Understanding Psoriasis

How Does Psoriasis Work?

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition. There is a large genetic component to psoriasis and flares are often triggered by environmental factors.
Psoriasis is a skin condition that affects many people around the world, including both adults and kids. It occurs when our immune system, which is like our body's defense system, starts acting a little differently than it should. Instead of protecting our body from harmful things like germs, it mistakenly attacks our skin cells.

Normally, our skin cells grow and replace themselves slowly over time. When a person has psoriasis, their skin cells grow much faster than usual. Instead of taking weeks to replace themselves, it happens in just days. This causes a buildup of extra skin cells on the surface of the skin, leading to red, itchy, and sometimes flaky patches called "plaques."
Psoriasis can happen anywhere on the body, but it's most commonly found on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back.
Psoriasis can be uncomfortable, itchy, and it may make you feel self-conscious because the red patches can be visible. But remember, it's not contagious, so you can't catch it from someone else, and it's not something you did wrong or caused.

It's also important to take care of your skin by keeping it moisturized, avoiding harsh soaps or scratching the affected areas, and protecting it from too much sunlight. Natural ultraviolet B (UVB) light from sunshine can slow down the abnormal growth of skin cells. Make sure to not overdo sun exposure though because unprotected overexposure can trigger psoriasis symptoms. Sometimes, certain triggers like stress, infections, or changes in weather can make psoriasis worse, so it's good to be aware of those and try to manage them too.