How long does a psoriasis flare last?

Psoriasis can be a severe problem for those who suffer from it. Frequent outbreaks can be annoying and even disabling: at work and in daily life. There are different types of psoriasis, such as gout psoriasis, and the frequency and duration of flare-ups are often variable.

If you are interested in knowing how long the symptoms of an outbreak can last, what can trigger them and what to do in the event of a psoriasis outbreak, you can continue reading this article by FastlyHealon on how long a psoriasis outbreak lasts.

What is psoriasis

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease that manifests itself mainly on the skin, but it can also affect other parts of the body, which can cause:

• Nail psoriasis.
• Psoriasis on the mucosa of the mouth.
• Psoriasis on feet.
• Psoriasis on the hands.
• Psoriasis on the elbows.
• Psoriasis on the head .

This disease affects the skin because there is an accelerated turnover of cells, which accumulates layers of skin in the form of scales on a reddened surface.

Psoriasis usually occurs in outbreaks; that is, symptoms appear from time to time. The symptoms that may occur before the first outbreak of psoriasis and help identify are:

• Redness of the skin.
• Silvery scales on the spots.
• Dandruff.
• Itchy skin
• Pain and burning in the skin.
• Dry or cracked skin.
• Blisters
• Nail problems: they peel, they stain, they break easily, they are ribbed …
• Joint problems: pain, deformity, or stiffness.

If you want to know more about psoriasis, see the article Psoriasis: causes, symptoms, and treatment.

How long does a psoriasis flare last?

To answer how long a psoriasis flare lasts, it is essential to know that it will be different for each person. It will depend on the type of psoriasis, symptoms, and other external factors that influence the body to generate flare-ups frequently.

In general, psoriasis flare-ups can last from a few weeks to months. Some people have only one flare of psoriasis, although most experience it in a row. Many of them make their symptoms decrease and even disappear, but they can also become a chronic disease.

Types of psoriasis

Depending on the area of ​​the body and how the lesions are presented, different types of psoriasis can be found to take into account to determine the frequency of outbreaks:

• Psoriasis Vulgaris or plaques – This is the standard form of psoriasis. The lesions that have been described can appear in different areas of the skin and mucosa (elbows, knees, lower back, scalp, palms, and soles).
• Inverse psoriasis: in these cases, the lesions appear mainly in the fold areas such as under the breasts, armpits, and genitals.
• Pustular psoriasis: the skin becomes red, and then blisters with pus (pustules) appear and disappear frequently.
• Droplet psoriasis: the spots are usually more minor and peel less; they can even affect children and young people in various body areas. They often occur after a throat infection and can happen only once.
• Erythrodermic psoriasis: The skin turns all red in this case, and it can be a more severe case.
• Psoriasis nail: the primary manifestation is psoriasis nail.
• Psoriatic arthritis: joint disease can occur before skin lesions, but it happens the other way around in most cases. One or more joints are affected.

Some of these types of psoriasis may appear only once, such as guttate psoriasis, and others frequently occur, such as pustular psoriasis.

How long a psoriasis flare lasts will depend on the severity of the symptoms and other factors to consider. As we have already mentioned, in some people, it can be chronic psoriasis.

Factors that influence the duration of a psoriasis flare

There are a few factors that can contribute to more frequent symptoms or influence how long a psoriasis flare lasts, including:

Stress

Emotional imbalance is often linked to the beginning of an outbreak. The person may not even notice it, but stress manifests itself on the weaker side; in this case, it is the skin.

Sedentary lifestyle

It goes hand in hand with stress since practicing physical activity dramatically reduces the possibility of flare-ups.

Food

Although most of the studies have not been definitive, it is clear that all those who have psoriasis could link their condition to their diet.

Sometimes there is a particular food, but most of the time, the diet is not usually healthy: sugar, processed foods, meat, dairy, fried foods, or fats are some of the poisons that may be generating imbalance.

Gluten, in particular, has been linked to outbreaks.

Lack of vitamin D.

This is one of the most important and least paid vitamins, but it can reduce breakouts by increasing production.

The natural way is through 5 minutes of sun exposure, but you must be careful when skin lesions are present; you can also consume cod oil or go to a supplement.

Alcohol and smoking

There is a relationship between alcohol and tobacco use with psoriasis flare-ups. These toxins cause damage to the body. Therefore, avoiding alcohol consumption and smoking can help decrease psoriasis flare-ups.

Drugs

Some medications may cause outbreaks, such as:

• Antihypertensive.
• Antipalúdicos.
• Psychiatric medication.

Skin lesions

There are skin lesions that can cause psoriasis flare-ups, such as:

• Major burns.
• Bites
• Skin infections

In short, taking action against factors that can negatively influence psoriasis is essential to determine how long a psoriasis flare lasts and help your body.

What to do in a psoriasis outbreak

If you are suffering an outbreak of psoriasis, you must take some measures to prevent the lesions from getting worse and thus help reduce other symptoms and discomfort, such as itching.

Avoid scratching yourself

If you scratch the psoriasis lesions, you can do more damage, no matter how itchy you are. By rubbing your itchy skin, you only increase circulation and stimulate the receptors in your skin, making the itch worse.

Apply cold

The application of cold helps to reduce discomfort. Direct ice is not recommended because it can hurt the skin, but cold compresses or taking cool baths in the areas where the injuries are.

Moisten your skin

It is essential to keep your skin hydrated so that you can apply:

• Natural creams for psoriasis.
• Vaseline.
• Coconut oil or olive oil.

The important thing is that you avoid creams or substances with too many chemicals as components—the more natural, the better.

Pay attention to your lifestyle.

As we have seen in the previous section, your lifestyle is critical so that the outbreak lasts as little as possible and appears less frequently. In this case, pay attention and follow a lifestyle that includes:

• Healthy food.
• Sufficient rest hours.
• Exercise.
• Avoid alcohol, tobacco, sweets …

Topical and systemic medication

If your doctor has prescribed a specific medication for psoriasis flare-ups, you can use it as recommended.

Natural herbs

Some infusions for psoriasis that are usually useful in the case of recurrent outbreaks are:

• Thyme.
• Veronica.
• Enola bell.

Also, the skin should be washed several times a day with the infusion of your choice to help the skin. You can change the chosen medicinal plant every 15 days.

If you want to know more, you can consult the article: Home remedies for psoriasis. These natural remedies help relieve symptoms, but you must go to the doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to How long a psoriasis outbreak last , we recommend that you enter our Skin, hair and nails category .