Nail psoriasis – also known as ungual psoriasis – is quite common among psoriasis patients. As I’ve decided to cover all the topics around the nail, I thought this might be of interest to some of you. Just because you suffer from this type of benign disease doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful nails. You just need to know how to go about it. In any case, I want to reassure you that nail psoriasis is not serious!
What is nail psoriasis?
There are many different ways of looking after your nails: choosing the right nail shape, managing nail diseases… As I said, nail psoriasis is quite common among sufferers: around 30% to 50% of people are affected. There’s even a 90% chance that people with psoriasis will suffer from nail psoriasis once in their lives. But don’t panic, there are specific treatments available. Don’t let it bother you any longer.
How to recognize it? What are the symptoms?
Nail psoriasis can appear at any age. It can even appear before the first symptoms on the skin. There are many different manifestations of this pathology, as several nail layers can be affected. There are all kinds of possible combinations of nail psoriasis. It can affect both fingernails and toenails. The level of involvement can also vary greatly from one person to another. Conveniently, symptoms are visible to the naked eye and easily recognized. But it can also be mistaken for a mycosis.
In any case, the symptoms mainly concern a change in the appearance of the nail. Your sensitivity may also increase. The appearance of your nails depends on whether the condition affects the matrix or the nail bed. If it affects the matrix, you may notice changes to the surface of your nails, with the appearance of grooves for example. If it affects the nail bed, your nails may turn orange, thicken or peel. Nail psoriasis is often a sign of associated psoriatic arthritis.
How to treat nail psoriasis?
Treatment of nail psoriasis will vary according to the nature and extent of the condition. In general, if you already suffer from skin psoriasis – which is the case in most cases – the treatment will be based on this. Here are the different types of treatment available:
- Local treatment with corticoids;
- Corticoid injections under local anaesthetic;
- Pulsed dye laser;
- General treatment to treat all psoriasis on the body
- Nail varnish treatment
Are there natural treatments for nail psoriasis?
If you suffer from nail psoriasis, I recommend that you take good care of your nails. Avoid frequent manicures, which can aggravate the condition. Be gentle when cleaning your nails, and remember to keep them well moisturized. To avoid microtrauma, it’s best to keep your nails short. Of course, as in the case of cutaneous psoriasis, it’s advisable to adopt a healthy lifestyle. But that’s another story! If you’d like to try some natural treatments, I recommend using aloe vera, which is renowned for its healing and anti-inflammatory properties.
So much for a condensed summary of what you need to know about nail psoriasis. I hope it will help you live better with it. I’d like to remind you that even with this kind of inconvenience, you can still look good. You’re beautiful no matter what!
