Psoriasis. Scaly patches on your skin

Psoriasis is a common skin condition, affecting around 125 million people around the world, and can range in appearance from mild to severe.

Psoriasis is a speeding-up of the usual replacement processes of the skin. Normally, skin cells take around 21–28 days to replace themselves; for people with psoriasis, this process is greatly accelerated and skin cells can replace themselves every 2–6 days. 

Patches of psoriasis, which are also referred to as ‘plaques’, are raised, red patches of skin covered in silvery white scales. The silvery white scales are the build-up of skin cells waiting to be shed, and the redness is due to the increase in blood vessels required to support the increase in cell production. The ‘plaques’ can appear in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from a few millimetres to several centimetres in diameter.

Psoriasis can occur at any point in life, affecting children, teenagers and adults. Psoriasis cannot be caught from other people, nor can it be transferred from one part of the body to another.

Epaderm® Ointment or Cream can be used to manage psoriasis.