Psoriasis manifests as red, scaly patches on the hands, elbows, knees. This disease is not contagious but remains discriminating. Corticoids, immune modulators, phototherapy, biotherapies there is a wide range of treatments. If there is no cure, the number of attacks can be seriously reduced.
Whatever the age, you can suffer from psoriasis. The immune system gets carried away and the skin cells hyper proliferate. It doesn’t matter, but it lasts. The red patches are formed with the center, scales characteristic whitish, small dead skin that peel off and fall. This chronic skin disease affects 2 to 3% of the UK population. There is a genetic component: one third of the patients have a family history.
No final healing
If we know how to effectively treat psoriasis flares, permanent cure is still not possible: the plaques hatch, disappear and often recur. Because hereditary, environmental, psychological (trauma or stress) or infectious factors can trigger a crisis. And certain drugs (beta-blockers or antimalarial) are able to make it worse, just like excess alcohol.
The treatments, which have made spectacular progress, make it possible to control the spread of the disease. Two parameters guide the choice of treatment: the extent of the lesions and the discomfort felt by the patient.
Treat localized psoriasis
The dermatologist prescribes a combination of demo corticoids and vitamin D derivatives. In the form of a cream or foam, it is applied once or twice a day to the plates, for more than six weeks. It is effective on the appearance of the skin and on itching.
Treat diffuse psoriasis
The sun’s rays improve psoriasis, hence the idea of offering treatments that reproduce solar radiation. Under the supervision of a dermatologist, phototherapy, which uses UVB, generally eliminates psoriasis in around thirty sessions (three times a week).
Treat more generalized psoriasis
The UK Dermatology Society published its recommendations in December 2017. The immune modulatory treatments reduce the frequency of relapses, but because of their side effects, they require supervision. Some are contraindicated in pregnant women. The methotrexate, tablets (to be taken once to avoid the undesirable effects) or subcutaneous, is the first-line drug. Next are cyclosporine and vitamin A derivatives, which are reserved for certain forms of psoriasis.
Specific skin hygiene in addition
These treatments are accompanied by specific hygiene, especially in the event of a crisis: “The important thing is to hydrate your skin well. It is not useful to wash more than once a day and it is necessary to privilege the shower gels or soaps sugars, unscented, not to irritate it, advises Professor Bernard Guilt, dermatologist in UK. Psoriasis is a chronic disease and to treat it, you absolutely need the advice of a doctor and the treatments depend on the severity of the symptoms of this psoriasis. What treatments are available to treat psoriasis?
Thermal cures
Many health centers exist. The water of each spa having different properties, the treatment is more or less effective for a given person. It does not cure permanently, but can bring real relief.
General treatment
These are treatments taken in tablets that act on psoriasis. They are reserved for people with significant symptoms due to their side effects. They are indicated for the “treatment of chronic severe plaque psoriasis in adults, in the event of failure, contraindication or intolerance to at least 2 systemic treatments among cyclosporine, methotrexate and pupa therapy.
Local treatments are used alone in localized forms and in combination with other treatments in extended forms. They are represented by demo corticoids and analogs of vitamin D3.
Hydration is an essential care for sensitive, dry and atopic skin (eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis. It is the first treatment to be applied daily when you have psoriasis to find supple skin and to protect it from external aggressions! This new family of drugs is involved in very specific stages of inflammation. The use of biotherapies in psoriasis is reserved for severe forms that have not responded or that have a contraindication to at least two other prior treatments including phototherapy, methotrexate and cyclosporine.