Go to AAD Home
Donate For Public and Patients Store Search
Go to AAD Home
Main menu
Membership
Meetings & Education
Practice management
Clinical & quality
Publications & apps
Career development
Advocacy
Back
Account
Pay dues
Member ID
Join the AAD
Member benefits
Find a member
AAD election
AAD governance
Support AAD
AAD Help Center
2025 Annual Meeting
2025 Innovation Academy
Academy meetings archive
Professional education
Claim CME & view transcript
Upcoming events
Residents & medical students
Patient education materials
DataDerm
Coding Resource Center
MIPS & fee schedule
Teledermatology
EHR & health tech
Insurance & drugs
Compliance & practice scope
Managing your practice
Clinical guidelines
Quality measures
DataDerm
Quality & patient safety
Clinical Community
Clinical care resources
Position statements
JAAD
JAAD International
JAAD Case Reports
Dermatology World
DermWorld Insights & Inquiries
Derm Coding Consult
DermWorld Meeting News
Impact Report
Other publications
Academy Apps
Job board
Join or sell a practice
Burnout & wellness
Career launch
Diversity
Awards, grants, and scholarships
Leadership Institute
Volunteer opportunities
Ethics & professionalism
Take action
Advocacy priorities
State advocacy resources
Legislative Conference
Position statements
Promote the specialty
Key Contacts
Patient advocate resources
SkinPAC
Advocacy Update
Welcome!

How to relieve itchy psoriasis

Board-certified dermatologist shares four tips to ease the itch

ROSEMONT, Ill. (March 23, 2023) — Skin issues can have a serious impact on your health and well-being. For the 7.5 million Americans1 living with psoriasis, itch can be the most bothersome part of their condition because it can make it difficult to sleep and hard to concentrate, as well as affect other aspects of their quality of life. To help relieve your psoriasis itch, a board-certified dermatologist from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is providing four important tips to consider.

“What starts out as an itch can turn into an infection rather quickly if you break the skin and germs get in,” said David Pariser MD, FAAD, professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School. “That’s why it’s so important to know how to relieve your itch so this doesn’t happen.”

To ease itch caused by your psoriasis, Dr. Pariser and the AAD recommend these tips:

  • Limit time in water to avoid drying your skin. Try to keep your showers to 5 minutes and baths to 15 minutes or less.

  • Moisturize your skin after every shower, bath, or hand washing when your skin is still damp. This helps seal in much-needed moisture and heal your skin, along with reducing redness and itch. Choose a heavy cream, ointment, or oil instead of a lotion, as these better hydrate your skin. Make sure it says “fragrance-free” on the label, as fragrance can irritate your skin. Avoid products labeled “unscented,” which may still contain fragrance that has been covered up. If you feel the need to scratch, apply your moisturizer instead.

  • Use an itch-relieving product. Look for a product that contains menthol or camphor. If the itch-relieving product makes your skin feel drier, use a moisturizer with it.

  • Apply a cool, damp washcloth to your itchy skin. Placing something cool on your skin reduces itch. You can also refrigerate an itch-relieving product for an additional cooling effect.

“While these tips can help to relieve your itch, it’s important to remember that psoriasis doesn’t just affect your skin, scalp, and nails,” said Dr. Pariser. “If you don’t treat your psoriasis, it’s more likely to get worse and it increases your risk of developing other health conditions such as psoriasis in your joints, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. I recommend that all patients with psoriasis partner with a board-certified dermatologist as we are the experts in the diagnosis and treatment of this skin condition.”

These tips are demonstrated in “How to Relieve Itchy Psoriasis,” a video posted to the AAD website and YouTube channel. This video is part of the AAD’s “Your Dermatologist Knows” series, which offers tips people can use to properly care for their skin, hair, and nails.

To find a board-certified dermatologist in your area, visit aad.org/findaderm.

# # #

Contact

Angela Panateri, apanateri@aad.org

Rhys Saunders, rsaunders@aad.org

Media Relations, mediarelations@aad.org

More Information

Psoriasis Resource Center

8 Ways to Relieve Itchy Psoriasis

What Psoriasis Treatments Are Available Without a Prescription?

About the AAD

Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology, founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 20,800 physicians worldwide, the AAD is committed to advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical, and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair, and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care because skin, hair, and nail conditions can have a serious impact on your health and well-being. For more information, contact the AAD at (888) 462-DERM (3376) or aad.org. Follow @AADskin on Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube and @AADskin1 on Instagram.

Editor’s note: The AAD does not promote or endorse any products or services. This content is intended as editorial content and should not be embedded with any paid, sponsored or advertorial content as it could be perceived as an AAD endorsement.