WeArePsoriasis.org - The Social Support Network for People Living with Psoriasis

Original Article: http://www.psoriasis.org/about/psoriasis/plaque.php Psoriasis is a very diverse skin disease that appears in a variety of forms. Each form has distinct characteristics. Typically, people have only one type of psoriasis at a time, but occasionally two or more different types of psoriasis can occur at the same time. Psoriasis can also occasionally change from one form to another. Trigger factors may "convert" some forms of psoriasis, such as plaque, to another form, such as pustular. Generally, one type of psoriasis will clear and then another form of psoriasis will appear later.Plaque psoriasis is the most prevalent form of the disease. About...

Original Article: http://www.psoriasis.org/about/psoriasis/guttate.php Guttate [GUH-tate] psoriasis is a form of psoriasis that often starts in childhood or young adulthood. The word guttate is from the Latin word meaning "drop." This form of psoriasis resembles small, red, individual spots on the skin. Guttate lesions usually appear on the trunk and limbs. These spots are not usually as thick as plaque lesions.Guttate psoriasis often comes on quite suddenly. A variety of conditions have been known to bring on an attack of guttate psoriasis, including upper respiratory infections, streptoccocal infections, tonsillitis, stress, injury to the skin and the administration of certain drugs (including antimalarials...

Original Article: http://www.psoriasis.org/about/psoriasis/scalp/ Scalp psoriasis is very common. In fact, at least half of all people who have psoriasis have it on their scalp. As with psoriasis elsewhere on the body, skin cells grow too quickly on the scalp and cause red lesions covered with scale to appear.Scalp psoriasis can be very mild, with slight, fine scaling. It can also be very severe with thick, crusted plaques covering the entire scalp, which commonly can cause hair loss. Psoriasis can extend beyond the hairline onto the forehead, the back of the neck and around the ears (a common area). Most of the...

Original Article: http://www.psoriasis.org/about/psa/basics.php Psoriatic arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints and connective tissue, was first described in 1818 by a French physician, Baron Jean Louis Alibert, but it was not until the 1950s that it was classified as distinct from other arthritic diseases. Psoriatic arthritis is associated with psoriasis on the skin. Approximately 10 percent to 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, although it often may go undiagnosed, particularly in its milder forms. It can develop at any time, but for most people it appears between the ages of 30 and 50. Psoriatic arthritis seems to affect...

Original Article: http://www.psoriasis.org/about/faq/ What is psoriasis?Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, genetic disease manifesting in the skin and/or the joints. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. In plaque psoriasis, the most common type, patches of skin called "lesions" become inflamed and are covered by silvery white scale. Psoriasis can be limited to a few lesions or can involve moderate to large areas of skin. The severity of psoriasis can vary from person to person; however, for most people, psoriasis tends to be mild.Is psoriasis contagious?No, psoriasis is not contagious. It is not something you...