What are the treatment options for severe psoriasis?

Question

Hi doctor,

My sister's psoriasis is getting out of control. She is 26-year-old and these skin patches are taking over her confidence. Recently, she discovered that the patches are spreading to her scalp and lower back, making her super uncomfortable. Her dermatologist suggested some initial treatments, but they seem ineffective. The visible skin condition is affecting her professional interactions. We were worried about potential complications and wanted to understand if there are more comprehensive treatment options. The constant itching and inflammation are becoming unbearable. Please help.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

Psoriasis causes patches of red, scaly skin. It happens because your body has an overactive immune system. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation in your skin. Symptoms of psoriasis include thick areas of discolored skin covered with scales. These thick, scaly areas are called plaques. Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition, which means it can flare-up unexpectedly and there is no cure. A psoriasis rash can show up anywhere on your skin. Psoriasis is common on your elbows and knees, face and inside of your mouth, scalp, fingernails and toenails, genitals, lower back, palms, and feet. If you have psoriasis, your immune system is supposed to destroy foreign invaders, like bacteria, to keep you healthy and prevent you from getting sick. Instead, your immune system can mistake healthy cells for foreign invaders.

As a result, your immune system creates inflammation or swelling, which you see on the surface of your skin as skin plaques. It usually takes up to 30 days for new skin cells to grow and replace old skin cells. Your over-reactive immune system causes the timeline of new skin cell development to change to three to four days. The speed of new cells replacing old cells creates scales and frequent skin shedding on top of skin plaques. Psoriasis runs in families. There may be a genetic component to psoriasis because biological parents may pass the condition down to their children.

An outbreak of psoriasis, or a flare-up, causes symptoms of psoriasis as a result of contact with a trigger, which could be an irritant or an allergen. Psoriasis outbreaks differ from person to person. Common triggers for psoriasis flare-ups include:

Emotional stress.
An infection (streptococcal infection).
A skin injury like cuts, scrapes, or surgery.
Certain medications, such as Lithium and beta-blockers.
Changes in body temperature due to the weather.

Psoriasis is not contagious. You cannot get psoriasis by coming into contact with another person’s psoriasis skin rash. To feel your best with psoriasis:

Take medications as instructed.
Use moisturizer regularly, especially after bathing.
Avoid harsh soaps.
Use medicated shampoo for scales on your scalp.

I hope this information will help you.

Thank you.