Have you recently noticed a red and thickened area on your skin covered in patchy scales and wondered what in the world it is? One day you had a small spot on your elbow and before long your back, knees, and scalp are covered with them as well. This is psoriasis and you can blame its appearance in your life on a faulty immune system.
How Psoriasis Develops
Your immune system wards off disease and infection by attacking viruses and bacteria that would harm you. Unfortunately, it gets confused in the case of psoriasis. Your body’s T-cells, which are present in your white blood cells, attack your skin instead of the viruses and bacteria they are supposed to attack. This sets a chain reaction of faulty responses in motion as you experience rapid production of skin cells in addition to swelling. Psoriasis tends to be hereditary and most prevalent in people between 10 and 45 years old.
Psoriasis Flare-Ups
The thick, red, and patchy skin common to psoriasis can go away completely and then return later. Some of the known factors that contribute to a flare-up of psoriasis include:
- Smoking
- Prolonged stress
- Cold weather
- Other skin irritations
- Cold, strep throat, and other common infections
- Specific medications, such as beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure
- Diseases that cause immune system weakness
You can control your psoriasis to some degree with careful management of your lifestyle choices. It is always a good idea to keep your skin continually moisturized with cream or lotion. When you’re in the midst of a flare-up, taking a daily bath with bath oil, oatmeal, Epsom salts, or Dead Sea salts can remove some or all of the scales.
Professional Treatment of Psoriasis
It is time to consider professional treatment when your outbreaks are getting worse with less time in between them. Your dermatologist can prescribe a topical medicine in the form of a cream, gel, lotion, or ointment. You need to apply this directly to the affected area several times a day. It helps to cover the area with plastic wrap to ensure that the medication stays on the skin. A special shampoo can be used for cases of scalp psoriasis.
If your psoriasis doesn’t respond to at-home remedies or topical medication, your dermatologist may consider prescribing you an antibiotic. Because these pills can cause side effects, you should use them for as short a time as possible. Light therapy is another option for severe cases of psoriasis. After taking a light-sensitizing medication, you sit under a lamp that emits artificial sunlight to the affected areas of your skin.
These are just some of the options we may be able to offer you to treat your psoriasis. Please click here to learn more about eliminating these embarrassing patches from your skin for good.
Dermatology Associates offers a full spectrum of leading edge medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology services from offices in Savannah and Vidalia.
