Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Understanding Psoriasis

To effectively treat psoriasis we must begin with an understanding of what psoriasis is. The word Psoriasis gets its name from the Greek word psōra meaning "itch," Psoriasis is a re-occurring, non-contagious skin condition which is characterized by areas of inflamed lesions covered with silvery-white scabs of dead skin. As a result, itchy, scaly red patches appear, often on the elbows, hands, feet, and scalp, but they can show up on other parts of your body.

In normal skin conditions, new skin cells take about a month or so to move from the deepest skin layer where they're produced, to the surface where they die and flake off. With psoriasis, the entire skin cell life cycle is accelerated and this process is completed in only a few days. Because the body can't shed old skin as rapidly as new cells are rising to the surface, raised patches of dead skin accumulate on the arms, back, chest, elbows, legs, nails, folds between the buttocks, and scalp.