Does CBD help with or against psoriasis? If you suffer from psoriasis, you want to get rid of it as soon as possible. What can you do about it? And does CBD help with psoriasis? CBD is becoming increasingly popular and more users are experiencing the power of CBD. While CBD is known for the oil, there are also other CBD products. In the next blog article, we will delve deeper into which CBD products are suitable for psoriasis. What psoriasis is and which CBD products can help you if you have psoriasis.
What is psoriasis?
To further address the question of whether CBD can help with psoriasis, we will first look at what psoriasis is. Psoriasis is a skin condition. If you suffer from psoriasis, red spots often appear with a kind of white or silver-gray scaling. Psoriasis almost never occurs on the face and often occurs on the arms or legs. The spots can itch and anyone can get it. Psoriasis is especially common among people from Europe, although it is not known why it occurs particularly in Europeans. About 8 out of 10 people suffer from psoriasis.
Psoriasis can develop at any age. Many people think it is contagious, but it is not. You can recognize the condition by the following points:
- They are often red spots
- It is surrounded by white or silver-gray flakes
- The spots are large and small and can merge
- The spots mainly occur on the knee, elbow, or lower back
- The spots can be present for a short time or lifelong
- They are often round spots that can form a small group
In the beginning, psoriasis can itch a lot. Especially the new spots. This can be experienced as annoying and often, especially young children, scratch the spot open. Psoriasis is not contagious. This is what many people think, especially because it flakes.
How does psoriasis develop?
Your skin consists of different layers. The top layer consists of hard dead skin cells. This skin layer is called the stratum corneum. The top cells are therefore also called the keratinized cells. To get a good idea of this, you can compare it to your foot. Under the foot, there is often a thick layer of callus, or a keratinized layer. New cells grow under the stratum corneum. These new cells replace the old cells.
What we know about the origin of psoriasis is the following:
- Psoriasis can be hereditary. If both parents have it, you have a 50% chance of getting it. If one parent has it, you have a 10% chance of getting it
- There is inflammation causing your skin to thicken faster.
- Psoriasis is not contagious
Once you have psoriasis, the symptoms can worsen. This can be caused by, for example:
- Damage to your skin from cuts or abrasions, which can develop into a psoriasis spot a few weeks later
- Skin burns
- Infections
- Stress
Psoriasis occurs more often in people who consume more alcohol or smoke.
What is CBD?
Now we know what psoriasis is. The next goal is to get rid of it quickly or reduce it. You have probably heard about it before. CBD can help with psoriasis, but what exactly is CBD? CBD, which stands for cannabidiol, is one of the many compounds from the cannabis plant. When you hear cannabis, you might think of marijuana. The plant grown for making CBD contains very little THC. THC is the substance found in marijuana that causes a high feeling. The percentage in CBD products is a maximum of 0.05%. This is a negligible amount.
CBD is extracted from the plant and used to make the final product. The most well-known CBD product is CBD oil. CBD itself is a paste-like substance. To make oil from it, hemp seed oil or MCT oil is often added. The strength of the CBD is determined by the amount of oil added. The less oil, the higher the CBD percentage.
The lightest CBD oil is CBD oil 5%. This oil is often used for children or as a preventive measure. The strongest CBD oil is CBD oil 30%. The higher the CBD percentage, the fewer drops you need to use to achieve the same effect.
Besides CBD, products often contain other substances found in the cannabis plant. Think of CBG, CBN, or CBC. When making CBD products, often all cannabinoids remain in the oil. We call this Full Spectrum CBD oil.
Besides CBD oil, many other products with CBD are now made. Think of CBD cream.
What can you do for psoriasis?
We have already covered several steps. We know what psoriasis is and we know what CBD is. We will now look more closely at whether CBD can help with psoriasis. Before we do that, let's see what you can do yourself for psoriasis.
