More than 125 million people worldwide deal with psoriasis and the itching and discomfort that comes along with it. The chronic inflammatory skin condition impacts the way skin cells mature, resulting in often red or pink flaky skin lesions where the skin barrier is broken. These dry patches can often seem to come out of nowhere, but according to Ivy Lee, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Pasadena, California, there are certain things that can lead to flare-ups.
It's important to note that psoriasis is a genetic condition, which means that if you have it, it's not because you did something "wrong"it's simply because you're predisposed. That said, there are a few factors that can make flare-ups worse, so you'll want to be aware of what they are and do your best to avoid them. Keep scrolling for seven biggies that Dr. Lee wants you to look out for.
To avoid psoriasis flare-ups, Dr. Lee says it's key to try to minimize points of friction. "I have players who wear knee pads and you realize their psoriasis is really bad underneath their knee pads, or I have women who wear bras with underwires and it's really uncomfortable, really rubbing that area underneath the breast," says Dr. Lee. "And you realize that their psoriasis is really concentrated, really angry, and flared underneath their breast. And that's because there's a little friction point that people are getting flares at."
"There's a known phenomenon called the Koebner Phenomenon, where any type of traumaso cuts, scrapes, even self-induced trauma, like a scratch or a rubbingcan flare your psoriasis," says Dr. Lee. She explains that oftentimes patients with mild psoriasis will try to get rid of it by scrubbing the area with a loofah or pumice stone, and will then find that the scales got worse or spread to a larger area. "And that's what we call the Koebner Phenomenon, where if you manipulate, scratch, or abrade your psoriasis, it can spread."
When you're stressed out, your skin feels it. "It's fascinating because we're learning a lot more about the immunological basis of psoriasis and skin conditions like atopic dermatitis in eczema, and you realize that any type of inflammation and psychological stress can dampen or ramp up parts of our immune system," says Dr. Lee. When this happens, conditions like psoriasis and eczema can flare as a response to that increased inflammation. "The mind and body are actually very connected," she adds.
In addition to mental stress, physical stress on your body can also have an effect on your skin. "For example, when I ask patients about their overall stress level, they think about their psychological stress and say, 'I feel absolutely fine,' but then they're like 'Oh wait, but I did have that surgery' or 'I was hospitalized for for a week for Covid,'" says Dr. Lee. "That physiological stress can also cause a flare of psoriasis"
5. New medications
"Asking people about any new medications is really helpful because sometimes we realize it may not just be a flare of their regular psoriasis," says Dr. Lee. "Maybe they started a new medication that maybe is flaring their current psoriasis or causing them to develop a rash that looks a lot like psoriasis."
Although this isn't true for everyone, cold weather has the potential to cause flare-ups. "There is a seasonality, usually around the winter months, where we do know chronic psoriasis patients may have a flare," says Dr. Lee. "I have patients who say, 'Every year from November to January is where my psoriasis flares.' And it's hard. I can't predict who has this seasonality or why they have that seasonality. We think that maybe it's because of the drier weather, the ambient humidity, and lack of moisture in the skin that's causing the flares in psoriasis."
"We used to think that psoriasis was only on the skin and now we have a lot more information that it is associated with other conditions," says Dr. Lee. "Psoriasis can affect arthritis. It can be associated with heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. It can be associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterolall these things that ideally we don't want. And so we realize that it's no longer just affecting the skin and that this is where skin maybe is one of the manifestations of all of this inflammation. We understand a lot more about how psoriasis affects the whole body, and we're also a lot more proactive in finding any associated internal conditions that maybe we can prevent or treat at an earlier point."
Want even more beauty intel from our editors? Follow our Fineprint Instagram account for must-know tips and tricks.
Follow this link:
Im a Dermatologist and These 7 Things Could Be Making Your Psoriasis Worse - Well+Good
- Guselkumab Demonstrates Significant Improvement in Psoriasis Symptoms and HRQoL, Reduces Sexual Impairment ... - Dermatology Times - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- Psoriasis Patients with Arthralgia At Increased Risk of Psoriatic Arthritis Development - MD Magazine - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- Diagnosing Psoriatic Arthritis for the Dermatologist: Guidance From the Experts - Medscape - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- Secukinumab 300 mg May Improve PsA or Active Psoriasis More Than 150 mg - MD Magazine - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- The Impact of Pediatric Plaque Psoriasis on Children and Caregivers - HMP Global Learning Network - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- Guselkumab Led to Improvements Over Several Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Domains - MD Magazine - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- Dual Diagnosing and Managing Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis - The Dermatologist - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- Etanercept Effective for Psoriasis, Rheumatic Disease Among Patients Extending Treatment After 12-Weeks - MD Magazine - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- High Response Rates in Psoriasis With Oral IL-23 Inhibitor - Medpage Today - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Psoriasis and eczema have complex causes and consequences that researchers are seeking to uncover - Medical Xpress - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- New Hope in Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis: Study Shows Promising Results - Medriva - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- No Difference in Psoriasis Immune Response Despite Switch Between AVT02, Adalimumab - MD Magazine - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Oral IL-23 Receptor Antagonist Peptide Effective in PASI Reduction for Psoriasis - MD Magazine - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Breakthrough in Psoriasis Treatment: JNJ-77242113 Shows Promising Results - Medriva - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Promising Results from Phase II Trial of Oral Interleukin Inhibitor for Psoriasis Treatment - Medriva - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Promising Results from the FRONTIER 1 Trial - An Exploration of JNJ-77242113 in the Treatment of Moderate-to ... - Medriva - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Personal Experience with Psoriatic Arthritis and Atopic Dermatitis - Medriva - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Rising Cost of Stelara: Impact on Patients and Johnson & Johnson's Market Performance - Medriva - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Global Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Treatment Market to achieve a remarkable US$ 15.6 Billion by 2028, - PharmiWeb.com - February 9th, 2024 [February 9th, 2024]
