Psoriasis is a skin disorder that can make skin itch, burn, sting, or bleed, while flaking and scaling are the most common symptoms. About 4.5 million adults in the United States have psoriasis. Children also can develop the disease, but most often psoriasis shows up between the ages of 15 and 35. It can develop in men or women of any race or age. 

As many as four million Americans have psoriasis, a skin disease that causes dry, red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. The cause of psoriasis is still uncertain, but physicians believe it is related to the body’s immune system and is genetic. The following conditions may be linked to flares in the skin disorder: emotional stress, injury to the skin, reaction to certain drugs, some types of infection.

While the cause of psoriasis is still undetermined, physicians believe it is related to the body’s immune system and that it is genetic. Physicians also believe outbreaks can be caused by: emotional stress, injury to the skin, reaction to certain drugs, and some types of infections. Psoriasis is not, however, contagious.

Most people who experience psoriasis will have a mild form of the disorder; one or a few patches often confined to the knees, elbows or scalp. The rest will have moderate to serve psoriasis. Moderate involves 10 to 20 percent of the skin’s surface (the palm of the hand is roughly 1 percent). Severe can range up to total body involvement. 

At the Dermatology & Laser Center of San Antonio, we use Topical treatment,  oral medications, phototherapy, or a combination of both. 

At the Dermatology and Laser Center of San Antonio, we use a newer type of phototherapy, called narrowband UVB.  Narrowband UVB  emits the part of the ultraviolet light spectrum band that is most helpful for psoriasis. 

In this type of phototherapy, UVB radiation penetrates the skin with more specific range of UV wavelengths and decreases the abnormal rapid growth of skin cells associated with psoriasis. UVB treatment involves exposing the skin to an artificial UVB light source for a set length of time on a regular schedule. Several studies have indicated that narrow-band UVB clears psoriasis faster and produces longer remissions than the board- or wide-band UVB.  

Narrow-band UVB is usually effective with two or three treatments per week, while in some cases, wide-band must be administered more frequently to be effective. In some cases, narrow-band UVB is being considered an alternative to PUVA, which requires patients to take a light-sensitizing medication called psoralen in addition to being exposed to UVA light. Narrow-band UVB is easier for people to undergo and may be safer over the long term with similar effectiveness.

The pros for narrow-band therapy include:

       Faster response than broad-band UVB and similar to PUVA.

       It is more likely to clear the psoriasis than broad-band UVB

       The course of treatment is shorter than broad-band UVB.

       Longer periods of remission occur before the psoriasis reappears.

No matter how mild, moderate, or severe psoriasis patches or lesions are, problems of unsightliness, itching and sometimes pain are common. Most people who have mild psoriasis will never experience a worsening of the disorder. Some, however, will experience a spread of the symptoms. Psoriasis tends to come and go – flare and then get better as spontaneous remission may occur.

The goal of treating psoriasis is to make the condition easier to live with so a person can enjoy normal social and physical activities. Occasionally, psoriasis will go into a spontaneous remission on its own without treatment. Sometimes a treatment that works to keep the psoriasis in check will stop working, making it necessary for a different type of treatment or a combination of treatments to begin.

Learn more about your options. For more information or to schedule an appointment to discuss your treatment options; call our office at 210-614-3355. 

   Home>>>

The Dermatology & Laser Center of San Antonio™

7810 Louis Pasteur, Suite 200

San Antonio, TX 78229

210.614.3355

appts@dermlaser.com