New pill could change plaque psoriasis treatment

From medicalxpress.com/news

Folks with severe plaque psoriasis often have to choose between convenient pills that don't work very well or highly effective injections that come with the hassle of needles. That trade-off may soon change. New clinical trial data suggests a once-daily pill called zasocitinib may provide the clear skin once only expected from shots.

The medicine is in the final stages of study and is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Takeda Pharmaceuticals recently shared results from two late-stage clinical trials involving nearly 1,800 adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis across 21 countries.

The findings—presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Denver—showed that about 70% of participants taking the pill reached the goal of having clear or almost clear skin within 16 weeks.

Plaque psoriasis makes skin cells grow too fast, forming thick, scaly raised red patches with silvery scales. It causes itching and burning feelings on the skin during flare-ups.

The studies compared zasocitinib to a placebo and to apremilast, a widely available pill for psoriasis.

About 30% of patients on apremilast saw significant skin improvement, compared to more than double that amount with zasocitinib.

Researchers reported that zasocitinib worked with surprising speed.

Many patients noticed their skin starting to clear as early as four weeks into the treatment.

The results were lasting: Of the patients who had clear skin at the nine-month mark, more than 90% still maintained those results after more than a year of daily use.

"Our goal in psoriasis treatment is clear or almost clear skin, and previously this has been achieved primarily with injectable therapies," said lead researcher Dr. Melinda Gooderham, a dermatologist in Ontario, Canada.

She added that these results show it is possible for a daily pill to deliver rapid, lasting relief.

No new or unexpected safety concerns were discovered during the trials. The most common side effects reported were generally mild, such as upper respiratory infections like a common cold.

About 6.5% of patients taking the drug also experienced acne, which is a known side effect of this specific class of medication, called TYK2 inhibitors.

"Our Phase III results demonstrate that highly selective TYK2 inhibition can offer many people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis the potential for clear or nearly clear skin," said Dr. Chinweike Ukomadu, a senior vice president at Takeda and head of the company's gastrointestinal and inflammation areas.

Takeda plans to submit the drug to the FDA for approval within the next year.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-pill-plaque-psoriasis-treatment.html 

What It’s Like Managing Not One, But Three Kinds of Psoriasis

From healthcentral.com

India Bolton opens up about navigating life, motherhood, and flare-ups with plaque, guttate, and inverse psoriasis

Psoriasis comes in many forms (seven, to be precise)—from the most common plaque psoriasis (up to 90% of people with the condition have this type) to the less common inverse psoriasis (affects 21% to 30% of people with psoriasis). India Bolton has both of these—and it doesn’t end there. The 25-year-old homemaker and mother from Pennsylvania also has guttate psoriasis, which is even less common, affecting an estimated 8% of people with psoriasis.

“Guttate psoriasis is my baseline form,” Bolton reveals. “I was diagnosed with it when I was 18 after small guttate plaques appeared on my legs." Guttate psoriasis is a type of psoriasis characterised by small, red, scaly spots that typically appear suddenly on the trunk, arms, and legs, often triggered by infections like strep throat. “I also had a quarter-sized one on my right cheek, and it then spread to my earlobes,” says Bolton. Initially, she thought the plaques on her legs were just bug bites, as it was the end of summer, until they appeared on her face and ears.

In October 2024, after seven years with guttate psoriasis, Bolton’s spots became more widespread. She then caught strep throat, COVID-19, and two bouts of flu during the fall and winter. “Since then I have also had inverse psoriasis,” she says. This type of psoriasis causes smooth, red, inflamed patches in skin folds such as under the breasts, around the genitals, and in armpits, often worsened by friction and sweating. “For seven months last year, I struggled with large plaque psoriasis on my whole back and stomach,” she says. “However, I am grateful to have my plaque psoriasis in ‘remission’ at this time.”

                                                                                                 Courtesy of India Bolton

Finding Treatment

Bolton’s treatment journey started with topical steroids, but like many people, she discovered after using them for several years that they became ineffective for her. Because she is super sensitive to medications and is allergic to a lot of things, even antibiotics, the only medical psoriasis treatment she uses is UVB light therapy: “It’s the most ‘natural’ medical thing I can do,” she explains. “Last year, I had twice-weekly sessions of UVB for seven months—a lot longer than most people, as I was told it’s not usually used for cases as severe as mine.”

