Zinc Psoriasis

Zinc psoriasis treatments are quite common for treating psoriasis. But the experts agree that ingesting zinc nutritional supplements is a waste of time and money. Then again, there are folks that swear by ingesting zinc as a way of treating their psoriasis, but can zinc really help?

What is Zinc?

According to the National Institute of Health website’s nutritional supplement information, “Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Zinc is also found in many cold lozenges and some over-the-counter drugs sold as cold remedies.”

Zinc Deficiency

So zinc is essential, but can it help treat psoriasis? To answer that, perhaps we need to explore what a zinc deficiency looks like. When one lacks sufficient zinc in their system, they may see one or more of the following symptoms:

• Slow growth
• Loss of appetite
• Hair loss
• Diarrhea
• Impaired immune function
• Weight loss
• Delayed puberty
• Impotence
• Hypogonadism
• Eye and skin lesions
• Mental slowness
• Difficulty tasting
• Wounds taking a long time to heal

So far nothing about psoriasis, eczema or other similar skin issues appear to be a symptom of a zinc deficiency.

Risk Factors for Low Zinc Levels

Since a good diet will usually supply all the zinc one might need, those that do end up with a deficiency tend to have gastrointestinal and digestive disorders, such as: IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic liver and kidney disease, diabetes, and even chronic diarrhea.

Could Leaky Gut Be a Factor?

While the medical community hasn’t yet officially acknowledged leaky gut, it might be a bit difficult getting a definitive answer. Since leaky gut has been associated with auto-immune diseases, of which psoriasis is one, it is entirely possible that someone with psoriasis could have an issue with zinc.

Zinc Psoriasis Treatments

While a nutritional supplement may not be effective in treating psoriasis, there are a few products marketed for treating psoriasis.

DermaZinc is one line of topical treatments for psoriasis that contain zinc. The product information says that zinc “helps control hostile bacteria and yeast on the skin.”

• DermaZinc Therapy Spray Drops for Psoriasis contains zinc pyrithione an over-the-counter ingredient that helps control scaling, itching, redness and flaking.
• DermaZinc Cream by the same company contains .25% zinc and is recommended for the eyebrows, beard area, and nasolabial folds.

There are a few bar soaps containing zine that are formulated specifically for treating psoriasis. These zinc psoriasis soaps include:

• Noble Formula with 2% Pyrithione Zinc also contains olive and emu oils
• DermaHarmony with 2% Pyrithione Zinc and is gentle enough to use daily by both adults and children for treating multiple skin issues.

You may also find zinc psoriasis products marketed with “ZnP” instead of the word “zinc”.

Zinc Oxide

That’s the white cream that you see people slather across their nose and cheeks to protect from sunburn. From the reviews, it does appear that some people experience relief of their psoriatic dryness with the use of zinc oxide. While zinc oxide is not a cure it does seem to be an effective zinc psoriasis treatment.

Homepage

Sitemap

Sitemap in alphabetical order

Back to Top

---