Healing Nail Psoriasis Naturally
PREFACE - I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. ALL CONTENT ON THIS BLOG IS A COLLECTION OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND GATHERED INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES. THIS IS NOT MEANT TO DIAGNOSE OR PRESCRIBE - IT IS MERELY A RECORD AND REFLECTION OF WHAT I HAVE LEARNED AND WHAT HAS HELPED ME ALONG MY HEALING JOURNEY.
My nails are the most prominent and obvious marker of my overall health. In a way, I’m grateful for it. It is something I can physically/visually monitor and have been able to watch the healing process and progress over time. Healing is not linear, so I have had long winded set backs and moments of feeling failure, but have gotten to witness the changes from my rock bottom to now.
A little bit about nail psoriasis and my experience:
What began as a single corroding fingernail, slowly spread to each and every one of my nails including my toenails. For years I didn’t know what was going on. Doctors would shrug their shoulders and send me on my way, tell me it wasn’t a big deal, or say that it was probably fungus and give me fungal treatments to try, which *surprise* didn’t work.
It is apparently rare to have nail psoriasis without also having skin psoriasis, which is my case. It is an autoimmune disease meaning that the immune system mistakes healthy tissue in the body for an invader and attacks it. With psoriasis, this leads to an excess buildup of skin cells, which, in the case of skin psoriasis, creates skin plaques (which you’re probably most familiar with); and in the case of nail psoriasis, causes a buildup under the nail and thus forces the nail to detach from the nail bed.
With nail psoriasis, the nails might become yellow, soft & crumbly, rough, pitted, lifted from the nail bed, and thicken from a buildup of excess skin cells under the nail. I experienced all of these! As things got worse, I experienced pain and a burning sensation in my hands and fingers, sore nails, and peeling skin around my fingertips.
Top: 2015
Bottom: 2021
Left: 2015; Right:
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
Finally, I was diagnosed with psoriasis by a dermatologist and told that there was no cure, but that I could try injections in my fingertips every few months to lessen the symptoms. That was a huge NO from me! She told me that it was related to inflammation, so I asked if there was anything I could do with my diet…she said no. I was shocked, because I knew just enough at this point about inflammation and diet to know that she was wrong so I set out on a journey to heal myself naturally with food and medicinal plants, lower inflammation, and simultaneously work on healing my acne, anxiety, digestion, etc. because it is all so intimately related. As you can see, diet and lifestyle changes DID heal my psoriasis! It’s not “cured” - I am still not where I want to be, and I will always have to maintain and continue to work towards health. I used to have a lot of pain and burning in my hands and fingers which is now very uncommon for me, and I no longer worry about people looking at my hands. Beyond that, I know that I am healthier on a much deeper level.
In the past, I’ve tried psoriasis creams / topical treatments which are great for providing some relief, but they don’t address the root cause. Being a chronic, immune related disease, it’s something that needs to be addressed and managed internally.
My approach to healing has been primarily through a plant-centric, anti-inflammatory focused diet. That is not to say that I don’t often indulge in things that aren’t beneficial to my healing - my goal is to always strive towards a better balance, not to be perfect. I have also incorporated different herbs and supplements throughout the years targeted towards a variety of health concerns (not specifically psoriasis), but for overall health and harmony in the body.
I will list below where I stand currently in my diet, supplementation, and lifestyle practices. This is not to act as a guideline, this is simply to show you the balance that I’ve worked towards, that I still have lots of room to improve, and that small steps add up to big changes.
Diet
This is a general overview yet honest look at my diet currently. Yes, there is room for improvement! My diet as it stands now has gotten me really far but I am continuously working on finding better balance and reducing the higher inflammatory foods where I can without sacrificing my happiness. I like to have fun with food and constantly create new recipes and try new foods, so this list is not all inclusive (and I might be forgetting some things).
