Q: How is psoriasis diagnosed?
A: Psoriasis is diagnosed by your doctor's examination and may include a biopsy of the affected skin.

Q: What causes psoriasis?
A: Although no specific cause has been determined, most researchers believe psoriasis has a genetic component in which the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered. This speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. Where normal skin cells mature and fall off the surface in 28-30 days, psoriatic skin cells mature and move to the surface in 3-4 days, piling up and forming lesions instead of falling off or shedding. 

Q: Is psoriasis contagious?
A: No, psoriasis is not contagious, and it can not be passed on to others through contact. The lesions are not infections or open wounds and pose no threat to the health or safety of others.

Q: Is there a cure for psoriasis?
A: There is no cure, but psoriasis can be cleared for varying periods of time through both topical (applied to the skin) and systemic (throughout the body) treatments. Try different treatments to determine which work best for you.  

Q: Which are the best treatments for me?
A: As there are a wide variety of treatments available, and as no single treatment works for everyone, you need to be open to the various options your doctor may suggest. It is difficult to predict which treatment will work for a specific individual, but something will work for most people.

Q: At what age does psoriasis occur?
A: Psoriasis usually appears between the ages of 15-35, but it can develop at any age. Approximately 10-15% of psoriasis patients acquire the disease before age 10. In rare instances some infants have developed psoriasis.

Q: Can psoriasis affect all parts of the body?
A: Psoriasis most commonly appears on the scalp, knees, elbows and torso. But it can develop anywhere, including the nails, palms, soles, genitals and face (which is rare). Often the lesions appear symmetrically, which means in the same place on the right and left sides of the body.

• Plaque psoriasis: the most common
• Guttate psoriasis: small dot-like lesions
• Pustular psoriasis: weeping lesions and intense scaling
• Inverse psoriasis: intense inflammation
• Erythrodermic psoriasis: intense shedding and redness of the skin

Q: Is psoriasis more prevalent in men or women or in different ethnic groups
A: Psoriasis occurs nearly equally in men and women across all socioeconomic groups. It is also present in all racial groups.

Q: Are there health complications associated with psoriasis?
A: Large areas of psoriasis can lead to infection, fluid loss and poor blood flow.

Q: Why does my psoriasis itch?
A: The nerve fibers just under the surface of the skin are stimulated by different chemicals and these fibers carry the itch message to the brain, which triggers the urge to scratch.

Q: How do I control the itching?
A: If dry skin induces and aggravates itching, keep the skin moisturized. Cold showers, cold packs, and pressing a wet towel on the itchy spot are techniques that may help you. Medications may also assist you; these include: antihistamines, topical anesthetics, aspirin. steroids, topical immunomodulators, capsaicin, and antidepressants.

Q: Is psoriasis linked to other diseases?
A: A study in 2001 found that 23% of people with psoriasis also had psoriatic arthritis, which is similar to rheumatoid arthritis but generally milder. The joints and the soft tissue around them becomes stiff and inflamed, with the fingers and toes most commonly affected. The neck, knees, ankles and lower back may also be affected, and in severe cases there may be irreversible damage to joints.

Q: Will I develop psoriatic arthritis if I have psoriasis?
A: No, not necessarily. Only 10-30% of people with psoriasis may develop psoriatic arthritis. For most patients it appears between the ages of 30-50.

Q: What are psoriasis triggers?
A: These triggers vary from patient to patient: Emotional stress, injury to the skin (vaccinations, sunburns, scratches), some types of infection, reactions to certain drugs, weather, diet, & allergies. Stress can cause psoriasis to flare for the first time or aggravate existing psoriasis.

Q: What is the financial impact of psoriasis?
A: The National Psoriasis Foundation has estimated that in the United States alone 56 million hours of work are lost each year by people who suffer from psoriasis, and between $1.6–3.2 billion is spent per year to treat it. As psoriasis is a life-long illness, ongoing treatments and doctor visits will be required.

Q: Is there hope for a cure?
A: Yes. Psoriasis research is ongoing across the world and researchers understand far more today about its genetic causes and how it involves the immune system.