Psoriasis facts for kids

The back of a person who has psoriasis

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.

As for the meds: Putting Vaseline on the areas and rubber gloves tends to sooth the itch and the areas get better, Of course your hands also stay moist and out of water. Vaseline petroleum jelly used several times a day and wearing white cotton gloves, helps.

Prescription compound of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, Coal Tar and Clobetasol; has worked well.

Prescription ointment of Clobetasol Propionate Ointment USP 0.05%, has worked well also.

Prescription cream of Salicylic Acid Cream 6%, used with the above has also helped.

Wearing white cotton gloves on your hands and white socks on your feet, over each of these items also controls the itching.

A balance of all of these products should produce an improvement in your life with Psoriasis.