Psoriasis - A Distressing Problem

Not simply a cosmetic problem

Psoriasis is a common and often distressing skin condition. Importantly, it is not simply a cosmetic problem - even people with limited disease find the condition affects their everyday lives.¹

Psoriasis, which is not contagious, can begin at any age, including in childhood, but mainly affects adults.²

The signs and symptoms of psoriasis can include:^3,4

• Itching
• Pain
• Areas of thickened, red, scaling skin
• 7-30% of people develop arthritis, which results in joint pain.⁵

What causes psoriasis?

Psoriatic symptoms may start when a combination of environmental and genetic factors disrupt the normal lifecycle of skin cells.⁶

Usually, skin cells grow within deep layers of the skin and then move to the surface about once a month.⁷ But in psoriasis, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells, causing the process to accelerate and dead skin cells to build up on the skin's surface.⁷