Daily / Almost Daily
all vegetables (my go-to’s are: cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, kale/other greens, potatoes/sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, & tomatoes and mushrooms if you count those as vegetables)
all fruits (my go-to’s are: bananas, apples, and berries)
beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh
rice, brown rice pasta / rice noodles, oats, quinoa, sprouted grain bread, corn or cassava tortillas
avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters & tahini
non-dairy milk (my favorite is unsweetened oat milk!)
plant based protein powder (I use VivoLife which is third party tested for heavy metals)
all herbs & spices. I try to include fresh garlic, ginger, cilantro, basil, etc.
condiments (ex: hot sauce, salsa, mustard, soy sauce / tamari; fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso)
vegan chocolate, typically dark
organic green and herbal teas
sweeteners: maple syrup, agave, honey
I typically use some oil to cook with but keep a light hand: avocado, olive, coconut, sesame
powders: cacao, maca, ashwaganda
Once to a few times per week
processed vegan products like Just Egg, faux meats, vegan butter
processed/greasy food from restaurants
coffee
alcohol
gluten (bread or pasta)
condiments in moderation (vegan mayo, bbq sauce, ketchup)
other treats like cookies, chips, etc. depending on the week/occasion
SUPPLEMENTS
Supplements are expensive so I like to experiment with / rotate things in and out as I feel drawn to. My staples are medicinal mushroom tinctures (daily) and CBD (on an as-needed basis). My mom is a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, so I keep my natural medicine cabinet stocked with Chinese herbs for things like colds, stomach aches, headaches, and other imbalances as she recommends. Currently, the only other supplement I take daily, is Organic Olivia’s ZincPlus which, along with the mushroom tinctures, has kept me from getting sick (which is a miracle, because historically, I’ve gotten sick VERY frequently).
Medicinal Mushrooms
I first became fascinated with mushrooms several years ago when I found out about Four Sigmatic’s mushroom coffees, which I love and use to this day. These aren’t as potent for medicinal use, but do help to balance the acidic / inflammatory effect of the coffee. So, if you’re sensitive to coffee or want to reduce your inflammatory load, I highly recommend giving it a try.
Last year, as my love and knowledge for medicinal mushrooms grew, I began making a healing mushroom broth inspired by Organic Olivia. This is a really beautiful way to incorporate medicinal mushrooms into your life, particularly in the winter. However, it does take time and preparation, so for convenience and consistency, I’ve been taking chaga and reishi tinctures for several months now and have noticed improvement and great benefits without changing anything else in my diet. I use the brand Life Cykel because they dual extract their mushrooms for maximum potency. I take half to a whole dose of chaga each morning and half to a whole dose of reishi before bed each night.
CBD
As you’ll read below, anxiety / chronic stress is a big concern for me. I owe comfortably getting through my most stressful semester of grad school to CBD. In addition to being helpful for anxiety, it is anti-inflammatory and helps regulate sleep which contribute to an overall healthy and balanced body and is also useful for pain management when used both internally and topically. As I said, supplements are expensive, so I incorporate this when I can afford to.
These are my favorite products:
Organic Olivia ZincPlus (not an affiliate link)
Charlotte’s Web CBD (not an affiliate link)
Lifestyle Practices
I personally struggle with anxiety and stress which can be a huge contributor to inflammation and creating hormonal imbalances. Our mental wellbeing is so intertwined with our physical wellbeing. I really focused on diet in the past, but am working on incorporating the below practices more and more. It’s all (and always will be) a work in progress!
creating daily rituals and routines
affirmations, uplifting music, practicing gratitude and positive thoughts
exercise throughout the week
fresh air / time outdoors
reducing my toxic load
eating more organic foods and products tested for heavy metals and pesticides
switching to safer / natural household and self care products
opening the windows daily to let fresh air in and let out off gassing from furniture/household items
Getting this far in my healing has taken a lot of time, patience, experimentation, and a slow, continual restructuring of daily habits and practices. It is truly all of the little things that add up to the bigger picture of health! As I said before, I am still far from where I want to be, but my goodness, I sure am a lot closer than ever. In fact, I got married a month ago and the stress (and lack of health management on my part) brought on a bigger flare than I’ve experienced in a while - post on that coming soon - but now I feel equipped to get back on track and find comfort in knowing that with some time and care, my nails will heal. I hope, if you’re looking for answers or inspiration on your own healing journey, that this can give you a few ideas of where to start! I will continue to learn and grow myself, and share whatever I find to be helpful.
Big love and healing,
madeline
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