Hi Paul and welcome and good luck with finding out what triggers your Ps.
I started with Ps when I was a couple of years younger than you, Im now close to 55. I tried the Docs route, they take you through a treatment ladder of varying degrees of pharmaceutical power depending the severity of your Ps and on your respone as you go up the ladder. I gave up with them like 30 years ago but of course a lot has been developed in those 30 years. I was given cortizone creams, for sure works but always temporary relief and never addressed the source of the issue. Also coal tar has worked well for me but very messy. In a nutshell I just lived with it. OK I reckon I had about 7% coverage, scalp, in ear, nail, legs, arms, base of spine, but I got by with getting as much sun in the summer and lots of moisturizing and occasional coal tar.
The Docs will openly admit they dont know what causes Ps, they will say there is a genetic link, they know UVA/B is in some cases efficacious, but rarely do they say diet is implicated. The real issue is, as far as I am concerned, this is a ver complex whole body process with a whole range of triggers links etc that vary by individual, unlike say TB, there isnt a clear single cause and remedy. As a result unless you get lucky with a Doc Derm who are interested in Ps you will have to take control yourself - you should do anyway. Read as much as you can and there is no reason to not find both good and bad stuff about your Ps now on the web. Didnt exist when I started Docs were all we had in them their old day :-)
Like you I recently discovered this forum and others where it is quite clear a lot of people have had success with diet and Vit D regime (check it out on the alternatives here also). Ill not bore you with the detail of why I got started on my research its all there on my other posts.
You have relatively short experience of your Ps and what makes it tick, in my case it is like an old friend. Stress does for sure make mine worse, in the winter mine was always worse, what I never twigged was the impact of diet even though it was staring me in the face.
I am now virtually gluten and dairy free, I do succumb to the odd ice cream treat or cappucino but always have enteric peppermint before succumbing. I found that gluten was my primary trigger but dairy has a different impact but still part of it. Been on the Vit D regime which is not just about taking Vitamin D but also excluding gluten for 134 days. Check out my gallery pictures see the impact it has had on my leg Ps. Note also for this time of year I should be cracked and bleeding so this is nothing short of miraculous. Note there are some parts which have not responded as well as those shown in the photos but are better for sure.
Note I disagree with the advocates of getting a blender/juicer as being essential to getting results, well my results tell you my experience and I havent spent $400 on one. However I do not question/disagree with the juicer advocates' experiences - they are are rightly passionate about how their approach has helped them. However I do agree with the need to get your diet right for you. Blending juicing maybe what you need but it may or may not work for you.
What is important is to realise that everyone is difficult, what works for one does not work for everyone. Everyone here is trying to be helpful but in the end you have to find what works for you and that it just takes time and effort. Do not be discouraged if you go down a blind alley, I hope you dont but rather get lucky first time like I did.
All the very best to you
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