Psoriasis – understanding the issues

Not simply a cosmetic problem

Psoriasis is a common and often distressing skin condition. Importantly, it is not simply a cosmetic problem - even people with limited disease find the condition affects their everyday lives.¹
Psoriasis, which is not contagious, can begin at any age, including in childhood, but mainly affects adults.²
The signs and symptoms of psoriasis can include:^3,4

• Itching
• Pain
• Areas of thickened, red, scaling skin

10-30% of people develop arthritis, which results in joint pain.⁵

Healthy Skin

Psoriasis

What causes Psoriasis?

Psoriatic symptoms may start when a combination of environmental and genetic factors disrupt the normal lifecycle of skin cells.⁶
Usually, skin cells grow within deep layers of the skin and then move to the surface about once a month.⁷ But in psoriasis, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells, causing the process to accelerate and dead skin cells to build up on the skin's surface.⁷

References

1. Stern RS et al. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc 2004; 9(2): 136-139.
2. Raval K et al. J Drugs Dermatol 2011; 10(2): 189-96.
3. Rapp SR et al. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999; 41(3 Pt 1): 401-407.
4. Guenther L et al. J Cutan Med Surg 2009; Suppl 2: S77-287.
5. Zachariae H. Am J Clin Dermatol 2003; 4(7):441-447.
6. Nestle FO et al. Psoriasis. N Engl J Med 2009; 361(5):496-509.
7. Schön MP, Henning Boehncke W. Psoriasis N Engl J Med 2005; 352(18): 1899-912.

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