Psoriasis Naturopath Brisbane

Psoriasis is a condition driven by inflammation, triggering psoriasis in genetically susceptible individuals. The real question is what is triggering the inflammation – which is often a combination of internal and environmental factors. The role of a naturopath is to help you figure it out! Common drivers and triggers include:

• Genetics – common genes implicated are those that affect inflammatory pathways, and the production of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients within the body (Patel et al., 2023).
• Inflammation and immune imbalance – this is the core of the condition, the bigger question is what is driving inflammation and immunity – is it an infection, your diet, stress, gut health, nutrient deficiencies, environmental toxins etc

‘Root causes’

• Trauma to the skin (Koebner phenomenon) – a damaged or irritated part of your skin can develop into a psoriatic spot – such as a scratch, sunburn, rubbing/friction, insect bites, surgical scars, tattoos etc (Zhang et al., 2023).
• Stress and nervous system dysregulation – this is apart of ‘neuropsychoimmunology’, which is how the nervous system interacts with the immune system. When your nervous system is stressed, there is miscommunication with the immune system, producing a lot of inflammation & oxidative stress, which is a trigger for psoriasis in susceptible individuals (Lei et al., 2025). Stress can be environmental (such as work/relationship stress, or toxins/chemicals), and also pathophysiological (like an acute or chronic illness, gut issues, hormonal imbalances etc).
• Medications – medications can trigger new psoriasis (drug-induced), or worsen existing psorasis – the ones correlated in the literature are: lithium, beta-blockers, antimalarial medications, immune/antiviral treatments like interferons, antifungal medication terbinafine, and imiquimod which is a cream for skin cancers/warts.
• Infections – especially streptococcal throat infections, and H. Pylori, but also Zika, Candida, Scabies, Malassezia – infections can cause chronic, low-grade inflammation which raises inflammatory mediators in the body, causing psoriasis in susceptible individuals. Strep infections are a little different, as it can also trigger a process called ‘molecular mimicry’ – this is a process where proteins in the Streptococcus bacteria look similar to proteins in the skin – so the same immune cells activated by Strep can end up overreacting to the skin cells, leading to plaque formation (Teng et al., 2021). Streptococcus infections is one of the most well-known infectious triggers of psoriasis.
• Poor digestion and gut dysbiosis – The gut can be a main source of inflammation when not working correctly – either through a process called dysbiosis where there is an imbalance with the good and bad microbes which influence inflammation and a reduction in chemicals called SCFA, which ‘calm’ the immune system. And/or a process called leaky gut, or more scientifically known ‘intestinal permeability’, which allows the translocation of bacteria and other endotoxins into circulation, upregulating systemic inflammatory processes (Kapoor et al., 2022). Many people don’t consider the gut as being the OUTSIDE of the body, but it is – it is a long, hollow tube, starting at your mouth, ending at your anus, and it is the entry point to the inside of the body and is a super important tube to keep ‘strong’.
• Nutritional deficiencies – many are linked to psoriasis – the main ones I see are vitamin D, Vitamin E and zinc. Don’t forget that blood nutrient tests can be off because they often reflect what’s circulating at that moment, not what’s stored in tissues or used inside cells, and results can shift with inflammation, hydration, recent meals/supplements, or illness. Also, “normal range” usually means what’s typical in the population (including people who aren’t perfectly nourished), so a value can be normal but not optimal for you—optimal ranges are more about levels linked to best function and lowest risk, and can vary by lab and individual context.
• Environmental toxins or irritants – consider tobacco smoke, mould, occupational/chemical irritants, heavy metals, other air pollutants/poor air quality.

Understanding your unique mix of triggers is essential for clearing flare-ups and preventing recurrence.