Lichen Planus: its causes and natural treatments

This condition is not very common. Around 1% of the population suffers from it, and it affects the skin and lips. It is not a contagious disease, and it also does not seem to be hereditary.  It is frequently defined as an autoimmune disease.

Lichen Planus symptoms

It is a  type of allergy that manifests in the following ways:

• Skin inflammation with slightly raised, purple or red blotches, that itch a lot.
• Rashes in different areas of the body and lips.
• They appear in any area of the body, especially in the insides of the wrists and ankles, although they also affect the lumbar area of the back, the neck, the legs, genitals, and sometimes, the scalp, nails, and shins.
• It also frequently affects the interior of the mouth, gums, and interior cheeks, etc.  This type of lichen generally lasts longer than the other.  Oral lichen is characterized by blotches with thin lines and white dots that do not cause any problems, and that are generally detected by dentists.  You will frequently need to have a special diagnosis to throw out other possible causes, like infections or cancer.
• In some cases, people with Hepatitis C suffer from it.
• It can manifest in both men and women.
• It does not produce serious problems or symptoms, other than a strong itching in some cases.  Only in strong cases, do redness, blisters, wounds and/or ulcers appear.
• In some cases, this will affect the nails.  In this case, they begin to weaken and breaks appear lengthwise; thin and brittle nails, or loss of nails.  In severe cases, they are temporarily or permanently destroyed.
• In other cases it can also affect the scalp and provoke redness, itching, and irritation, which could cause hair loss, and in some cases, baldness.

Causes of Lichen Planus

• The cause of this has not been precisely determined, however, as with all conditions, its roots are found in an energetic-emotional factor.  Considering these causes can help a lot, along with working on a psychosomatic level. 
• By being an illness related to the skin, and due to the symptoms it causes, its origin could be due to a deep irritation, or a sense of non-conformity or dislike of some constant situation (especially when the symptoms are strong, like itching and redness, or pain in the skin).  If you were to analyze your emotions carefully, you could deeply treat this condition and help heal and eradicate it.

Treatments and natural remedies for Lichen Planus

• The majority of times this illness disappears within one or two years.  After disappearing, the marks on the skin frequently leave red or brown marks, which frequently disappear on their own.
• To lessen the symptoms, and for a quick disappearance of the illness, you must consider diet.  It should be as clean and healthy as possible, eradicating refined sugars, animal fats, and junk and processed foods.  You should increase your daily consumption of vegetable juices and fresh fruits, and avoid mixing fruits with vegetables.  Drinking the juice of one lemon diluted in half a glass of warm water before breakfast, or eating one clove of raw garlic before breakfast, are excellent remedies to cleansing the body and weakening the symptoms as much as possible.  Doing this can even accelerate the disappearance of the disease, because both garlic and lemon are excellent bactericides and possess innumerable medicinal properties.
• In the case of oral lichen planus, make shots of lemon water to harmonize symptoms.  You must have good oral hygiene, use dental floss at least once a day, and softly wash your gum, insides of the cheeks, and tongue.  Use a mouthwash once a day, using a pinch of bicarbonate diluted in half a glass of water.
• You must avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and irritants.
• To alleviate the itching, apply bean powder on top of the affected area, or apply crushed garlic or chamomile or mint compresses.  You must avoid scratching, or slapping the affected area if the itching is very intense.
• Avoid taking medications, corticoids, and other pharmaceuticals.  These only affect the body’s ability to heal itself, they irritate it and force it to respond aggressively.  There is nothing better than giving nature the opportunity, and using natural remedies that are slower, but definitely, over time, are unbeatable.  They help strengthen the systems defenses, and help the body to grow strong, to once again take over this, and other conditions.
• Drink fresh apple or goji berry juice at night, at least 2 glasses, without mixing with foods.  Drink this as your final “food” half an hour before going to bed.  This remedy works extraordinarily well.  If you don’t have fresh apple juice on hand, eat the apples or berries one bite at a time, as if they were grapes.  These two fruits are excellent for treating skin conditions.  Follow this remedy daily.
• Aloe vera juice is also highly recommended  You can drink this with food, rather than water, or at mid-afternoon.
• Apply a tepezcohuite cream, or aloe vera gel to the affected areas (try to make sure this is 100% natural, and high quality).  Wrap the affected areas in bandages after having applied the creams, just in case it itches a lot.
• Drink one glass of fresh carrot juice a day.  The vitamin A will help proper and adequate healing of the skin lesions.
• Try to eat raw onion with your meals, or whenever you can.  This is excellent for helping cure any skin condition.
• Drink enough water, and avoid using a lot of salt in your food.
• Apply green tea compresses to the affected area.
• Try not to expose yourself to sun for too long, especially the affected areas.
• If you have the opportunity, take a bath with ocean water.
• Practice meditation, yoga, hydrotherapy, or Tai Chi, etc., or any alternative that helps you channel your emotions, and makes you feel relaxed, tranquil, and peaceful.

References

1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Yoga: In Depth. Actualizado junio 2013.
2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). 2018. Aloe vera fact sheet. Actualizado septiembre 2016.
3. Singh V, Pal M, Gupta S, Tiwari SK, Malkunje L, Das S. Turmeric – A new treatment option for lichen planus: A pilot study. National Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery. 2013;4(2):198-201. doi:10.4103/0975-5950.127651.
4. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Chamomile. Actualizado septiembre 2016.
5. Yang, J.-Y., Zhang, J., & Zhou, G. (2018). Black pepper and its bioactive constituent piperine: promising therapeutic strategies for oral lichen planus. Inflammopharmacology.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 07/31/2021

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