Summer is usually the best season for people with psoriasis because the warmth and humidity mean the opportunity for natural relief of itching and dryness. Also, reasonable periods of sunbathing are the perfect treatment for plaque psoriasis lesions. However, summer also means showing some skin and the addition of a number of common seasonal triggers that you should keep in mind to have a comfortable, pain-free summer. Take in the rays but protect your skin The natural ultraviolet light from the sun is the...

Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis, an autoimmune disease, affecting over 7 million people in the United States alone. Plaque psoriasis exhibits itself as raised, red, scaly, and rough patches or plaques on the skin. Plaque psoriasis lesions can look like eczema or dermatitis, but they are often more painful and itchy than either. In a nutshell, plaque psoriasis occurs due to irregular and fast cell growth and the replication of the process on the skin, which leads to the buildup...

Psoriasis affects approximately 7 million people in the United States, and the most common type that people suffer from is plaque psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis causes patches of red, raised, and scaling patches or plaques on the skin. These lesions are often thick and silvery as well as painful and itchy. Since the exact cause of psoriasis is still a mystery, there is still no cure for psoriasis. However, experts believe it to be a genetic condition that may be incited by environmental and external...

Phototherapy, also known as light therapy, entails the exposure of ultraviolet light to the skin regularly by a medical professional. Most people with psoriasis get the treatment in their doctor’s office, whereas some have a phototherapy unit in their home. Being consistent with phototherapy treatments is imperative to getting results fast. What you may not realize is that phototherapy or light therapy is, in fact, artificial sunlight therapy. According to National Psoriasis Foundation, however, tanning beds do not offer the same benefits. As a...

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes rapid new skin cell growth, resulting in raised, scaling, inflamed, and often painful patches on the skin. Affecting over 7 million Americans, psoriasis is thought to be a genetic condition that is triggered by external and environmental factors. Even though there is no cure, psoriasis is not contagious and can be treated effectively in numerous ways. In addition to light therapy and topical treatments like retinoids and anthralin, there are also systemic medications that are highly...

After trying out some more traditional treatment options for psoriasis, your doctor may eventually prescribe you a biologic response modifier, aka biologics. Most psoriasis medications, taken by injections, contain chemical or plant-based compounds and substances whereas biologics are made from living protein cells. As opposed to drugs that affect the entire immune system to alleviate psoriasis symptoms, biologics specifically target the immune system response that contributes to the rapid growth of new skin cells, which causes the psoriasis lesions or patches. Biologics are highly...