Uncover and Manage Your Psoriasis Triggers

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that can affect people of any age, sex, or race, totaling more than 3% of the US population. We know that psoriasis runs in families, meaning there’s probably a genetic component that’s passed down from parent to child.

Psoriasis is also an autoimmune condition, which means that your immune system mistakenly attacks your skin cells, causing an overgrowth that can lead to plaques, rashes, and scales.

Normally it takes up to 30 days for new skin cells to replace worn-out cells, but in the case of psoriasis, the timeline moves up to 3-4 days. As your body churns out new cells at a rapid rate, the build-up creates plaques, scales, and frequent skin shedding.

What are the types of psoriasis?

Psoriasis comes in a number of different forms, including:

• Plaque psoriasis: the most common type, affecting about 80-90% of people with the condition
• Inverse psoriasis: appears in your skin folds, causing thin plaques without scales
• Guttate psoriasis: may appear after a sore throat caused by a streptococcal infection; small, red, drop-shaped scales on children and young adults
• Pustular psoriasis: small, pus-filled bumps on top of plaques
• Erythrodermic psoriasis: a severe form that affects more than 90% of your skin, causing widespread discoloration and skin shedding
• Nail psoriasis: causes skin discoloration and pitting of your fingernails and toenails

Plaques can be itchy and painful, but if you scratch, you could break open your skin, leading to the possibility of a serious infection. If you experience severe pain, swelling, and a fever, contact Ross Dermatology as soon as possible for treatment.

In addition, about 1 in 3 people diagnosed with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory type of arthritis that causes joint pain and swelling. Psoriatic arthritis is also an autoimmune condition that leads to degeneration of your joints. Early treatment can reduce the damage.

Uncovering and managing your psoriasis triggers

In addition to normal plaque formation, you can experience an outbreak, or flare-up, if you come into contact with a trigger, i.e., an irritant or allergen that increases symptoms. Triggers differ from one person to another, but some of the most common include dry, cold weather; infections; drinking alcohol; using tobacco; stress; some medications, like beta blockers for hypertension; skin injuries; and sunburn.

At Ross Dermatology, our goal is to create an individualized treatment plan that both relieves your symptoms and reduces the frequency of flare-ups. We’re excited to be up on the newest FDA-approved treatments for all types of psoriasis, including both oral medications and subcutaneous injections that can be self-administered.

If your psoriasis is leaving your skin rough and raw, it’s time to come into Ross Dermatology for an evaluation and effective treatment. Call us at any of our locations or book your appointment online today. We can help.