Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, genetic disease manifesting in the skin and/or the joints.
It is a non-contagious and life-long skin disease that has different forms. Some people may have a spot or two, while others may have extensive coverage on their body.
Normally, skin cells mature and shed after about a month. In psoriasis , the cell maturation speeds up, taking only three to four days. Because the lower layer of skin cells divides more rapidly than normal, dead cells accumulate in thicker patches on the skin's outermost layer (called the epidermis).
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, genetic disease manifesting in the skin and/or the joints. It affects more than 4.5 million people in the United States. 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.
