Psoriasis

What does psoriasis look like?

Psoriasis is a skin condition that creates flaky patches covered in scales. These patches can appear anywhere on your body, but they're most common on your elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back.

The patches look different depending on your skin colour:

• On white skin: patches look pink or red with white or silvery scales
• On brown or black skin: patches can look purple, dark brown, pink or red, with grey, white or silvery scales

Most people only get small patches, but some may have larger areas affected. The patches can sometimes feel itchy or sore.

How common is psoriasis?

Around 2 in every 100 people in the UK have psoriasis. It affects men and women equally. You can develop it at any age, but it most often starts when people are between 20-30 years old or 50-60 years old.

What causes psoriasis?

Your skin normally makes new cells and sheds old ones every 3-4 weeks. With psoriasis, this happens much faster - in just 3-7 days. This creates a build-up of skin cells that forms the scaly patches.

This happens because your immune system (your body's defence against illness) mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells. We don't fully understand why this happens, but we know:

• It can run in families
• Certain triggers can start it off or make it worse
• Common triggers include cuts or injuries to your skin, throat infections, and some medicines
• Important: You cannot catch psoriasis from someone else - it's not contagious

How does psoriasis affect people?

Psoriasis affects everyone differently. For some people, it's just a minor annoyance. For others, it can seriously impact their daily life and self-confidence.

The condition usually comes and goes in cycles. You might have periods with no symptoms or very mild ones, followed by times when it's much worse.

Some people with psoriasis also develop joint problems called psoriatic arthritis. This causes pain, swelling, and tenderness in joints and connective tissue.

How is psoriasis diagnosed?

Your GP can usually diagnose psoriasis just by looking at your skin. Sometimes they might:

• Refer you to a skin specialist (dermatologist) if they're unsure or if your condition is severe
• Take a small skin sample (biopsy) in rare cases
• Arrange blood tests and joint X-rays if they think you might have psoriatic arthritis

Treatment options

There's no cure for psoriasis, but many treatments can help improve your symptoms and how your skin looks.

Your doctor will ask how much the condition affects your daily life. Treatments usually start with:

1. Creams and ointments applied directly to your skin
2. Light therapy (phototherapy) using special ultraviolet light
3. Tablets or injections that work throughout your whole body (for severe cases)

When to speak to your GP

Speak to your GP if you:

• Think you might have psoriasis
• Have psoriasis and it's getting worse
• Feel your psoriasis is affecting your mental health or daily life
• Develop joint pain, swelling, or stiffness

Remember, there are support groups like the Psoriasis Association where you can connect with others who understand what you're going through.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.