Bolton is also a passionate advocate of natural healing and stress management, recognizing how strongly anxiety can trigger her psoriasis. In addition to skin-specific treatments, she attends therapy, works out regularly, spends time outdoors, and makes space for hobbies like reading—all of which help her manage stress and support her overall well-being.

Managing Flare-Ups and Triggers

Typically, every other year Bolton experiences a really bad flare: “It’s painful and usually affects my legs, torso, face, and scalp. Last year, I had a full-body flare that lasted almost the full year—my longest yet.” When a flare starts, Bolton ramps up her at-home therapies: lots of rest, self-care, sunlight, avoiding her triggers, and taking Epsom salts baths. She has a tried-and-tested diet she follows when her skin is in rough shape, which involves avoiding her biggest trigger foods: gluten, dairy, nightshades, spice, and ground beef.

Emotional and Social Challenges

Having three different types of psoriasis means Bolton never knows which of them might flare at any particular time. But the physical aspects of psoriasis don’t pose the biggest challenge, she reveals. “The hardest thing to deal with is the staring and pointing from strangers,” she says. And this spreads to Bolton’s online world; despite her commitment to raising awareness of the condition via her social media accounts, where she shares advice, product recommendations, and personal ups and downs, “I’m asked several times a month online if I have AIDS,” she says.

The mental and emotional load of living with a chronic, unpredictable, and at times an incredibly painful condition is another pressure that can never be completely eliminated. “I was very depressed last year during my pregnancy,” Bolton shares. “During my first pregnancy, I barely had any flaring at all, but this time was the complete opposite.” She accurately points out that about half of women see remission or improvement in their psoriasis symptoms during pregnancy, adding, “I was unlucky my second go-around…It was really hard,” she shares. “But connecting with my online community during this time helped me enormously.”

Her son is now 6 months old, joining two older sisters, ages three and eight. Bolton is grateful that her psoriasis has never impacted her parenting in any major way.

Finding Strength and Positivity

The challenges of living with severe psoriasis are evident, but Bolton says having three different types of the condition has brought many positives into her life. “Because of my psoriasis I have higher self-esteem than I used to, which is kind of ironic really!” she says. “It’s also forced me to find genuine friendships and connections that value me as a person—for who I am, not just what I look like.”

Bolton believes that having psoriasis has helped to shape her to be the woman she is today. “It has made me more aware of those around me with challenges, and I am actually so grateful for that,” she says. “I’m also grateful for the self-love I have found as a result of my psoriasis, as well as the ability I now have to help others in their own journey.”

On that note, her advice to someone who has been diagnosed with psoriasis and is finding it difficult to cope is simple: “Your skin does not define you.” It’s something she tells herself and others frequently—and you might have to do the same, because it can take a while to get to that stage of recognition. Something else Bolton has learned in the years since her first diagnosis is that there’s a huge amount of power in knowledge. “Take every chance that comes your way to advocate for yourself and educate others,” she says.

https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/psoriasis/what-its-like-managing-three-kinds-of-psoriasis

How Aloe Vera Can Help You Manage Psoriasis Pain

From healthcentral.com

This medicine-cabinet staple can serve as a soother for mild-to-moderate psoriasis. Experts share how to maximize its benefits 

Chances are, you already know about aloe vera’s ability to soothe sunburns and comfort otherwise irritated skin—making it a summertime must-have. But there’s a reason you might want to slather it on year-round, too: Aloe vera may be an effective treatment for psoriasis. 

Psoriasis (PsO) is a chronic condition caused by an overactive immune system that produces excessive skin cells, which appear as itchy or painful plaques on the skin. Aloe vera seems to ease psoriasis skin symptoms in the way that it calms a sunburn: through its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Curious to know more? We asked top dermatologists what makes aloe vera one of the most effective home remedies for psoriasis, and how to use it to get the best results.

Can Aloe Vera Help Treat Psoriasis?

Aloe vera has been shown to be a promising treatment for several skin concerns, including psoriasis. “Aloe vera has established itself as a natural remedy for treating skin conditions because of its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties,” says Brendan Camp, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. (For that same reason, it’s also a popular home remedy for eczema.)

Multiple studies support aloe’s effectiveness for fast psoriasis flare relief, according to Steve Daveluy, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI. In fact, the results are so promising that aloe just might merit a spot in your psoriasis medicine cabinet.

Benefits of Aloe Vera for Psoriasis

The main advantage of aloe vera is that it may reduce the prominence of visible skin lesions that appear with plaque psoriasis, the most common kind of psoriasis. Dr. Camp points to a study in Tropical Medicine and International Health, which found that aloe vera can clear plaques and lower patients’ Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores, which is a measure of how severe a given case of psoriasis is. The research determined aloe was “helpful in addressing psoriasis symptoms such as redness, scaling, and number of patches,” he says.

Another study in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology compared it to 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide (TA), a topical steroid, among patients with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis. By the end of eight weeks, the aloe vera cream seemed to be more effective at reducing patients’ PASI score, with the authors concluding: “Both treatments have similar efficacy in improving the quality of life of patients with mild to moderate psoriasis.”

Risks of Aloe Vera for Psoriasis

If you’re thinking about trying it, you should know that there are few to no risks of using aloe vera to treat psoriasis, since an allergy to aloe is very rare, according to Dr. Daveluy. “In fact, it’s the other ingredients in aloe vera products, like the preservatives, that have the potential to cause an allergic reaction,” he explains. “That means the risk of allergy to aloe vera products is no more than other skin-care products—and lower than many.”

A review in Phytotherapy Research of the current research on using aloe vera to treat psoriasis determined that it’s well-tolerated, and no serious side effects were reported.

                                                                            Getty Images/bymuratdeniz

How Does Aloe Vera Affect the Body?

Despite its effectiveness, “we don’t fully understand exactly how aloe vera works, since it contains multiple components that may be helping,” admits Dr. Daveluy. Some of those components contribute to aloe vera’s “immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects, which are likely beneficial in psoriasis,” he adds.

The impact on the immune system is a big deal. Aloe vera contains molecules called polysaccharides, which have been found to lower inflammation, accelerate wound healing, and even promote skin regeneration—so they’re great for your average cut or skin injury, even if you don’t have psoriasis. But one study in Molecular Medicine Reports, which measured the effect of the primary aloe polysaccharide on various cell cultures (including one that mimicked psoriatic skin), found that it could inhibit the production of skin cells triggered by the immune system. This ability is important because the immune system triggers skin cells to grow much more quickly than normal in people with psoriasis.

Second, as an antioxidant, aloe vera may help counteract oxidative stress, an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body that leads to cell damage and is closely linked with inflammation in the skin. Finally, a systematic review of studies shows that polysaccharides found in aloe vera may also increase collagen production—which is key to helping wounds heal—and help skin retain moisture.

Applying Aloe Vera for Psoriasis

The current research has only found aloe helpful in treating mild to moderate psoriasis—so it may not be ideal for severe cases. And, as always, it’s best to use home remedies like this in conjunction with an overarching psoriasis treatment plan, so talk to your doctor first to make sure it fits into your management strategy.

If you’re using aloe vera directly from the plant on your skin, “it is a good idea to do a patch test first before using the gel more liberally on your skin,” says Dr. Camp. Watch out to be sure you’re not applying the aloe vera latex, which can cause skin irritation. (The latex is yellow, whereas the aloe vera gel is clear, according to the Mayo Clinic.)

What Type of Aloe Vera Should You Buy?

“If you’re using an over-the-counter aloe vera gel extract, make sure that it contains a high concentration of aloe vera,” says Dr. Camp. “Some products may claim to be aloe vera-based products, but list it far down on the ingredient list, meaning that aloe vera is present only in a small percentage.” (The National Psoriasis Foundation recommends looking for creams that contain at least 0.5% aloe.)

Creams may be your best bet, since gels can contain alcohol, which “carries a risk of stinging when applied,” says Dr. Daveluy. Still, if you already have an aloe vera gel that doesn’t cause discomfort, he says it’s likely OK to use.

If you don’t want to go with a pure aloe vera product, another option is to find the ingredient paired alongside other science-backed active ingredients for psoriasis. MG217 Psoriasis Medicated Multi Symptom Relief Ointment pairs aloe with coal tar, while TriDerma Psoriasis Control Face and Body Cream blends it with salicylic acid and colloidal oats. Both have the Seal of Recognition from the National Psoriasis Foundation, which indicates that they’ve been reviewed for safety by a panel of experts.

Psoriasis can cause serious discomfort, but in addition to a derm-approved treatment plan, aloe vera can bring you relief from symptoms. Try aloe for yourself and see if it helps—just make sure you’re buying the real deal to get real benefits!

https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/psoriasis/aloe-vera-for-psoriasis?ap=nl2060&rhid=&mui=&lid=141093361&mkt_tok=NTQxLUdLWi0yNDMAAAGWC2m5XvgQlhlrLhwgFchs9ZYpM2WomCNNvwWO0ypDznGuMJGDb6J3xpqfHPsjTDRwgVSXx5jDq_8zkNzSEidOpVG65T2SFd-8Q4vlfRaty8pnsKY

Why You Should Avoid Plaque Removal With Psoriasis

From healthcentral.com 

Despite what you may have read, experts discourage the practice of removing PsO lesions. Here’s why

Experts caution against picking at plaque psoriasis with your nails because it can damage your skin and trigger a flare. But, if your skin is itchy and uncomfortable, it can be hard to leave it alone, especially if it is on your face or in other sensitive areas. So, what to do? Start with these tips for managing plaque psoriasis symptoms and learn from top psoriasis experts why removing plaque psoriasis scales is not recommended.

                                                                          GettyImages/Ake Ngiamsanguan

When you feel something on your skin that shouldn’t be there, it’s a natural instinct to want to remove it. But picking the scales off your skin is not the way forward. “I wouldn't recommend directly trying to peel off psoriasis lesions as they are prone to bleeding,” says George Han, M.D., a dermatologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “We actually use this fact clinically to prove psoriasis sometimes—it’s called the Auspitz Sign.” (The Auspitz sign refers to pinpoint bleeding under the skin’s surface, named after Heinrich Auspitz, a 19th-century Austrian dermatologist.)

Removing plaques from the skin raises concerns about potential bleeding, agrees Kurt Ashack, M.D., a dermatologist and assistant professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in East Lansing, MI. Those raw, open wounds can become infected, leading to even greater pain. “You can exfoliate with things like salicylic acid, but I do not recommend removing the plaques,” Dr. Ashack says.

In addition to causing even more skin inflammation by physically removing a plaque, doing so provides only momentary relief, says Dr. Han. Without treatment, the plaques will continue to show up, he explains. So instead, you’re better off playing the long game. “I would say that appropriate treatment should help reduce the thick plaques gradually by stopping the inflammation causing the thickened skin to begin with,” Dr. Han says.

If your psoriasis symptoms are flaring, there are other ways to make the scales less troubling. “If topicals are not helping and you are not on a biologic agent, we can inject the plaque with a steroid to help it go away,” says Dr. Ashack.

Outside of the derm’s office, you can also reduce some of the skin discomfort, starting with avoiding common triggers that may be making your condition worse. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Associates, (AAD) things like unmanaged stress, skin injury (bug bites or sunburn as examples), alcohol, smoking, cold weather, and even shaving can increase inflammation and make the plaques worse.

Another strategy to help the scales is to apply a fragrance-free moisturizer. According to the AAD, extra moisture applied to the skin may change the reflective property of the scales so you don’t see the scaling as predominantly.

Because all moisturizers are not created equal, it’s important to choose one that will make things better, not worse. The National Psoriasis Foundation maintains a list of products that have earned their seal of recognition that are free from irritants and can be used on psoriasis plaques.

Lactic acid is a type of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Using lactic acid to elicit changes in the skin is a very old practice, with reports of Cleopatra bathing in sour milk, which contains lactic acid, in order to give her skin a youthful appearance.

Salicylic acid is also a go-to therapy for plaques associated with psoriasis, says Dr. Han, noting that topical application of products containing salicylic acid may help reduce or soften scales. “Salicylic acid products in the 2% to 6% range may be helpful,” he says.

Both lactic acid and salicylic acid have shown to be beneficial for managing psoriasis plaques. In a two-week, double-blind trial testing the efficacy of a 20% alpha-hydroxy/polyhydroxy acid emollient versus a 6% salicylic acid cream, both treatments reduced the scales of psoriatic lesions. The 20% alpha-hydroxy/polyhydroxy acid cream yielded quicker results and less toxicity than salicylic acid.

To manage skin plaques, there are a variety of products and formulations available, including oils, ointments, creams, lotions, gels, foams, sprays and shampoos. Most people with mild psoriasis will start treatment with one of these topical medications. Even if you have more advanced psoriasis that requires a systemic treatment, your doctor may still recommend you continue with a topical treatment.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the most frequently prescribed topical medications include:

• Anthralin

• Calcineurin inhibitors (such as tacrolimus, pimecrolimus)

• Coal tar

• Corticosteroids (such as hydrocortisone, triamcinolone, clobetasol)

• Retinoids (tazarotene)

• Salicylic acid

• Vitamin D analogues (such as calcipotriene, calcitriol)

Even though the visible symptoms of psoriasis appear on the skin, it can impact the entire body. For this reason, it may be necessary for you to take a medicine that addresses the root cause of psoriasis—an overactive immune system.

