Lisa’s skin is red, scaly, and itchy in different areas from her head to her toes. Twice a day she has to bathe and apply moisturizer and once every month she visits her dermatologist for UV light treatment. This may be a burden, but it can’t be ignored because Lisa has psoriasis, a chronic condition that results when a person’s skin cell growth cycle is too fast.
For most people, the skin growth cycle takes about 1 month, but in psoriatic skin it may take as little as 3 days. During this accelerated process, skin cells collect and have nowhere to go, so they push their way to the skin surface to form itchy, scaly lesions. Here are a few more quick facts about psoriasis you might need to know.
- Doctors believe psoriasis is caused by autoimmune dysfunction.
- There is no psoriasis cure or procedure to end psoriasis symptoms, but in some cases it may go into remission for a long time.
- Psoriasis is not contagious.
- Triggers for psoriasis may include sunburn and strep throat.
- Psoriasis often precedes a condition called psoriatic arthritis, characterized by inflammation of the joints and other tissues.
- Psoriasis affects males and females equally, in about 1-2 percent of the population.
- Among those affected, Psoriasis symptoms typically begin before a person reaches middle age.
- Scalp psoriasis is common, as are lesions on the elbows, knees, and torso. You may see the same basic pattern of lesions forming on each side of the body.
Although psoriasis is an irksome condition to carry with you all your life, there are ways to manage it, and most patients learn to do so. A good dermatologist should help patients manage psoriasis by finding simple psoriasis remedies or treatments that clear up lesions, slow down skin cell production, and minimize or avoid side effects. For more information on the different types of psoriasis see our Advancements in Dermatology psoriasis web page.
