Psoriasis comes from a Greek word meaning, being itchy. Not a big surprise there. The condition is characterized by red patches that are scaly and usually, itchy. Inverse psoriasis presents similarly, with the key difference being the area affected.
Inverse psoriasis, also known as flexural psoriasis, affects the folds of the body; spots where you have skin folding over skin. This includes web spaces, (not the internet kind, the kind between your fingers and toes) your lips, your intergluteal crease, your belly button and in some unfortunate cases, the penis or vagina.
One of the most difficult issues when suffering from inverse psoriasis, is not scratching that relentless itch. Excessive scratching can help to worsen the condition, compounding it with: scratches, lesions, scarring, loss of pigmentation and infection.
This can leave you with far worse problems than itchy, scaly skin. You want to be especially careful about scratching with inverse psoriasis as it tends to affect more sensitive areas such as eyelids and the genitals.
There are some ways to cool inflammation without having to scratch yourself raw. Try using moisturizer, including heavy creams and ointments to lock in moisture. In fact, the TrueLipids Eczema Experts 1% Hydrocortisone Cream is actually even indicated for itching of the penis, anal and genital skin from psoriasis and eczema and we have had some amazing reviews for this indication.
We’ve seen wonderful relief for the itch and the scaling of the skin in this area. Cold showers and cold packs can be a tremendous help, as well. Keratolytic products can help to soften the scaling and reduce flaking. Of course, just making sure to drink enough water every day can make a tremendous difference.
These remedies help to relieve some of the discomfort associated with psoriasis, but they won’t completely eliminate the symptoms and they don’t treat the disease itself. If you’re suffering from inverse psoriasis, you’re going to want to talk to a dermatologist and seek out a good long-term solution to the problem.
Medical solutions can include prescription strength steroids and vitamin D-like medications such as calcitrene. Make sure to talk with your dermatologist as you don’t want to be your own human guinea pig, running experiments where you rub chili peppers or clove oil on your eyelids!
