fungirlz

What we have found may help you to understand how individuals suffering from Psoriasis can maybe benefit from your tanning beds.

The key word here is "maybe". Remember we can never make a promise. Even in a medical realm with a licensed Physician the key word is Medical "pratice".

In this thread I am going to share with you our observations and results regarding victims of psoriasis.
We are Transformations Tanning and Skin Care in Central Florida. Serving Central Florida since 1987.
On board our crew are 3 board certified paramedical aestheticians, a Physicians Assistant a Medical Doctor and 7 Advanced Smart Tan certified tanning technicans.

There is no known cure for the condition called Psoriasis.
There is no known cause.
What we do know is the disease affects about 2%-3% of the worlds population. It is found in both males and females.
The emotional toll of psoriasis and the personal struggle to come to terms with it is a vicious cycle.

Visual Character: Red and plaque like substance, white or siverish in coatings/ scales.
Marked thickening,inflamation remarkably symmertic.
Lets look at what is happening to the skin during the progression of the disease.
Normal function in epidermal turn-over is about 26-29 days. The scaling of the skin is due to the rapid rate of cell turn-over in the victim about 3-4 days.The silvery/white scale can be explained by the great increase in cellular kinetics that doesn't allow time for shedding.

Psoriasis is unpredictable. It goes through a waxing and waning process.
One can not be sure when the cycle is complete or resting.

Because it is a visual disease many who have it suffer from depression. It is a big blow to the ego.They may stop participation in sports, going to public swimming pools,sexual spontaneity can very well be limited or become void. The client may fear because of "them" others will become infected.

We have 4 clients who have the disease.
In this thread I will tell you about Marc.

Marc: 32 white male Skin type II (Fitzpatrick skin classification)
person with this skin type usualy have freckled skin, blue or hazel eyes red to blond hair. They typicaly burn easily and tan slightly or slowly.
Marc has suffered for 8 years. Had not put on shorts for 7 1/2 years.
Had been on several perscription medications resulting in a slight liver condition due to the harsh strength of drugs.
We began Marcs tanning sessions in our Ultra-Sun 5000/4 unit. 5 mins. using no topical lotions. Tanning every other day for 10 days. After 10 days increased time to 6 mins. every other day for 5 sessions then moving him up 1 minute per session until we were at a full 20 minute session.( remember every other day).
After 60 days of doing this treatment process Marc began juicing am. with fresh vegetables and lots of carrots and again juicing with fresh fruits in the afternoon.
Dismissing all artifical sugars and sugar forming foods from his diet.( no alcohol or sugar free soda pop either).
120 days later Marc is wearing shorts, working out 3 times a week at the gym and depression is under control. He now tans 2 times a week at 15 minutes a session in our Ultra-Sun Solarwind. '
A slight pinkish discoloration still appears on the knee area and lower leg, but all scales and thickness are not visable.

Our objective with Marc was to follow Dr. Goodhearts phenomenon ( Goodheart is an Assistant Clinical Professor of medicine in the Division of Dermatology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York) that "many patients tend to improve during summer and worsen in cold times of year. This fluctuation is presumabley due to the positive influences of sunlight on psoriasis".

We allow Marc and other "special" clients to tan at 50% off. It is our way of thanking them for allowing us to be apart of their journey on their road to being THE VERY BEST THEY CAN BE.

I caution each of you to be very very careful not to over expose a client who suffers from this skin disorder. Sunburn of even the slightest amount can cause the disease to increase and rapidly spread. Go slow.. Go with care and watch a possible miracle right before your eyes.
DON'T PROMISE... Just know it could happen.

Next time we will discuss the different types of findings concerning this disease

Cub Reporter,
Chris

Chippp

That disorder is a rapid growth of cells.
Lack of sun "UV" exposure causes vitamin D deficiency,it is not enough to just get it from your diet, you need uv exposure for the body to use it, Vitamin D is produced and synthesized with skin exposure to uv rays and you need uv exposure for the body to use vitamin D properly.
Vitamin D does many things, one thing is to control cell growth!
His disorder is a rapid uncontrolled cell growth.
This Vitamin D deficiency also leads to many forms of cancer in people that live outside tropical regions.
Cancer is a rapid abnormal growth of cells as well.

fungirlz

ummmmmmmmmm something to consider.. valid point Chipp

Psoriasis is considered an immunologic disease. We do know how ever that light therapy can suppress production of responsible T cells.

BooBop

Very enlightening Chris and Chippp. I also have several clients with this disorder. I have noticed a very increasing number of clients coming in for this. Doctors will tell people that the tanning bed is bad, but then I have them sending people to my salon. As of right now, I have 2 that doctors referred, that I truley know of. and several others that come on their own because they have read up on uv therapy.

BooBop

How many have clients that come in for skin conditions? I have approx. 6 that I can think of.

roger

I have 5 clients with this and a new one just started last week.
They have been comming for a couple of years now and say that it keeps there skin just about normal.

solarmeter

Here's a UV site selling booths, lamps, goggles, meters that is 'allowed' to proclaim benefits of UVR. Click on accessories and prices (sticker shock!).

http://www.natbiocorp.com/frames.htm

Malibu_Stacey

Mitzi: I would say I have about a dozen or so. Some with psorias and some with others. I get a lot of teens that say they find it helps acne too. Very glad to be of service to them!

Stacey

Bronze Star

We service a much more mature client than perhaps the average salon. The average age of our clients is in the mid 30's. We have a notable number of psoriasis tanners who are considerably older than your average tanner. They are regulars and love the 9 minute stand-up unit. I am not sure of how many exactly we have... but I know the number is over 10. That is the number of those we are aware of... it could be much higher.

fungirlz

Solare meter what an interesting site you made availabe us .
I have shared this site with Doc and the Staff.
The emotional stress the sufferer has causes the lesions to increase.Emotional is a key.
We found in 3 out of 5 victims, when stress mounted the areas were just a mess.

I will tell you about Pat 52 white female
Psoriasis on the palms of her hands at first sight I thought she had gotten in bleach, or an acid of some sort until I asked qualifing qustions and found it was full on the soles of her feet.
The plaque on the feet were painful and surmounted by a thick white scale.( you could see the pain..) just awful.

Chester (Doc) has put her on a perscription of a tar substance twice a day (covering the area with gloves and socks), and she tans in the Solarwind (an ultra sun unit) 15 mins. 3 times a week.
She has some relief.
The stress of her breakup of her marriage of 20 yrs is causing more lesions up the wrist and ankle area.
Psoriasis is tricky..as we all have seen.
I find it very interesting how it expands and shrinks in a matter of a day.
It has it's own direction.
One can only wonder how the cells are going to react.

Question?
Why do victims have better results in the "bigger beds"? is it the 165 watts? or time in the unit?
We do not get the same results on the diseased tissue in the ultra sun 3000/3 that we do in the solarwind.

Soles of the feet palms of the hands have no reason to tan or get involved with uv......right?
Why does tanning in the beds help then ?
She has been with us 4 months. Progress is a slow one.
We feel stress is related to the waxing and waning.

Discovery of your observations?
Chris