Psoriasis is a chronic ailment of the skin that is defined as an inflammation and scaling of the outer layer of the skin. There are many symptoms. A few are chronic skin rash and blisters. The ailments of having this problem are recurring skin rashes, scaly red plaques and grayish scales.

When the occurrence of psoriasis happens, parts of the skin thicken, they get more red and eventually become covered in grayish scales known as plaques. Side effects are itching or a burning sensation with a slit or crack in the skin at the joints. Most areas affected by this on the human body are elbows, knees, lower back, scalp, face, fingernails and bottoms of the feet. Sometimes there are reports of this occurring inside the mouth on the soft tissue parts.

There have been many assumptions that psoriasis is a disorder of the immune system and it can eventually lead to arthritis. There are also ways to make it worse. Having infections, stress and living in a climate that is too dry may advance the condition more.

Even certain medications have been linked to worsening psoriasis. Everyone taking medications should read all of the information included on the prescription bottle before taking it. Talk to your doctor first and always before stopping a medication and always consult a doctor if trying something different.

There are many different kinds of treatments for dealing with this problem. However, not all of them work. Some even have bad side effects when taking them. To find out more information on this, please continue reading.

It is often difficult to tell the difference between scalp psoriasis and dandruff. This is because both share similar symptoms such as itchy scalp and white flakes of dead skin cells. However, there is a difference between these two scalp problems and it’s important to know the difference in order to seek the correct treatment.

The first thing to note is that psoriasis may be the underlying cause of dandruff. Psoriasis is thought to be caused by immune system and a genetic predisposition to psoriasis. Quite often if a member of your family has psoriasis, you may have inherited the genes. However, not all people who have the psoriasis genes go on to develop psoriasis. People of any age can get psoriasis: children, teenagers, adults and older people. Psoriasis tends to affect males and females equally.

As mentioned, both scalp psoriasis and dandruff can cause similar symptoms. Scalp psoriasis can be triggered off by anything from cuts, abrasions, scratches and even sunburn. More often than not a flare up will happen in winter: the skin becomes flaky and dry because of a lack of natural sunlight. With scalp psoriasis, the patches are commonly seen on the back of the head but can be seen on other areas of the scalp or even cover the entire scalp. The psoriasis may not be confined just to the scalp. Scaly, silvery patches may appear on areas such as elbows, knees, lower back, groin and other body folds.

Dandruff, on the other hand, is primarily caused by naturally occurring fungus, the Malassezia yeast that feeds on the natural oils of the skin. This causes the skin to shed more quickly and to itch. Other possible causes of dandruff include not brushing hair regularly, not enough shampooing, dry skin, diet and stress. Mild dandruff often occurs after puberty, usually between 20-30 years, and tends to affect more men than women.

The treatments for both scalp psoriasis and dandruff tend to be similar. Treatments include using shampoos that contain coal tar and salicyclic acid or topical steroid creams to reduce inflammation. Since dandruff is caused by fungus, using an anti-fungal shampoo to inhibit the growth of the fungi usually does the trick.

The difference between scalp psoriasis and dandruff is that scalp psoriasis may be more resistant to regular treatment. If specific shampoos or steroid creams do not work, then your physician may recommend exposure to ultraviolet light to help the skin repair itself. If this doesn’t work, then oral retinoids may be prescribed, but usually as a last resort.

Now you know that even though scalp psoriasis and dandruff look similar in appearance, there are different causes which may require slightly different treatments.

Having either scalp psoriasis or dandruff need not be the end of the world: there are a lot of effective products and help available. If you think you have scalp psoriasis or any other form of psoriasis, study the psoriasis symptoms and consult your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. You should be aware that as well as conventional treatments, there are also natural psoriasis treatments.

Vicky Massey has a wide experience of alternative health and healing. She has a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and qualifications in massage, nutrition, healing and yoga.

There are more than 7 million psoriasis sufferers in America.

This article addresses the most common questions about it: -

‘What is it?’

‘What causes it?’

‘Can you catch it from someone who has it?’ and

‘Is there a cure?’

1. Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition.
While it’s not life-threatening, it can be very severe and disabling. It often appears between the ages of 15 and 35 but it can develop at any age. As many as 15 per cent contract psoriasis before their tenth birthday and it occurs nearly equally in men and women.

There are five types of psoriasis but the most common form, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white build-up of dead skin cells, called scale. Psoriasis can occur on any part of the body but typically on the scalp, elbows, knees, and the base of the back. However, it can develop anywhere, including the nails, palms, soles, genitals and face (which is rare). Strangely, the patches of white skin often show up on the same place on each side of the body.

2. The causes of psoriasis are still unknown to us but it is believed to have a genetic component. Most professionals agree that the immune system is set off by mistake, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. A normal skin cell matures and falls off within a month but a psoriatic skin cell takes only a few days to rise to the surface and then, instead of falling off, the cells accumulate and form the lesions.

3. It’s not contagious; you can’t ‘catch’ it and people who have it are no threat to other people but it is an embarrassing condition which as well as causing an itchy skin can have a psychological effect too, since it influences people’s readiness to let others see their skin. This not only can dictate what clothes can be worn or which social activities can be enjoyed but it can also make it difficult to mix with the opposite sex.

4. Regrettably, there is no cure but there are more and more treatments available which at least reduce the symptoms. People often need to try out different treatments before they find one that works for them.

Diseases which affect the skin may seem relatively unimportant when compared with other conditions but it’s worth remembering that the skin is the largest organ in the body and it plays an important role in controlling body temperature and as a defence against infection. Large areas of psoriasis can lead to infection, loss of fluid and bad circulation.

So, is there hope for a cure?

Yes there is. Scientists are studying psoriasis more than ever before. They understand much more about its genetic causes and how it involves the immune system. Both the federal government and The National Psoriasis Foundation are funding research to discover the cause of psoriasis and to find a cure.

You can find out more about how to moisturise and soothe the skin and control the scaling and flaking associated with psoriasis by clicking through now to: -

http://www.healthier-family.com/Skincare.html