- Avoid skin damage
- Avoid bruising
- Avoid scraping
- Do not scratch
- Avoid burning your skin
- Keep your nails short so you do not scratch your skin open
- Shower briefly and not too hot
- Do not take a hot bath
- Use little or no soap
- If you use soap, use soap with 0% alcohol
- Try not to drink alcohol
- Try to smoke less if you have psoriasis
- Go outside
Let's go a little deeper into the last point. Sunlight can help reduce psoriasis, although too much sunlight is not good. Your skin should not burn from the sun, but the sun on your skin can reduce psoriasis. It is also often said that seawater and sun are a good combination for psoriasis.
For everything you do or try, it is important to know whether it has an effect on you. That is why we advise keeping a notebook. Here you can note what you have done and how you feel. If you went to the beach and swam in the sea on Monday, June 12, write it down. Also write down how much discomfort you have that day and the days after. If your skin improves, you will know what caused it.
Many people feel ashamed of the spots and therefore do not dare to swim or, for example, go to the hairdresser. If you also feel this shame, try to talk to your GP or a practice nurse. You have nothing to be ashamed of.
Psoriasis and CBD
In skin affected by psoriasis, there is inflammation. This inflammation can cause the new skin cells to mature too quickly. The skin becomes painful and can cause breaks in the skin tissue. These breaks can lead to irritated spots. CBD can have a positive effect on inflammation, including inflammation beneath the skin.
Every body has an endocannabinoid system. Often, the endocannabinoid system is out of balance, causing symptoms to appear more quickly or inflammation to develop faster. CBD can restore balance to the endocannabinoid system. CBD can have a direct positive effect on the immune system, which may reduce psoriasis symptoms.
CBD can provide supportive effects for psoriasis
When you use CBD, it can have a supportive effect on psoriasis. It can strengthen your immune system, and CBD can inhibit and prevent inflammation in the skin. CBD can also help balance the growth of certain cells, such as new subcutaneous cells.
CBD can reduce pain and decrease itching. It can also reduce redness and dryness of the skin.
Which CBD products do you use for psoriasis?
If you suffer from psoriasis, CBD can help reduce or relieve the symptoms. It is wise to address the symptoms both internally and externally. At ProHemp you will find a wide range of CBD products.
In the following example, we assume moderate psoriasis symptoms. For moderate symptoms, it is wise to use CBD oil Full Spectrum 10%. The CBD oil contains, besides CBD, all other cannabinoids. The cannabinoids enhance each other's effects, creating the “entourage effect.” You use the CBD oil to address the symptoms from within.
Above you can read that psoriasis can worsen due to stress. CBD can have a very good effect on anxiety or stress. For example, we previously wrote a blog about ‘which CBD product helps with which complaint’.
Besides addressing it internally, you can also treat psoriasis directly. It is already good to keep the affected area moist and not let it dry out. You can use a special CBD cream for this. The cream is easy to apply and keeps your area moist. This cream contains CBD that can directly work on psoriasis or dry patches on your skin. These two products can address your symptoms both internally and externally.
Proven studies on the effects of CBD and psoriasis
Many studies are being conducted regarding CBD. CBD is so popular that science wants to learn more about it. Many universities and scientists are researching the effects of CBD.
There is not much research yet on the effect of CBD in combination with psoriasis. However, there is sufficient evidence that CBD can have a positive influence on skin conditions. In 2009, a study was published titled: The endocannabinoid system of the skin in health and disease: new perspectives and therapeutic possibilities. This study provides extensive research and explanation about the endocannabinoid system and its effect on the skin (source).
This study describes the function of the endocannabinoid system. The system is continuously seeking balance. When this system is disturbed, skin diseases can manifest more easily. Think of:
- Acne
- Allergic reactions
- Hair growth disorders
- Itching
- Psoriasis
In 2007, a study was published on the function of CB1 and CB receptors in psoriasis. It showed that the accelerated growth of keratinocyte cells can be reduced and may help alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis. (source).
Start treating psoriasis with CBD
You can start treating psoriasis with CBD today. You may still have many questions about using CBD. In that case, you can request a free consultation. A team of specialists is ready to help and guide you.