What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a noncontiguous common skin condition that causes rapid skin cell reproduction resulting in red, dry patches of thickened skin. The dry flakes and skin scales are thought to result from the rapid buildup of skin cells. Psoriasis commonly affects the skin of the elbows, knees, and scalp.

Some people have such mild psoriasis (small, faint dry skin patches) that they may not even suspect that they have a medical skin condition. Others have very severe psoriasis where virtually their entire body is fully covered with thick red, scaly skin.

Psoriasis is considered a non-curable, long-term (chronic) skin condition. It has a variable course, periodically improving and worsening. Sometimes psoriasis may clear for years and stay in remission. Some people have worsening of their symptoms in the colder winter months. Many people report improvement in warmer months, climates, or with increased sunlight exposure.

Psoriasis is seen worldwide, in all races, and both sexes. Although psoriasis can be seen in people of any age, from babies to seniors, most commonly patients are first diagnosed in their early adult years.

Patients with more severe psoriasis may have social embarrassment, job stress, emotional distress, and other personal issues because of the appearance of their skin.

What causes psoriasis?

The exact cause remains unknown. There may be a combination of factors, including genetic predisposition and environmental factors. It is common for psoriasis to be found in members of the same family. The immune system is thought to play a major role. Despite research over the past 30 years looking at many triggers, the "master switch" that turns on psoriasis is still a mystery.

What does psoriasis look like? What are the symptoms?

Psoriasis typically looks like red or pink areas of thickened, raised, and dry skin. It classically affects areas over the elbows, knees, and scalp. Essentially anybody area may be involved. It tends to be more common in areas of trauma, repeat rubbing, use, or abrasions.

Psoriasis has many different appearances. It may be small flattened bumps, large thick plaques of raised skin, red patches, and pink mildly dry skin to big flakes of dry skin that flake off.

For mild disease that involves only small areas of the body (like less than 10% of the total skin surface), topical (skin applied) creams, lotions, and sprays may be very effective and safe to use. Occasionally, a small local injection of steroids directly into a tough or resistant isolated psoriasis plaque may be helpful.

A product that can relieve the symptoms of psoriasis is Votre Vu's Tragic Magic.

Not knowing you have eczema and not being knowledgeable of what kind you have can lead to using the wrong treatments and can make your skin condition worse. To avoid this, it’s important to know what the common types of eczema there are and what to lookout for as well as how to remedy it.  

One area that eczema affects in both men and women is the hands. Hand dermatitis is another name for this condition and is identified by redness and dryness on the hands, specifically the fingers. More severe cases can include crusting and scaling, along with being very itchy. The more you scratch, the worse the hand dermatitis will be. This condition can be caused by frequently washing and drying your hands as well as exposing your hands to extreme cold. People in occupations that deal with frequent hand washing, such as waitresses, bartenders, and nurses have an increased chance of developing hand eczema.

The best way to prevent this skin condition include wearing gloves when washing dishes, avoiding soaps and hand washes that contain harsh ingredients or strong fragrances avoid washing hands in really hot water, patting hands dry, and wearing a shielding lotion to keep hands moisturized while repairing the skin barriers.

Coming into contact with certain household items can also result in a type of eczema known as contact dermatitis. This condition appears in the form of tiny blisters that can be itchy and irritating. Continuous exposure to the irritant can result in cracking and scaling skin. Contact dermatitis can be experienced by either an allergic reaction or an irritant to the skin. The most common culprits of contact dermatitis include soaps, cleansing products, detergents, solvents, and animal saliva.

Because a number of factors can trigger contact dermatitis it can be difficult to figure out what is causing the reaction. If you believe you have contact dermatitis, slowly phase out certain products or items you normally use and see how your skin reacts. You can also visit a dermatologist to see if there is any medicine that can be used to treat the area.

A product which can relieve the symptoms of eczema is Votre Vu’s Tragic Magic.