What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic and often distressing skin condition. When you have psoriasis, you’re likely to develop red patches of skin with thick, silvery scales. Your skin might itch, burn, and feel sore, and you could get cracks that bleed or itch. You might also have thickened, pitted, or ridged nails.

Psoriasis patches may start as small spots that look like dandruff. If they get worse, the patches can spread to cover large areas of your body, and the condition could become disabling if it gets very bad. You might also develop psoriatic arthritis, where swollen, stiff, painful joints accompany your dermatological symptoms.

Psoriasis often comes and goes, flaring up for several weeks or months before improving again. Some people find their psoriasis goes into remission and almost completely disappears.

What causes psoriasis?

Psoriasis is most likely due to an immune system fault that causes your skin to regenerate faster than normal. The scaly patches (known as plaques) are a buildup of excess skin cells. The immune system malfunction could result from environmental or genetic factors or both.

When you have psoriasis, you might notice certain triggers that set off an attack. Common triggers include:

• Severe sunburn
• Stress
• Certain medications
• Skin infections
• Cold, dry weather
• Cuts and bites
• Cigarette smoke
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Coming off of steroid medication too fast

Identifying your psoriasis triggers can help you avoid them in the future.

How is psoriasis treated?

The psoriasis treatment provided at Integrated Dermatology of NJ focuses on removing existing skin scales and slowing down or stopping the rapid growth of new cells. Topical treatments that could help include:

• Steroid ointments
• Calcipotriene (vitamin D) creams
• Calcineurin inhibitors
• Retinoid gel or cream
• Salicylic acid
• Coal tar
• Anthralin

Another way to treat psoriasis is by exposing your skin to UVB broadband or narrowband light or XTRAC® excimer laser therapy. Light therapies like these are often most effective when combined with medication (photodynamic therapy or PDT).

If your condition doesn’t improve using these methods, you might need an immunosuppressant like methotrexate or cyclosporine. These medications lower your immune system response and reduce inflammation.

Biologics — a newer approach to treating psoriasis — target specific areas of your immune system, blocking the action of cells that play a significant part in the development of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. 

Find the proper treatment for your psoriasis symptoms by calling Integrated Dermatology of NJ or requesting an appointment online today.