Psoriasis

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease (a disease with an unclear cause that is characterized by inflammation caused by dysfunction of the immune system) that causes inflammation in the body. There may be visible signs of the inflammation such as raised plaques (plaques may look different for different skin types) and scales on the skin.

Common Symptoms

Common signs and symptoms of psoriasis include:

  • A patchy rash that varies widely in how it looks from person to person, ranging from spots of dandruff-like scaling to major eruptions over much of the body
  • Rashes that vary in color, tending to be shades of purple with gray scale on brown or Black skin and pink or red with silver scale on white skin
  • Small scaling spots (commonly seen in children)
  • Dry, cracked skin that may bleed
  • Itching, burning or soreness
  • Cyclic rashes that flare for a few weeks or months and then subside

Medications

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatments aren’t one-size-fits-all, and that’s a good thing. It means that you can work with your health care provider to find the right psoriasis treatment — or combination of psoriasis treatments — for you that reduces or eliminates your symptoms.