At Cypress Dermatology, our dermatologists take a special interest in the diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis. All of our doctors have years of experience in treating even the most complex cases of psoriasis in patients of all ages. We offer many treatments, from topicals to light treatments to the latest biological therapies. We even have a clinical research arm of the practice that participated in cutting edge research in the treatment of psoriasis, Studies in Dermatology. Both Dr. Campbell and Dr. Madkan have served as principal investigators on countless psoriasis studies and have lectured extensively on various treatments and research. If you or a loved one suffers from psoriasis, you have come to the right place! Let our doctors help you today
Psoriasis (sore-EYE-ah-sis) is a chronic (long-lasting) disease. It develops when a person’s immune system sends faulty signals that tell skin cells to grow too quickly. New skin cells form in days rather than weeks.
The body does not shed these excess skin cells. The skin cells pile up on the surface of the skin, causing patches of psoriasis to appear.
You cannot get psoriasis from touching someone who has it. To get psoriasis, a person must inherit the genes that cause it.
If you have psoriasis, you will have one or more of these types:
Some people get more than one type. Sometimes a person gets one type of psoriasis, and then the type of psoriasis changes.
People who get psoriasis usually have one or more person in their family who has psoriasis. Not everyone who has a family member with psoriasis will get psoriasis. But psoriasis is common. In the United States, about 7.5 million people have psoriasis. Most people, about 80%, have plaque psoriasis.
Psoriasis can begin at any age. Most people get psoriasis between 15 and 30 years of age. By age 40, most people who will get psoriasis, about 75%, have psoriasis. Another common time for psoriasis to begin is between 50 and 60 years of age.
Whites get psoriasis more often than other races. Infants and young children are more likely to get inverse psoriasis and guttate psoriasis.
Scientists are still trying to learn everything that happens inside the body to cause psoriasis. We know that psoriasis is not contagious. You cannot get psoriasis from touching someone who has psoriasis. You cannot get psoriasis from swimming in the same pool or having sex.
Scientists have learned that a person’s immune system and genes play important roles. It seems that many genes must interact to cause psoriasis.
Scientists also know that not everyone who inherits the genes for psoriasis will get psoriasis. It seems that a person must inherit the “right” mix of genes. Then the person must be exposed to a trigger.
Many people say that their psoriasis began after they experienced one of these common psoriasis triggers:
