Psoriasis

Do we treat Psoriasis and how successful is treatment?

Yes. Treatment for psoriasis consists of clinical and home-use treatment and helps to clear up the condition. Psoriasis can sometimes be re-occurring and no treatment should be considered a permanent cure.

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a common skin disease characterised by thickened patches of inflamed, red skin, often covered by silvery scales. Psoriasis can cause itching and the affected area may be so extensive that great physical discomfort and social embarrassment may result.

Psoriasis frequently affects the scalp. In severe cases of psoriasis there may be a solid cap extending beyond the hair margin. Psoriasis can also cause patchy or diffuse scaling, or alternatively thick asbestos like scales. Some increased shedding of telogen hairs is common in psoriasis plaques.

The exact cause of psoriasis is not known but it tends to run in families. Psoriasis occurs in about 2% of white people and is probably less common in black and asian people. The condition affects men and women equally. Psoriasis usually occurs between the ages of 10 and 30 and can be recurrent throughout life, but infants occasionally suffer from psoriasis and it may also sometimes develop in old age. Outbreaks of psoriasis may be triggered by emotional stress, skin damage, and physical illness.

The underlying abnormality in psoriasis is that new skin cells are produced ten times faster than normal. As a result, live cells accumulate and form characteristic thickened patches covered with dead, flaking cells.