What Is The Treatment for Lichen Sclerosus? Finding Relief and Reclaiming Comfort
Lichen Sclerosus is a condition that affects the skin of the genitals. It appears as white spots and results in itching, burning pain, and scarring. It affects both men and women, but is more common in women.
What is the most effective treatment for Lichen Sclerosus? The physical impacts on your body affect day-to-day life so much that they can take a huge toll on your emotional well-being. Sadly, there is no definitive cure, but there are effective treatments that could significantly improve symptoms and quality of life.
Patients can suffer for years attempting treatment after treatment, with varying levels of success. Your body can build immunity to many treatment options, meaning they can offer temporary relief.
LS sufferers all have one thing in common: they want to find a treatment that works, so what is the treatment for Lichen Sclerosus? As with anything, what works for one person may not be as effective for others. Thankfully, there are many treatments available, and some have impressive results.
In this blog, we look at all the treatments available to find what could work for you.
Lichen Sclerosus What Is The Impact?
Although the cause of LS is not fully understood, it is believed that an overactive immune system plays a key role. Some patients might find that an old skin injury has caused the condition, and hormone imbalances, like increased or decreased oestrogen levels, can also contribute to symptoms.
The white spots are most commonly found around the genitals and extra-genital areas resulting in severe discomfort. Typical symptoms of LS are itching, burning, pain, white patches, skin thinning and scarring.
Because of the impact on your skin, day-to-day pain is severe. Clothes often aggravate it, and this makes patients even more uncomfortable. During flare-ups, it can make engaging in sexual activity extremely painful too.
Conventional Medical Treatments
What is the treatment for Lichen Sclerosus? These are the most popular medical treatments:
Topical Corticosteroids
Topical corticosteroid creams work to reduce inflammation and itching. The most common ones are clobetasol propionate and diflucortolone valerate. While these can provide some relief, for long-term use, they prove to be ineffective as your body builds up a tolerance to them. Even though they are very strong steroids, they stop being as effective.
For some people, there are unwelcome side effects, such as skin irritation that results in even more itching and skin inflammation. Other potential side effects include skin thinning (especially with long-term use) and discolouration. You may also be more likely to suffer from thrush.
Alternative Topical Medications
Calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, are great for individuals who either can not use corticosteroids or don’t like the idea of using strong steroids. They work by blocking a protein called calcineurin, which can enhance inflammation. These treatments can not cure Lichen Sclerosus, but they could provide respite from flare-ups.
Home Remedies and Lifestyle Changes
What is the best way to treat Lichen Sclerosus at home? There are many things that you can do at home naturally to prevent flare-ups and relieve symptoms when they occur. This includes using mild, fragrance-free soaps and avoiding irritants. You could also use moisturising creams or ointments to soothe and protect your skin.
An anti-inflammatory diet is highly recommended. Reducing processed foods and sugars is thought to help reduce LS flare-ups. Stress has been linked to LS flare-ups, so it’s important to find ways to de-stress, such as practising yoga, walking, or taking some time for yourself.
Cold compresses can be used as an effective Lichen Sclerosus flare-up treatment providing soothing relief from the constant itching and inflammation, but this relief is usually only for a short time.
What Is The Treatment For Lichen Sclerosus? Exploring The O-Shot
The O-Shot is a non-surgical treatment for Lichen Sclerosus. It is incredibly popular because it harnesses the natural healing power of your own body for long-term relief. The O-Shot is a PRP treatment that contains cell-regenerating growth factors that are essential for treatment.
A platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment that is proven to help heal damaged tissue, reducing the need for treatments such as topical steroid creams, especially when you have built up resistance to them.
There are several benefits of the O-Shot when suffering from LS, such as reduced inflammation, tissue repair, improved blood flow, and decreased pain. But there are many other surprising benefits, such as:
- Increased natural lubrication
- Improved appearance of the labia
- Alleviation from stress incontinence
- Enhanced arousal
- Stronger and more frequent orgasms
Although the results won’t last forever, the treatment can be easily repeated when needed. Our patients find that results last for around 12-18 months.
Compared to other treatments for LS, the O-Shot is one of the longest-lasting treatments available, and because of this, it is often regarded as the best treatment for Lichen Sclerosus.
Benefits for Lichen Sclerosus:
The O-Shot has specific benefits for LS sufferers. It reduces inflammation and promotes tissue healing. PRP stimulates collagen production for improved skin elasticity and thickness whilst improving blood flow, all of which can enhance healing and reduce pain.
All of these factors combined can also help restore sexual function, with many patients finding that it enhances overall sexual function.
There is minimal downtime and side effects for this treatment when compared to traditional medications or surgery.
Finding the Best Treatment for You
LS is a complex condition, and as a result, patients will benefit from expert treatment plans tailored to them. You should always consult a healthcare professional like us for a personalised treatment plan.
At Elite Aesthetics, we get to know you and your history and understand your circumstances. We have treated many LS patients over the years, with some believing they had tried absolutely everything and would simply have to live with debilitating conditions forever. You can read a patient story here to see how her life was transformed by the O-Shot.
When you contact us for treatment, we will consider the following:
- The severity of LS symptoms – this is important to establish, as every person is so different.
- Medical history and any contraindications to certain treatments.
- Personal preferences and lifestyle – your treatment needs to suit your lifestyle.
Our patient’s well-being is at the centre of everything we do and we have the knowledge and expertise to provide the very best care. If we think a combined approach is best, we can recommend a treatment plan that gets the most from different treatments.
What Is The Treatment For Lichen Sclerosus?
What is the treatment for Lichen Sclerosus that provides the most effective relief? As you can see, many treatments can reduce LS symptoms, and what is the best way to treat Lichen Sclerosus will vary from person to person.
Some treatments can provide effective relief without any side effects. If you want to find out more about an effective Lichen Sclerosus flare-up treatment plan, speak to us.
Consultations are held in our award-winning clinic based in Greenhithe, Kent, just 22 minutes away by train from St. Pancras, London. You can contact us by calling 01322 381 205, emailing info@elite-aesthetics.co.uk, or WhatsApp us.
