Smoking Affects Skin

Heavy smokers may be putting their skin at risk.
A new study shows people who smoked more than a pack of cigarettes per day were twice as likely to have severe psoriasis as those who smoked 10 cigarettes or less per day.
Researchers say the results suggest that cigarette smoking may exacerbate existing psoriasis, and highlights the need for people with the skin condition to quit smoking. Smoking is a risk factor for many other diseases, such as lung cancer and heart disease, but little is known about its relationship to psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that is not contagious or life-threatening, but it causes itchy and sometimes embarrassing red, scaly patches on the skin. Psoriasis can also affect the nails and joints.
In the study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, researchers compared smoking history and severity of psoriasis in 818 adults with psoriasis.
The results showed that people who smoked heavily had twice the risk of severe psoriasis compared with light smokers.
In addition, an increasing number of cigarette-years (a measurement of both the intensity and duration of smoking) also raised the risk of severe psoriasis.
Researchers found that the effect of cigarette-years on psoriasis severity was stronger for women than for men. This means that present women smokers and recent quitters had a higher risk (72%) for worse psoriasis.
In an editorial that accompanies the study, Mark G. Lebwohl, MD, of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, says the study shows researchers still have a lot to learn about psoriasis. For example, the study does not answer whether psoriasis leads to smoking or smoking exacerbates psoriasis.

Easing Psoriasis And Depression

Enbrel, a drug approved to treat rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, might also help psoriasis patients mentally and physically.
The finding, published in The Lancet, comes from a study of 618 people with moderate to severe psoriasis.
The study's main goal was to test Enbrel as a psoriasis skin treatment. The researchers also noticed a drop in depression and fatigue in patients who got Enbrel instead of a fake drug.
The researchers included Stephen Tyring, MD, of the dermatology department at the University of Texas Health Science Center, and Ranga Krishnan, MD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center.

"While depression scores improved, we cannot be sure why," Krishnan says, in a news release. "Our next step is to run this type of trial in people who have depression but not psoriasis."
"At this point, no one should run to their doctor and ask for this drug for depression," Krishnan continues. "However, the science is very exciting to us."
Enbrel blocks an inflammatory chemical called tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). TNF-alpha has been linked to fatigue and sleepiness, and it may also be connected to depression, according to background information in the study.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic condition marked by patches of itchy, scaly, and sometimes inflamed skin, often on the elbows, hands, feet, scalp, or back.
Some psoriasis cases are mild. Others are severe, leaving patients feeling self-conscious, isolated, and depressed.
"Depression, substance abuse, and suicidality are common and problematic in patients with psoriasis," write Tyring and colleagues.
Depression is also common in people in general and depression treatments (including talk therapy and the use of antidepressants) are often helpful.

New Possibilities For Psoriasis Sufferers

An extract found in the cotton plant, gossypol, has shown the strongest anti-inflammatory actions yet seen in the scientific world. In the lab it completely knocks out dozens of different forms of skin inflammation and normalizes dilated, inflammed and hyper-reactive blood vessels. Gossypol's first indication is for the treatment of psoriasis because it also has a normalizing effect on keratinocytes.

Pharmaceutical companies are moving very fast on this substance and have already placed them in nanosomes for penetration into the skin and timed release. Two other skin disorders on their list are rosacea and atopic dermatitis.

Once again, the researchers have never seen an anti-inflammatory as potent, fast acting, and effective on dozens of different inflammatory responses. It out-performed a medium potency, prescription only steroid in a split-face study which is unheard of. Also, the nanosomes drop it off at several different levels in the dermis to treat multiple levels of blood vessels and inflammation. Anecdotally, many patients report diminished burning and stinging sensations within minutes of nanosome delivered gossypol.

Statistics on Psoriasis

According to a survey done by the National Psoriasis Foundation 75 percent of people with moderate to severe psoriasis report that their disease has a moderate to large impact on their everyday lives:
26 percent alter their normal daily activities
21 percent stop their normal daily activities
40 percent say their psoriasis affects their clothing choices (avoiding dark colors, covering up arms and legs)
36 percent say it affects how they sleep
36 percent report bathing more than normal.

Psoriasis doesn’t discriminate. It is a chronic skin disease affecting 2.1 percent of the U.S. population – more than 4.5 million adults in the United States. It is found in all age groups, and men and women are equally likely to get it. Most people have the first symptoms between the ages of 20 to 30 years old.

There are several types of psoriasis, ranging from mild forms on restricted skin areas to severe forms covering the entire skin surface. The disease often seriously compromises the quality of life of the affected persons. There are is a variety of types of psoriasis, but no matter what form it takes, psoriasis patients can feel very uncomfortable, both because of the itch, the appearance, and the stares from an innocent, but uninformed public.

