CALL TODAY: Psoriasis solutions available include:
- Topical steroids
- Topical vitamin D creams and ointments
- Light therapy
- V-Beam Perfecta® (Pulsed Dye Laser)
- Immunosuppressive medications and biological drugs such as Humira, Enbrel and Stelara.
There is no need to hide your beautiful skin! Psoriasis is a very common inflammatory condition that can occur anywhere on the body. While it is considered a chronic condition, there are various treatment modalities available to help clear your skin. Take an active role, and call our Miami dermatology office!
Psoriasis is a condition in which there is an abnormal and rapid cycling of the skin’s cells, resulting in a buildup of immature cells on the surface of the skin in the form of patches, plaques or pustules. It is not contagious but its unsightly appearance can be of much concern to the sufferer. There are many different types of psoriasis of varying degrees and severity. Among these are scalp psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis of the groin, armpits and skin folds, nail psoriasis, and pustular psoriasis. In some cases the disease can progress into a more serious condition known as psoriatic arthritis, which occurs in roughly 5 percent to 45 percent of psoriasis cases. About 7.5 million adults have psoriasis with an approximately 50:50 incidence among men and women of all ages. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of psoriasis, with 80 to 90 percent of known cases.
What causes psoriasis?
Doctors believe genetics, family history, or environmental factors, singly or in combination, may accidentally trip the body’s immune system into producing a rapid cycling of skin cells resulting in psoriasis. Stress or trauma may also trigger a faulty immune system response. It is thought that if one parent has psoriasis, a child is 25 percent likely to develop it. The probability doubles if both parents have psoriasis.
What does psoriasis look like?
In general, psoriasis appears as dry, red, scaly, itchy and sometimes painful accumulations of cells on the surface of the skin of the face, knees, scalp, feet, and mucous membranes. Itching occurs in roughly 70 percent of cases. In nail psoriasis, there is a general thickening or yellowing of the nail and a gradual separation of the nail from the nail bed. In the case of pustular psoriasis, blisters filled with white blood cells form in the affected area. Guttate psoriasis symptoms include the appearance of scaly white dots on the surface of the skin. Psoriatic arthritis can produce a feeling of tenderness or swelling of the joints. Because psoriasis is a chronic condition, symptoms come and go or appear to resolve.
