Psoriasis is a very irritating skin disorder that is caused by skin multiplying much too fast, causing the dead skin layer to build up on the outside of the arm. The constant build up of skin causes red, raised skin that is very irritated and scaly. The areas on the body that psoriasis generally affects are the elbows, knees, torso, and the palms of hands and the soles of feet.

No one understands exactly why psoriasis occurs. It is a very odd disorder because of how the skin grows almost ten times faster than the normal skin growth rate. It occurs randomly, it seems, but doctors believe that severe emotional stress and trauma are the main causes. They believe that a huge amount of stress may trigger something in the immune system, causing a genetic defect that was inherited to show up. This defect goes unnoticed when the person's immune system is not highly stressed, according to the theory. Psoriasis also tends to skip a generation or two in a family. There are other possible causes, such as damaged or injured skin and certain drugs and medication, blood pressure medications in particular.

Psoriasis ranges from mild to severe. In some cases, it can be so severe in that it is disabling, although, this is much less common. As well, it is more prominent in people who have arthritis; 10% to 30% of the population of psoriasis sufferers has psoriasis. For the average person who suffers from psoriasis it is a painful annoyance at times and appears as an unnatural blotch on your body.

Unfortunately there is no cure for psoriasis. It is a life-long skin disorder; however, it may go into a kind of "remission" where it will lay dormant for awhile, sometimes even for years. There are certain steps you can take to improve your psoriasis, though, and if the right steps are taken it will generally fade away after a few months or so. Doctors recommend that people expose their skin to small quantities of sunlight everyday. They also think that applying certain creams to your skin can improve psoriasis. You should ask your doctor what creams he believes would be best for your skin so you can choose the most efficient one, and also how much natural sunlight would be recommend your skin. It is difficult to make sure you receive a small amount of sunlight because how much is too much?

There are different types of psoriasis that can affect different parts of your skin or body, such as your nails. Nail psoriasis is where nails can become discolored and grow abnormally fast. There is also a disorder called inverse psoriasis which, unlike regular psoriasis, is comprised of smooth patches of irritated skin, rather than raised scaly patches. Inverse psoriasis usually occurs in overweight people where sweat and friction of the skin causes it to become irritated. Scalp psoriasis is very similar to regular psoriasis except that it affects the scalp and scratching it will likely cause dandruff.

Another type of psoriasis is erythrodermic psoriasis, which is the least common type of psoriasis. Your entire body can become covered in red rashes that itch and burn. It looks similar to a sun burn because of the red burned appearance and the peeling skin.

Seek professional help if you believe you have psoriasis so that you can confirm that it truly is psoriasis and so you can receive tips from your doctor on the best steps to take to control your psoriasis.

For more information please read this article on Psoriasis and on Skin Disorder Treatments.

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