Treating Psoriasis With Pepper

Millions of Americans suffer from chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as Eczema and Psoriasis. And even more of us face the onslaught of chronic dry winter hands. While these skin disorders have become a multi-billion dollar industry -- no drug, or natural remedy has ever been able to conquer their painful symptoms until the release of “PepperCare,” ( http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/prweb/bs_prweb/storytext/prweb318103/17292779/SIG=10rnr5our/*http://www.peppercare.com ) a natural hot pepper based skin cream guaranteed by the manufacturer to relieve most chronic dry itchy skin conditions within days.
Although PepperCare contains hot pepper extract, when applied to the skin – it doesn’t burn. In fact, one application of PepperCare begins to equalize most dry skin conditions overnight leaving the skin’s surface noticeably soothed and renewed.
This incredible skin cream contains 13 active plant based ingredients along with the hot pepper extract, and each is proven to repair damaged skin while preventing further destruction caused by chronic inflammation and dryness. According to the manufacturer (SiCap Industries), each ingredient is specifically designed to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation and replenish dried out skin layers.
“The hot pepper extract is definitely an important part of our formula. Especially for reducing inflammation and ichting, but the Yucca Root powder and Shea Butter are equally important. The formula also contains Grape Seed oil, Rosemary, Calendula and Grapefruit Seed extract. It’s a combination that really works for any chronic dry or itchy skin problem,” says Wayne Perry, president of SiCap Industries.
According to SiCap Industries officials, this unusual herbal cream is designed to kill inflammatory causing bacteria while exfoliating and conditioning the top layers of skin. The result is baby soft skin that looks and feels years younger.
“You notice the results within minutes after applying the cream. Once you rub it in you’ll notice a renewed color and it instantly stops any itch. Even those caused by allergic reactions to things like Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac. Along with all the natural skin conditioners, we also add steam distilled Stinging Nettle oil to help fight off the skin's natural allergic reactions. There’s nothing better for fighting and preventing dry winter skin than PepperCare. This stuff works better than anything else out there and we back it up with a 100% money back guarantee,” boasts Perry.
"Aside from conditions like Eczema and Psoriasis, another big market for us is simple dry winter skin. We sell alot of PepperCare to people who spend alot of time outside in the winter like contractors and toll collectors. It's amazing how many people contact us to tell us how well this cream really works. I mean this stuff will prevent dry winter hands just by using a little everyday," adds Perry.

Winter's Effect on Psoriasis

Winter's colder, drier air, psoriasis can worsen -- sometimes inviting more of the dry, scaly, itchy red patches associated with this condition to develop.

"The lack of humidity in the air allows the skin to retain moisture less well, and when that occurs, tiny cracks or fissures can develop on the surface of the skin," says Bruce Strober, MD, director of the psoriasis and psoriatic Arthritis Center at NYU Medical Center in New York City.

psoriasis most commonly appears on the scalp, knees, elbows, and torso but can develop more readily in areas where skin is traumatized or "broken." Strober says anything that causes that to happen -- like cool, dry air -- can also exacerbate the disease.

According to the National psoriasis Foundation, this irritating skin condition comes in several different forms with varying levels of severity. In nearly all cases, however, it begins when the normal system of cell turnover goes awry.

"Normally the top layer of skin makes itself over every 28 to 30 days -- the old cells are microscopically shed, while the new ones take their place," says Mark Lebwohl, MD, phD, chairman of the department of dermatology at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City. In psoriasis, however, Lebwohl says that this natural process is sped up dramatically.

"In psoriasis, cells turn over as quickly as every two to three days," says Lebwohl.
The old cells don't shed off normally and new cells multiply so quickly they stick together and form lesions called patches or plaques. In the most common form of this condition, the end result can be dry, scaly, red, and sometimes itchy patches of skin. And the drier your skin gets, the worse the patches can look -- and feel.

The good news: Judicious use of moisturizer can make a huge difference -- particularly as the seasons change. Not only can this help keep tiny cracks in the skin from forming, it can also help the dry patches already there look and feel better.
"Continued use of a good penetrating moisturizer, as well a bath oil, is absolutely vital to controlling psoriasis in any weather, but particularly during dry, cold weather," says Milton Moore, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

In fact, getting moisture deep into the skin is so important that Moore used his degrees in pharmacy and medicine to develop a patent-pending pretreatment lotion known as "Hydroglide pre Application Lotion." When applied to psoriatic plaques first, he says, studies presented before the American Academy of Dermatology showed it can help almost any moisturizer or topical medication penetrate more deeply.

Other doctors say any bland but greasy moisturizer will work it's way into the skin as well, as long as you apply a lot of it and use it often, particularly after bathing.