Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious.

Dr. Green Dermatology - psoriasis there are five types of psoriasis. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells. Psoriasis can occur on any part of the body and is associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression.

Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the U.S. As many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. Currently there is no cure for Psoriasis, however, there are many different types of treatment.

Treatment

Because of the complexity and commonness of this disease, there are many different types of treatment, depending on an individual basis. Topical medications and moisturizers applied directly to the skin may improve its condition. Controlled delivery of artificial ultraviolet light, is used in treating psoriasis, such as Xtrac Laser (Phototherapy). Another form of treatment is the Xtrac Laser (Phototherapy), which uses ultraviolet light to stimulate the pigment cells to produce Melanin (pigment) again. XTRAC is the only FDA-cleared, clinically proven excimer laser that gets skin clear of psoriasis—and it works fast, with many patients seeing significant improvement and long-lasting remissions. Because XTRAC delivers a highly targeted, therapeutic beam of UVB light only to areas of the skin affected by psoriasis, healthy skin surrounding the lesions stays that way. XTRAC clears the symptoms, prolongs the remission and returns skin to a clinically healthy state in record time. All of this means XTRAC delivers consistently predictable results so patients experience more good days of living than bad.

Quick Facts

• Effective treatment—symptoms reduced generally in 10-12 treatment sessions

• Long-lasting relief—typically several months free of symptoms. Simple, painless treatment—sessions are very short

• Relief without messy creams and daily skin care regimen

• Covered by most major insurance companies, available by Rx

For more severe forms of psoriasis, Dr. Green sometimes prescribes medicines that are given by injection, such as Humira, Stelara or Enbrel. Dr. Green also now prescribes a new oral medication called Otezla to provide a long-lasting and safe way to deal with chronic psoriasis that is extensive and life-changing. Combining various topical, light, and systemic treatments often permit lower doses of each and can result in increased effectiveness