferer is going through a streesful time in their life,  or by skin injury or even by weather changes, it is believed that the disease is caused or worsened by a weakness in the immune system.

Many sufferers of psoriasis would prefer to use a natural remedy to avoid the side effects of prescription medicine.  Are there effective natural remedies for psoriasis?  Here are a few that have seen success, often in combination with each other.

1.  Boric salts:  Dissolve in warm bath water at least three times a week.

2.  Coal tar creams or soaps:  Buy these over the counter and combine with salicylic acid cream or gel to help reduce scaling.

3.  Natural sunlight, ultraviolet light:  Can put psoriasis into remission.

4.  Hot, dry climates:  Those who suffer from psoriasis seem to do better in hot and dry places.

5.  Swimming or bathing in the sea:  Sea salts bring relief.

6.  Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate):  These can be used as bath salts.

7.  Neem oil:  Apply this oil from the evergreen tree to your affected area.

All of these natural remedies have been shown to work, but what works for one person may not work for another.  You will need to try all of these remedies to discover what works best for you.

In addition to these more common natural remedies, there have also been successes with treating psoriasis in the following ways:

*  giving blood to get rid of excess iron

*  shea butter for extra moisturizing

*  not consuming red meat or dairy products

*  zinc tablets

* avoiding stress and limiting alcohol intake

These natural remedies are all safe and hopefully one or all of them will be an effective therapy for you!