Genital Psoarisis on the Glans

I am in my late 60s. I started to suffer from psoriasis on my 22nd birthday, and within a few weeks it was all over my body and scalp (Plaque psoriasis). I DID have occasional patches on the glans. I DID use steroid on it and it cleared. Note: I put the thinnest smear that I could on my finger - just enough to make it look shiney, and then I applied that to the glans. I never used more than 2 days in a row. It used to go away and return a few months later. Sometimes I simply had what looked like flakey dry skin all over the glans, but no discernible plaques. Then I used an anti-fungal ointment with 1% hydrocortisone. While living overseas with my work, I also tried an ointment called Triderm on the glans - it was very successful. I could not get it in the UK, but found a similar product called Trimovate. I have only needed to apply trimovate to the glans once or possibly twice over the last 12 years. Most of my psoriasis has gone away apart from my elbows. I also do get a patch in my groin on one side. It seems to be a combination of a recurring fungal infection and inverse psoriasis - I have used trimovate on that, and it went from recurring every 6-8 weeks, to no recurrance for over 1 year.

OhNo_NotAgain, thank u so much for sharing your experience. Its good tohear that ypu responded well to treatments and the flare ups became less frequent. Gives me a glimmer of hope

OhNo_Not again. Like you, glans and groins reacted well to trimovate. Very occassional flare. However, perianal area so so difficult to treat. I'm in a flare period and it's not improving. Any advice??

HappyChappy.. I've been using Balmonds Skin Salvation. If you are in the UK, Holland & Barrett currently have it on the buy one get one for a penny offer. It contains beeswax so it sticks and leaves a nice protective film which helps reduce friction, has various herbal tinctures infused within it to reduce inflammation. Only gripe is it smells of olive oil and leaves light grease marks, but i found its helped alot, and feeling hopeful about further improvement! I apply to clean skin 2 to 3 times a day.

Thanks for replying. Will this help as my flare at this moment is very red??

Hi Ohno_notagain, one final question, can you use the Balmonds in conjunction with the trimovate ie 12 hrs apart???

@Happychammpy: personally I see no problem to use a non pharmaceutical product (eg an emollient) in conjunction with a product containing active pharaceuticals such as steroid. I would apply the steroid (eg Trimovate) after a shower and as prescribed by the doctor, eg twice a day if that is what they recommend. I would massage it in as thoroughly as you can without causing abrasion to the area. Then give it 30 mins to an hour to be complete absorbed. Then perhaps apply whatever moisturiser, emollients you find soothing as often as you want. One caution: in my groin I have inverse psoriasis that seems to flare up simultaneously with a fungal element. Once I have applied Trimovate, I want it to be absorbed, but then I want to keep the are as dry as possible - I apply medicated anti-fungal poweder, and do not apply other moisturiser type of topical treatments. It took me a bit of trial and error to find what worked best for me. After showering, I dry my groin with kitchen roll and not a regular towel (unless you plan to ONLY use it on your groin and wash it every time ), or with a hair-dryer if I am in a hotel bathroom with such a thing. If there is a fungal element I want to avoid any risk of spreading it with a towel. Since adopting this regime, I have niot had any outbreak in my groin for over 12 months , compared to every 6-8 weeks previously.

HappyChappy.. I feel it is helping with the soreness/ redness after i stopped using my steroid ( i was told to stop using it on my glans after 14 days of use). Also, i would probably give it a few hours between applying your trimovate and then the balmonds.. Genital skin and perianal skin is thinner, applying a product like balmonds over your steroid could seal in the steroid and increase absorption of the steroid in to the skin leading to increased risk of thinning skin.