🩹 Psoriasis
PH
PureHealthness Editorial Team · Health writers & reviewers
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
✔ Transparent sourcing · Some articles are AI-drafted, then reviewed & fact-checked by our team
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
| In brief | Thick, red patches of skin covered with silvery scales, which are itchy and sometimes painful. |
|---|---|
| Category | Skin |
🔍 What causes it
An autoimmune condition — skin cells multiply too fast (days instead of weeks). Genetics + triggers (stress, infections, some medicines, skin injury). Not contagious. Can also affect nails and joints (psoriatic arthritis).
⚠️ Key symptoms
- Thick red patches with silvery scales — elbows, knees, scalp, lower back
- Itching, burning or soreness
- Pitted or ridged nails
- Joint pain if psoriatic arthritis develops
💊 Treatment
Topical creams (steroids, vitamin D analogues), light therapy (UVB), and for moderate-severe: systemic or biologic medicines. Moisturise daily; avoid triggers; see a dermatologist for a plan.
🛡️ Prevention
Not preventable, but trigger management (stress, skin trauma, infections) reduces flares.
🚨 See a doctor / red flags: See a doctor promptly if symptoms are severe, do not improve, or get worse — especially for children, older adults, pregnant women, or anyone with a chronic condition.
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