Hydrogen Peroxide & the Treatment of Psoriasis
Hydrogen peroxide is a colorless liquid that occurs naturally in the air, and is used in low concentrations in many household products. You might, for example, have hydrogen peroxide in your medicine cabinet as a disinfectant, or in your laundry room as a bleach. However, anecdotal accounts and preliminary research also indicate potential benefits of treating psoriasis with hydrogen peroxide.
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Theories
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Hydrogen peroxide (h202) may play a role in reducing inflammatory and immunological skin responses. This is, however, an area of ongoing research, and scientists do not yet know exactly how it works.
Reported Benefits
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Proponents of using hydrogen peroxide to treat psoriasis report softening of psoriasis patches, reduced psoriasis scaling and reduced psoriasis itch.
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Anecdotal Evidence
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You can easily find positive anecdotal support for treating psoriasis with hydrogen peroxide treatments. For example, a search in the forums of the National Psoriasis Foundation identifies several threads where psoriasis sufferers have successfully used hydrogen peroxide, such as using a gel with hydrogen peroxide in it to treat scalp psoriasis.
Expert Insight
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A body of research, as searchable in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, describes some benefits to including hydrogen peroxide with some psoriasis treatments. For example, a literature review completed in November 2008 indicates that hydrogen peroxide may be beneficial in improving the permeability of the nail bed when treating psoriasis under the nails. When the nail bed is more permeable, it more readily absorbs the psoriasis medicine. At the same time, however, hydrogen peroxide is not recognized by the National Psoriasis Foundation or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an approved treatment for psoriasis.
Cautions
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Hydrogen peroxide is toxic, according to the CDC, if ingested or inhaled, or by contact with the skin. Use caution when using over-the-counter or home remedies that include hydrogen peroxide, and always consult your physician when combining non-prescribed remedies with prescribed remedies.
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References
- PubMed.gov: Reactive oxygen species in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-activated primary human keratinocytes: implications for psoriasis and inflammatory skin disease
- PubMed.gov: Enhancing the nail permeability of topically applied drugs
- Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry: ToxFAQs(TM) for Hydrogen Peroxide
Resources
- Photo Credit First aid image by lefebvre_jonathan from Fotolia.com
