OK, so the bad news is there’s no getting rid of psoriasis forever. The good news is you have a variety of treatment options. Sometimes a combination is needed to help reduce your symptoms and improve your skin. What works for one person may not work for someone else. Talk with your dermatologist to see what the best regiment is for you.

Treatments fall into three categories: topical treatments, light therapy, and oral medications.

• Topical treatments can range from over-the-counter products to prescription corticosteroids. Salicylic acid is commonly used in shampoos, soaps, and lotions to reduce scaling. Adding treatment such as oatmeal, Epsom, or Dead Sea Salts to baths can also provide relief from itching and remove scaling. Keeping skin moisturized can decrease redness and itching. Steroids can be used to reduce inflammation, although long-term use is associated with side effects.
• Light therapy (phototherapy) uses ultraviolet light (UV) to treat the skin. UV light reduces inflammation and scaling. Light therapy can be something as simple as getting daily, short, nonburning exposure to the sun, or your dermatologist may recommend artificial UV light therapy.
• Systemic treatments are used for more severe forms of psoriasis. They get their name because they affect the entire body (system). These types of drugs can suppress the immune system.

How serious is your psoriasis?

The treatment your doctor recommends typically will depend on just how serious your psoriasis is.

If you have psoriasis on less than 3 percent of your body, then you are considered to have a mild case. If 3 to 10 percent of your body is affected by psoriasis, you have a moderate case. More than 10 percent is considered severe.

As a guide, think of the surface area of your hand equaling about 1 percent of your skin.

Did you know that Dermarest^®— contains a unique formula to help relieve the itch, redness and irritation of psoriasis?