Natural health: Lichen - a chronic skin disorder

I have a friend, in her early 60s, who has been living in France for more than 10 years. For the past year she has been suffering from a condition called Lichen and is at her wits’ end. 

The ‘rash’ is all over her body, legs, and arms and is excruciatingly itchy. Thankfully her face, head, and mouth are clear.

Her doctor prescribed cortisone and various creams. It helped for a while but did not completely clear it. But it came back strongly again but she no longer wishes to go back on cortisone and was hoping to treat the condition naturally.

After a visit to a homeopath she has been taking psorium, sulphur and zinc, for the last three months but things do not appear to be clearing up. She also applies calendula cream.

Is there a detox diet you could recommend? She has been advised to avoid all citrus fruits. Any advice and remedies to get her out of her misery would be greatly appreciated,

A. I can only imagine the frustration your friend will be experiencing, and appreciate her concerns about using cortisone to suppress the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause.

She is on the right track using calendula cream and there are many sufferers of Lichen sclerosus who find dietary changes make life more bearable.

Unfortunately there is no known cure for this condition at present, however, it is thought to be an autoimmune response. Lichen sclerosus is 10 times more common in women than in men, and can affect individuals at any age including infancy.

It is a chronic skin disorder that presents as white thickened patches of skin, which are typically very itchy and can develop into blisters and fissures.

It is common for Lichen sclerosus to affect the genital region, which can make urination very uncomfortable.

Natural practitioners typically advise a rather strict protocol of systemic cleansing, dietary changes, along with natural therapies.

Detoxification is indeed very popular among sufferers, usually involving the elimination of dairy, gluten, red meat, alcohol, and processed foods and drinks.

Beneficial oils in the diet, such as blackcurrant, borage/starflower, evening primrose, flaxseed, coconut, hempseed, and topical application of pure vitamin E oil have helped many women.

I am reluctant to recommend a processed product, but since there is an impressive number of Lichen sclerosus sufferers who have found complete relief with this particular nutritional shake, including having their condition being diagnosed as no longer active, I feel it is well worth passing on the information.

The product is called Reliv ( www.reliv.com ), and should be taken in conjunction with a wholefood diet.

While some people choose to use completely natural treatments, others find that a combination of conventional and alternative remedies help to improve comfort levels and skin texture. Your friend will need to take a note of what works for her, as what works for one person will not necessarily work for all.

Topically, along with the calendula cream, pure aloe vera gel will help to soothe the skin and reduce inflammation. Soaps, detergents and commercial cleansing products are not recommended — even store-bought organic cleansing products can irritate the area.

It is often suggested by doctors that you use an aqueous cream (typically made from paraffin and water with an antimicrobial preservative) in place of soap, and some individuals use Alpha Keri oil (liquid paraffin and lanolin), although the ingredients may not appeal to your friend.

I trust your friend may find some additional comfort in the knowledge she is certainly not alone.

There is an excellent support group in Britain called the National Lichen Sclerosus Support Group ( www.lichensclerosus.org ; 00 44-7765-947599).

There is no local chapter, but the online information and support may be of some help.