Experience: what I did with my first flare-up

Hello! 

I wanted to share a bit of my psoriasis journey in case anyone finds this helpful. This is not advice, but me sharing my experience with my first ever flare up in my life. Please do you research and consult with your doctor, as I did. 

Context:

• My family has a strong history of psoriasis going back generations
• I am a 39-year old man from the tropics
• Up until August of 2025, I’ve only had small patches usually behind my ear and on my elbows and knees
• I am fairly overweight and have been my the majority of my thirties. Wear a 36-38 waist pant
• I am lightly active and out everyday usually walking
• Have not had to be strict with my diet until recently (so, ate grains, gluten, dairy, drank alcohol, and so on daily)
• Drink alcohol regularly (heavily in August as there was a lot of celebrations)
• Life has been stressful for the last ten months (loss of a family member, moving, and burnout working 90 hours per week)

The Flare up:

• Happened in mid-August 2025 and it was the first time it had ever happened in my life. It spread rapidly and turned my entire trunk purple-ish, raised and scaley lesions, etc.  
• It was all over my trunk, extremities (elbows and knees), groin, glutes, back, and scalp.
• Roughly about 70% was covered with what looked like a combination of plaque and guttate psoriasis. Doctor only confirm plaque.
• Tried the typical steroid creams and such for a few weeks, but only it got worse.

What changed: 

• I am lucky enough to be on a long break before my next work assignment, so I went to the tropics to get more sunlight and bathe in the ocean. I live in a place that's really cold
• Stopped alcohol 10th September
• On September 19, I began the below after tons of research and medical counsel:
• DIET:
  • Started a week-long water fast with two aims: 1. Reset my gut microbiome, and 2. Jump start my weight loss journey. Note: I only drank water to completely remove everything from my system (no teas or black coffee)
  • Continued to abstain from alcohol
• PHYSICAL:
  • Began walking a minimum of 20k steps daily to get the proper UVB rays (between 10-1600). Once in the mid morning between 10-12 and another between 15-17.
  • Got at least 8 hours of sleep daily WHERE I COULD GET IT. This means that I sometimes had to nap in the afternoons.
• HYGIENE
  • Discontinued my deodorant, cologne, hair products, etc. Note: I will pick it up after all is healed. This is just to control what goes on my skin.
  • I used head and shoulders on my scalp, a gentle foam wash for my face, and an all-natural soap with ylang ylang, chamomile, and lavender for their calming properties. Sometimes I showered twice, especially to get the sweat off. 
  • In the mornings before my walk, I put lavender oil in my hair with a bandana. Lavender is calming. My skins was a combination of the steroid creams and lavender Aveeno.
  • In the evening, after bathing, I combined steroid creams, coconut oil, and lavender Aveeno. I put coconut oil in my hair with a bandana overnight (I did this every other night).
• MENTAL:
  • I don’t meditate (as I don’t have the patience), but I did a bit more writing and recorded when I didn’t feel like writing. This made my stress levels go down.
  • Spoke with a friend or family everyday to keep my mind going (especially during the fast)
• Once I broke the fast, I removed grains, gluten, sugar additives, alcohol, and dairy. Note: I will add them one by one as I continue to test what works for me.
• Currently, I’ve adopted an intermittent fasting schedule as it continues to heal. 

The results:

• Within nine days, my psoriasis has remarkedly reduced from 70% to ~35%. I no longer have raised and scaley lesions, the color has changed from purple-ish to light brown and pink (I have dark skin), and there’s signs that smoother skin is resurfacing. 
• In a lot of areas, mostly on my shoulders, upper back, and stomach, they are completely healed.
• For a good portion of my adult life I have always had a black neck (acanthosis nigricans). That is clearing up and is very smooth.
• Waist size is down by three inches (mostly water weight) and my clothes, that fit well, are baggy. Note: I typically wear a size 36-38 and L-XL 
• My face skin is brighter and glowing.
• Energy levels are medium to high.

Things to consider:

• I started off doing a three day then checked in with my body to see if I can got further. Then decide that since I did three, I can do five. Ultimately, I did seven days (19-26 October) before breaking my fast. I found starting this way was beneficial for me.
• Be care when you break your fast. I kept things safe with an egg and broth, and it worked well.
• Being outside for walks with my lesions visible and scalp was terrifying! However, I had to put my vanity aside for my overall, long-term health. I found that listening to music or talking with a friend was a good way to distract my terror and embarrassment.
• When looking for products, I opted for more natural with calming and anti-inflammatory properties. E.g., chamomile, lavender, ylang ylang, lemon grass, turmeric, coconut, etc.
• The fast was hard, but helps to get outside even if it's just a walk around the block.

I know that’s a lot, but it’s helped me tons! Again, please do your research and consult your doctor where you can. Body types and chemistry do differ. So, you want to do this safely and reduce the risk of exacerbating the condition. Good luck and happy healing!