Psoriasis facts for kids
Psoriasis is a skin condition where cells grow at a faster rate than they can be shed, causing excess skin to build up and form scaly patches on the body.
The condition: It appears to be a buildup of dry skin on your body. You can have it at any age, but normally as you get older. It starts with the skin cracking as a paper cut on your fingertips. This skin would begin to die, flake, peal and itch. As your itch the area, it begins to get red and then it begins to blister like, flake and peals to raw skin. It appears most often on hands, toes, inside arch of your feet and on you heals. It is also shows up in callus, by cracking. When washing hands it has a burning effect.
Living in moist humid climate appears to delay the condition for appearing. Dry arid climates seem to aggravate the condition. Washing your hands has a drying affect, which triggers the condition. When washing, water removes oils from our body, and has a drying effect on our hands. Washing with Psoriasis removes the dry skin, but then the skin underneath is raw. Hard water appears to worsen the condition in dry climates, but not as much in humid areas. Soft water appears better.
Images for kids
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Psoriasis of a fingernail, with visible pitting
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Micrograph of psoriasis vulgaris. Confluent parakeratosis, psoriasiform epidermal hyperplasia [(A), EH], hypogranulosis, and influx of numerous neutrophils in the corneal layer [(A), arrow]. (B) Transepidermal migration of neutrophils from the dermis to the corneal layer (arrows).
See also
In Spanish: Psoriasis para niños
