SAINT LOUIS PARK, Minn. - It's a condition that, for people who struggle with it, can cause a lot of embarrassment.
Dr. Cynthia Olson, a dermatologist at Park Nicollet, says psoriasis starts as an issue in the immune system.
“Your body's immune system is meant to fight off foreign invaders,” Dr. Olson says. “But in some people, it will start to react in specific spots in the skin and that inflammation will drive the skin cells to start dividing too fast.”
Dr. Olson says psoriasis tends to show up as red, scaly skin - often in places like the scalp, elbows and knees.
She says 3% of the population has it and that peak incidents tend to occur in the teens and early twenties, or around your 50's.
According to Dr. Olson, genetics play a big part. “If one parent has psoriasis then your risk of having psoriasis yourself is about one in six. If both parents have it, it's about one in three,” Dr. Olson says.
As far as treatment goes, there's no cure, but Dr. Olson says there are effective ways of getting it under control - things like topical creams and prescription medication.
She says alcohol tends to make the condition worse. “I've had a few people with severe psoriasis that were alcoholics stop drinking and it was very minimal after that,” Dr. Olson says.
Dr. Olson says newer findings are beginning to show that severe psoriasis can put you more at risk for metabolic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease.