Psoriasis
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Center for Dermatology
Proudly serving Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Duluth, Buford, Dacula, Sugar Hill, Auburn, Snellville, Loganville, Grayson, Winder, and surrounding area.
Living with psoriasis can mean spending a portion of nearly every day thinking about or trying to hide the condition. Psoriasis makes many people feel uncomfortable as if they have to explain their skin condition to others and assure them that it isn't contagious. At the Center for Dermatology, people living in and around Lawrenceville, Georgia, can seek treatment for their psoriasis. If you're looking for treatment for psoriasis, call the office to schedule an appointment with board-certified dermatologist Abdul Hafeez, MD, or you can request an appointment online.
Psoriasis Q & A
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a skin disorder in which your skin cells multiply at a much faster rate than average. The cell turnover can approach 10 times that of a person without psoriasis.
As those new cells form, they push the overlying cells to the skin’s surface, where they die and accumulate before your body can slough them off. That leads to areas of raised, red patches with white scales, which is the hallmark symptom of psoriasis.
There are several different types of psoriasis, but plaque psoriasis is the most common. Symptoms of plaque psoriasis include:
- Flake scales, typically white or silvery, that cover patches or plaques of red skin
- Itching or pain at the site of the skin lesions
- Discoloration or pitting of the fingernails and toenails
Although symptoms of psoriasis can be uncomfortable and, at times, embarrassing, some treatments can help you cope with them.
What are the causes of psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system mistakenly responds to internal or external stimuli that don’t pose a threat, or when your immune system overreacts to a legitimate trigger. Scientists have determined that there is a genetic component to psoriasis.
Even if you have a genetic predisposition, something has to trigger your psoriasis before symptoms arise. Many factors can act as a trigger, including:
- Infection
- Cuts or scrapes
- Cold weather
- Serious sunburn
- Certain medications
Once psoriasis is triggered, most people have it for the rest of their lives.
What are the treatment options for psoriasis?
There are several ways to treat psoriasis, depending on the severity of your symptoms.
For mild to moderate psoriasis, topical treatments like creams, medications, and retinoids can help limit flare-ups. The providers at the Center for Dermatology may also prescribe exfoliant creams, medications, or biologic medications, like Humira, to treat psoriasis.
Certain medications can help control psoriasis. People who have severe psoriasis and have not had success with other approaches can try retinoids, methotrexate, Otzela (Apremilast), or other prescription drugs. These medications all have side effects, and it's essential to select an option that doesn’t interact with any of your other medications.
Light therapy is another potential treatment and can be a suitable choice for people who want to avoid prescription medications. In this case, your dermatologist can refer you to another physician for UVB treatments if they think it will be an effective solution for you and your condition.
To schedule an appointment to discuss your psoriasis, call the office to schedule an appointment, or you can request one online.