Psoriasis treatment

Psoriasis is a red, scaly long-term rash that often affects the knees, elbows and scalp.

In some people, the lesions can be widespread. Different types of psoriasis can affect the palms and soles, or the whole body, or ‘guttate’ type psoriasis can come up very rapidly in widespread scaly dots on the trunk and limbs after a sore throat.

Treatment of psoriasis

The mainstay of treatment of psoriasis is regular use of creams and lotions, known as ‘topical treatments’. These topical treatments include moisturisers, Vitamin D ointments, tar preparations, salicylic acid, dithranol, calcineurin inhibitors and topical steroids. Bandaging can be helpful in some patients.

The NHS can provide light treatment for psoriasis that has not responded to topical treatment. Light treatment is not usually available in private hospitals.

Very severe psoriasis that hasn’t responded to any of the above measures is sometimes treated with oral immunosuppressive drugs such as methotrexate, under careful monitoring with regular blood tests. In patients where immunosuppressive treatments have been ineffective, on referral to the NHS, some very severely affected patients may be treated with immunosuppressive injections.