There are many treatment choices available. Which one you choose will be a decision made with your provider based on factors such as which medications you have tried previously, potential side effects of medications, cost, and personal preference.

Some of the most-prescribed treatments include:

• Biologics (such as etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, ixekizumab)

• Cyclosporine

• Light therapy

• Methotrexate

• Retinoids

• Steroids

If you have plaques on your skin from psoriasis, it’s natural to want them removed. But direct removal is not something most dermatologist advise, due to complications and inflammation that can results.

Instead, talk with your doctor about alternate ways of managing skin plaques. Gentle exfoliation and moisturizing the plaques that may make them more comfortable and less noticeable.

Plaques can be very bothersome and a sign of undertreated disease, so proper treatment of psoriasis itself is the best way to reduce plaques and lower the odds of their return. With so many different treatment choices available, from medications that you apply directly to your skin to pills or injectables that work systematically, you will be able to find a way to control your psoriasis.

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How to Treat Plaque Psoriasis

From healthcentral.com

From topical ointments to light therapy and systemic meds, these are your options for managing this chronic skin disease 

We’ve come a long way from the days of messy creams and sticky tars for plaque psoriasis treatment. With a new understanding of the cause of psoriasis related to a malfunctioning immune system, treatments are now often focused on targeting the inflammation before it even begins to wreak havoc on the skin. There is no cure for psoriasis, but there are many targeted treatments available that can reduce inflammation and help your skin recover back to its pre-psoriasis state.

                                                                      GettyImages/Tanja Ivanova

Topical Treatments for Plaque Psoriasis

Kurt Ashack, M.D., a dermatologist and assistant professor at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in East Lansing, Michigan, says that even with newer, systemic medications, topic treatments still play a major role in psoriasis treatment. “Topical treatments are where I start off therapy with every patient who has a manageable number of plaques without psoriatic arthritis,” he says. Fortunately, there are numerous topical treatments available:

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Topical Nonsteroidals

There are many psoriasis treatments available over the counter (a.k.a. without a doctor’s prescription). According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, these products work best if you have very mild psoriasis. Some of these treatments include:

• Anti-itch medication: Calamine Lotion (calamine), Aveno Skin Relief, Gold Bond among others (menthol)

• Coal tar: Neutrogena T-Gel Therapeutic Shampoo, MG217 Psoriasis Medicated Conditioning Shampoo, among others

• Moisturisers: CeraVe Psoriasis Cream, Curél Hydra Therapy Itch Defense, Dermarest Psoriasis Medicated Treatment Gel, among others

• Salicylic acid: Neutrogena T/Sal, Salicyn and Keralyt

Prescription Topical Steroids

While some steroids (a.k.a. corticosteroids) can be purchased over the counter, others require a prescription. How they are available depends on the strength of the medicine. Steroids are divided into seven different classes, with class I considered the most potent and class VII considered the lowest potency. Even topical steroids come with potential side effects, so only the lowest strength is available over the counter and stronger concentrations will need a doctor’s prescription. You can find topical steroids in different formulations such as ointments, creams, lotions, gels, and foams. Some of the prescription topical steroids include:

• Bryhali, Lexette, Ultravate (halobetasol)

• Celestone Soluspan (betamethasone)

• Clobevate, Clobex, Cormax, among others (clobetasol)

Prescription Topical Non-Steroids

Just as there are newer classes of oral medications available for psoriasis treatment, there are also newer classes of topical non steroid medications. They include:

• Anthralins: Drithocreme, Psoriatec, Zithranol, among others

• Calcineurin inhibitors: Elidel (pimecrolimus), Protopic (tacrolimus)

• Hydrocarbon receptor antagonists: VTAMA (Tapinarof)

• Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitors: ZORYVE (Roflumilast)

• Vitamin A derivatives: Duobril (halobetasol propionate) Soriatane (acitretin), Tazorac (tazarotene)

• Vitamin D analogs: Dovonex (calcipotriene), Enstilar (calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate), Taclonex (calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate), Vectical (calcitriol)

Systemic Treatments for Plaque Psoriasis

As the understanding of psoriasis as a whole-body disease came into focus, so did new choices of skin treatment that worked from the inside out. However, along with those systemic therapies came an increased patient concern around potential new side effects. George Han, M.D., dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, says he frequently talks with his patients about their side-effect concerns.

“I think the best way to go about tackling side effect questions is to address both the rational concerns and the irrational ones, but separately,” he says. “For the former, we can address rational concerns about treatments with data.” That includes results from clinical trials—most of the medications have at least four to five years of highly scrutinized data, as well as registrational data collected after medicines come to market, Dr. Han explains. “For our newer classes of medicines, the IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors, thankfully, the safety profiles look very good,” he says. “For example, some medications feature a side-effect profile that is within 1% to 2% of the placebo, at which point it’s hard to say that any side effects are actually due to the medication.”

There are a few specific concerns that are valid. “The IL-17 inhibitor class does have the potential to make inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease) worse, and TNF alpha inhibitors have a slightly higher risk in terms of potential infections and non-melanoma skin cancer,” says Dr. Han. “Outside of these specifics, though, there is no strong data to support our modern treatments having a high risk for any major issues.”

Biologic Treatments for Plaque Psoriasis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the following biologics to treat adults with psoriasis:

• Cimzia (certolizumab pegol)

• Cosentyx (secukinumab)

• Enbrel (etanercept)

• Humira (adalimumab)

• Ilumya (tildrakizumab)

• Remicade (infliximab)

• Siliq1 (brodalumab)

• Skyrizi (risankizumab)

• Stelara (ustekinumab)

• Taltz (ixekizumab)

• Tremfya (guselkumab)

Other Systemic Treatments

Beyond biologics, there are other medications for psoriasis that work throughout the body. Some are more traditional disease modifying antirheumatic medications (DMARDs) and others fall into newer classes of treatments.

• DMARD: Rheumatrex, Trexall, Otrexup (methotrexate), Arava (leflunomide)

• Immunosuppressant: Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune (cyclosporine)

• PDE-4 Inhibitor: Otezla (apremilast

• JAK Inhibitor: Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR (tofacitinib)

Off-Label Systemic Drugs

Sometimes a provider will prescribe a medication that has not been FDA-approved to treat the condition, but it is still known to work well. This is a perfectly legal practice under a doctor’s supervision. Some of the off-label medications for psoriasis include:

• Arava (leflunomide)

• Azasan (azathioprine)

• Cellcept, Myhibbin (mycophenolate mofetil)

• Envarsus XR, Prograf, Astagraf XL (tacrolimus)

• Fumaderm (fumaric acid esters)

• Hydrea, Droxia (hydroxyurea)

• Sulfasalazine (sulfasalazine)

• Tabloid (6-thioguanine)

Phototherapy for Plaque Psoriasis

Phototherapy is a type of psoriasis treatment that uses light to help slow the rapidly growing skin cells. There are a variety of light treatments available including:

Ultraviolet Light B (UVB)

UVB therapy involves exposing the impacted skin to one of two types of UVB lights: broad band and narrow band. This treatment usually happens in a doctor’s office for a set length of time over a set schedule, usually two to three times a week, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

Ultraviolet Light A (UVA) and Psoralens

This type of light therapy involves taking medication (psoralens) prior to the therapy to make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. UVA light penetrates deeper into the skin than UVB light and is often used for more severe psoriasis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Sunlight

Both UVB and UVA are found in sunlight, however, using sunlight to treat psoriasis is not recommended for everyone, advises the National Psoriasis Foundation. Some medications can increase the risk of sunburn, so it is important to check with your provider about how much sun exposure is safe for your skin.

Talking With Your Doctor About Treatment

Even if you have mild psoriasis, appearing on less than 3% of your body, this can still indicate significant inflammation in the body. Whole body inflammation could lead to other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. That’s why treating your psoriasis is so important. Fortunately, newer classes of medication are quite effective and have a good safety profile. The key is to work closely with your provider to find a treatment that goes along with your lifestyle and helps you feel your best.

https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/psoriasis/plaque-psoriasis-treatment?ap=nl2060&rhid=&mui=&lid=141093361&mkt_tok=NTQxLUdLWi0yNDMAAAGUNuB_NRCLov0F4J7jeDM5VD6FrPSAPDoKGbMh0ZgJzbARcbQdB6d-5fucoFqaWM4RIMjDPrdAPTTijyVzpLgTwLrz7XHO92NRFyLINVSUBKUqLcw