Psoriasis Q & A
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is caused by an error in your immune system that makes your skin cells grow much faster than usual. Instead of forming over the course of a week, like normal, psoriasis prompts new skin cells to form in a matter of days.
As excess epithelial cells build up on the surface of your skin, they form patches that become thicker and scalier over time. Psoriasis patches are often itchy, tender, or sore. They’re also prone to drying out, forming cracks, and bleeding.
Factors that trigger the condition or make it worse include:
- Cuts, sunburns, and other minor skin injuries
- Recurrent infections, including strep throat
- Specific medications, including beta blockers
- Smoking or heavy alcohol consumption
Like many autoimmune disorders, psoriasis tends to run in families. If a parent, grandparent, or sibling has it, you’re more likely to develop it.
What are the different types of psoriasis?
Although there are several distinct types of psoriasis, most people are affected by one of the following:
Plaque psoriasis
Plaque psoriasis, which accounts for as many as 90% of all psoriasis cases, causes dry, raised, red lesions covered with white or silvery scales. These lesions may be few or many, and they can appear anywhere on your body.
Guttate psoriasis
Guttate psoriasis is usually triggered by a bacterial infection. It causes small scaling lesions on the trunk, arms, legs, or scalp, and mostly affects children and adolescents.
Inverse psoriasis
This type of psoriasis, which is usually precipitated by a fungal infection, causes smooth patches of red, inflamed skin in the armpits, groin area, or beneath the breasts.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a type of psoriasis that causes inflamed, painful joints as well as scaly patches of skin. Symptoms range in severity and affect any joint in your body.
How is psoriasis treated?
Because psoriasis can’t be cured, the primary objective of any treatment plan is to effectively manage the condition by reducing inflammation, clearing away lesions, and keeping skin cell growth under control.
Mild to moderate cases of psoriasis often respond well to a combination of topical retinoids or corticosteroids and oral or injected medications. For more severe cases, phototherapy, or light therapy, is often the best solution.
Phototherapy
Phototherapy uses controlled exposure to therapeutic levels of ultraviolet light to target psoriasis patches. This helps slow cell turnover, decrease inflammation, and reduce scaling for faster clearing and longer remission.
SINY® Dermatology offers a full scope of phototherapy treatment options, including a narrowband UVB therapy booth and excimer laser, as well as state-of-the-art machinery specifically built for hand and foot psoriasis.
For more information or to book an appointment, call 800-778-3090 or visit sinyderm.com.
We provide the full spectrum of medical, cosmetic, and laser dermatology at all six of our offices in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Park Slope, Brooklyn, the West Village, and the Upper East Side in Manhattan, Forest Hills, Queens, and Southold on Long Island.