Psoriasis is a disease of the auto-immune system which displays itself on the skin.  Symptoms mainly manifest in the form of what is known as plaque - raised red lesions covered in what is known as ‘scale’ – dead skin cells, which are whitish in colour. Flare ups often occur following skin injury or other illness, with acne and psoriasis often causing simulataneous discomfort.

Psoriasis treatment can take many forms depending on how severe the symptoms are. For many a topical gel or cream should be enough to ease the symptoms and promote healing. Psoriasis skin care requires the careful consideration of products, as anything too abrasive ot heavily perfumed may cause discomfort. Hypnoallergenic, natural skin care products are often the safest option.
Psoriasis is not contagious.  So there is no fear of it being ‘caught’ from others, or of passing it on.  At the present time there is no psoriasis cure, although it is treatable in varying degrees, and many symptoms can be very greatly alleviated.

It is believed to affect up to some 3% of the population, and up to 10% of sufferers tend also to develop various joint pain and other troubles, due to psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis is something which could affect anyone at any age, and has been known to appear suddenly, with no obvious trigger. The causes of psoriasis are unknown, with two schools of thought.  One believes that it is primarily a disorder of excessive skin growth, whilst the other believes that is a disease of the auto-immune system where the production ot T-cells leads to the release of cytokines which cause inflammation and increased skin cell production.

In most patients, psoriasis exhibit mild symptoms, with the affected areas totalling less than 3% of the skin surface.  In moderate cases, 35 - 10% of the patient's skin is affected.  Severe cases are rare but can be accompanied by other symptoms and may require hospitalisation.

Symptoms will commonly appear and disappear seemingly at random.  There are some reported triggers for a flare up of psoriasis, such as skin injury, or suspending a systemic treatment, or stress.  Psoriasis not only affects the comfort of the sufferer with the physical discomfort of the disease, but also affects self-esteem, confidence and quality of life in many cases.