Psoriasis

Many Treatments Come In Lotion, Cream, Or Ointment Form?

How do I choose among these? When comparing many different formations of a specific medication, the ointment formulation is often the most potent. The oil-based ointment formulation creates a barrier over the skin, allowing more...

What Are My Options For Topical Treatments?

Fortunately, many different topical treatments are available to treat psoriasis. Your initial choices may depend on recommendations from your doctor, and different therapies are usually used over time. Topical Steroids Topical steroids are the mainstay...

What is a Topical Treatment and Systemic Treatment?

Treatments for psoriasis can generally be classified as “topical” or “systemic” based on how the medication reaches psoriatic skin. Topical treatments include creams, lotions, ointments, solutions, or foam directly applied to skin affected by psoriasis....

What If I Don’t Like My Doctor?

The decision to change doctors is a personal one based on your experiences and further questions you may have. You might wish to change physicians when a physician cannot suggest further treatment options or if...

What Should I Ask My Dermatologist?

If you have recently been diagnosed with psoriasis, you probably have many questions about the disease and its treatment. When meeting a dermatologist for the first time, it can be helpful to write down specific...

How Do I Select A Dermatologist?

Ask around; more people have psoriasis than you think. If that doesn’t work, go online and do some research. Consider some or all of the following factors when choosing a dermatologist: Insurance coverage: Does a...

Does Health Insurance Cover Psoriasis Treatment?

Although each insurance plan is different, medical insurance, including Medicare, normally covers the cost of physician visits to treat psoriasis. Prescription drugs, depending on the details of a particular plan, are covered by most commercial...

How Can I Decide Which Treatment Is Best For Me?

Work with your doctor and start with the mildest treatment—one that’s easy to adhere to and that you will follow religiously. Keep adjusting the treatment until you see positive results. Treatment of psoriasis is always...

What Options Do I Have To Treat My Psoriasis?

And do I need to treat it to keep it from getting worse? There are many different treatments for psoriasis. Some may work better than others for a particular person, and their effectiveness may change...

Do Children Get Psoriasis, And Does It Go Away?

Yes, children can get psoriasis. Although psoriasis is less common in children, and may appear differently than in adults, children can get psoriasis. Among adults with psoriasis, 30% to 45% had the onset of their...

Can Babies Get Psoriasis?

It is very unusual for a baby to get psoriasis, but it does occur. Most often, the condition starts as a red rash in the diaper area that doesn’t clear up with typical diaper rash...

I Was Diagnosed With Pustular Psoriasis. Do I Have An Infection?

Although the word “pustular” conjures the image of an infection or abscess, pustular psoriasis is not an infection. The pustular name describes the skin’s appearance, where yellow pus is seen scattered in blister-like areas beneath...

I Have Psoriasis In The Area Of An Old Scar

Is this common? Why is this? Psoriasis very often appears where skin has previously been injured. This phenomenon is called the Koebner phenomenon. It is named after its discoverer, Dr. Heinrich Koebner, a dermatologist in...

Will Eating Or Avoiding Certain Foods Help My Psoriasis?

There is not one universal diet that has been shown to make psoriasis predictably better or worse. However, many individuals report that a link exists for them between psoriasis severity and diet. Many people will...

Will Psoriasis Go Away?

For some people, their psoriasis may disappear for a period of time. For others, this may never occur. Generally, people with mild psoriasis—less than 5% of their body surface area (BSA) affected, or “just a...

Is Psoriasis Genetic?

Will I give it to my children, or will I get it if a relative has the disease? Psoriasis is thought to be caused by a combination of genetics and environment. Although several genes have...

Are there Different Types of Psoriasis?

Several types of psoriasis can occur on people’s skin; by far the most common is plaque psoriasis, also called psoriasis vulgaris (vulgar being Latin for common). The majority of psoriasis studies focus on patients with...

What Are The Different Types Of Psoriatic Arthritis?

Although there is no clear-cut set of criteria or tests for psoriatic arthritis, several distinct types have been described. The characteristic symptoms of all types of psoriatic arthritis are red hot, swollen, and tender joints....

What Happens If I Get Psoriatic Arthritis In The Future?

For people who get arthritis, specific arthritis treatment may be needed to stop the disease from getting worse. For joint disease, systemic therapy is often needed. Some treatments for psoriasis, such as methotrexate and some...

I Will Get Psoriatic Arthritis In The Future?

Is there any way to tell whether I will get psoriatic arthritis in the future? No. At this time there is no signal that indicates whether an individual will get psoriatic arthritis in the future....