Psoriasis

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells, so they build up rapidly and produce red, scaly patches on the surface of your skin. These patches can be itchy and painful. There’s no cure for psoriasis, so your treatment focuses on helping you manage symptoms, which often come in the form of flare-ups.

Psoriasis patches can appear anywhere on your body, but they most frequently occur on your knees, elbows, scalp, and back. The patches vary in size and may cover a large area of your skin.

There are several types of psoriasis, and each has its own set of symptoms. The most common forms of psoriasis include:

• Plaque (most common)
• Nail
• Guttate
• Inverse

There are less common types of psoriasis as well, including pustular, erythrodermic, and psoriatic arthritis.

What are the symptoms of psoriasis?

Your psoriasis symptoms largely depend on which type you have. Plaque psoriasis usually appears as raised, red skin lesions (plaques) covered in a silvery scale, while nail psoriasis affects your fingernails and toenails. It might cause your nails to separate from the nail bed, or your nails may crumble in more severe, untreated instances.

Guttate psoriasis primarily affects younger children and is typically triggered by a bacterial infection like strep throat. Symptoms look like small, scaly water droplets on the child’s arms, legs, scalp, and torso. Inverse psoriasis is sometimes triggered by a fungal infection and usually affects the skin in your armpits, groin, or around your breasts and genitals. Inverse psoriasis appears as red, inflamed skin that worsens with friction or sweating.

What treatments are available for psoriasis?

Since psoriasis is a chronic condition without a cure, the main goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and control flare-ups. Creams and ointments are effective for controlling mild to moderate forms of psoriasis, but if your condition is more severe, your dermatologist may prescribe oral medications in combination with topical creams.

Light therapy, in which you expose your affected skin to natural or artificial ultraviolet light, can help alleviate symptoms as well.

Additionally, the experienced team at Manhattan Dermatology may recommend immunotherapy as an effective method of reducing the frequency of flare-ups and symptoms. If you have signs of psoriasis, or any type of skin condition that you’re unsure about, call the office closest to you or book an appointment online.

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