- Tremfya potential highlighted by industry analyst GlobalData - The Pharma Letter - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Stress Leads to Increased Risk of Depression, Anxiety for Psoriasis ... - MD Magazine - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Janssen Announces Positive Results From Guselkumab Psoriatic ... - Dermatology Times - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Early Intervention with Secukinumab May Be Effective for Patients ... - MD Magazine - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- VEGF-A Inhibition Downregulates Blood Vessel Area in Psoriasis - Dermatology Times - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Scratching the itch, Lynk Pharmaceuticals trialling ointment for ... - OutSourcing-Pharma.com - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Brepocitinib More Efficacious Than Placebo in Long-Term Psoriatic ... - Dermatology Times - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- For Patients With Birthmarks, Psychosocial Interventions Improved ... - Dermatology Times - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Robert Hariri, MD: Natural Killer Cell Therapy Shows Remarkable ... - MD Magazine - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Nalbuphine ER Tablets Show Promise as Cough Therapy in ... - MD Magazine - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Benefit of Empagliflozin in HFpEF Consistent Regardless of Diuretic ... - MD Magazine - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- selectION reports results from SAD stage of si-544 Phase Ib trial - Clinical Trials Arena - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- No Link Observed Between Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery and New ... - MD Magazine - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Lynk doses first cohort in Phase Ib trial of psoriasis therapy - Clinical Trials Arena - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Metabolic Inflammation Contributes to Depression in Psoriatic Disease - Dermatology Times - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Encouraging Diversity and Inclusion for Patients With Psoriatic ... - MD Magazine - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- The Weekly Roundup: May 22-26 - Dermatology Times - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Pediatric Psoriasis Market: A Study of the Industry's Key Applications ... - The Navajo Post - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Phototherapy Lamps Market are set to witness a CAGR of 5.8 ... - Digital Journal - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Celltrion seeks approval for Stelara biosimilar in EU - The Investor - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Peter Marinkovich, MD: FDA Approval of B-VEC Gene Therapy for ... - MD Magazine - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Nick Stucky, MD, Phd: Implications for Media Influence on Minoxidil ... - MD Magazine - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Tildrakizumab Linked With HRQOL Improvement in Psoriasis in a Real-World Setting - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Clinical Utility of Deucravacitinib for the Management of Moderate to ... - Dove Medical Press - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Covid-19 and Psoriasis: Is there a link? - Dunya News - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Improvement Needed in Study Interventions to Better Skin Self ... - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Reviva Pharmaceuticals Announces Intent to File an IND for Brilaroxazine in Psoriasis After Promising Preclinical Data - Marketscreener.com - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Adam Friedman, MD: Addressing Disparities in Care for Patients ... - MD Magazine - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Early-Infancy Meningitis Infection Linked With Increased Risk of ... - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- NOVN: Counting Down to PDUFA - Yahoo Finance - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Treatment Market is likely to register CAGR ... - Future Market Insights - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- New campaign raises awareness of topical steroid withdrawal - Professional Beauty - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- MoonLake Immunotherapeutics completes patient enrollment and randomization ahead of schedule in a Phase 2 trial of the Nanobody sonelokimab in... - February 2nd, 2023 [February 2nd, 2023]
- EVELO BIOSCIENCES, INC. : Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities, Change in Directors or Principal Officers, Other Events (form 8-K) -... - February 2nd, 2023 [February 2nd, 2023]
- 12 Ways to Treat Psoriasis at Home - Healthline - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- DTC Advertising Of Prescription Drugs In The U.S. Often Promotes Products With Comparatively Low Therapeutic Value - Forbes - January 19th, 2023 [January 19th, 2023]
- Types of Psoriasis: Pictures, Symptoms and Treatments - Healthline - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- Psoriasis Pathogenesis and Treatment - PMC - PubMed Central (PMC) - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- Drug-Provoked Psoriasis: Is It Drug Induced or Drug Aggravated? - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- 'Worst time of the year for me to be covered in scabs': Amber Heard's Alleged Ex Cara Delevingne Revealed Her Psoriasis Struggle Made Kate Moss Scream... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Psoriasis: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes, Types & Treatment - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- What is psoriasis and which foods ease symptoms? - Evening Standard - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Chronic inflammatory diseases: what they are - Emergency Live International - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- How remote care can deliver a step change in treatment for inflammatory skin conditions - PoliticsHome - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Probiotics Supplementation may Improve Symptoms of Hyperuricemia and Gout - Rheumatology Network - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Psoriasis Pathogenesis and Treatment - PubMed - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Best and Worst Drinks for Psoriasis - Everyday Health - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- These Are the 10 Most Common Chronic Skin Conditionsand the Most Important Facts to Know About Them - Parade Magazine - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Survey Addresses Concerns Regarding Reproductive Healthcare Communication in Women with RA, PsA - Rheumatology Network - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Psoriasis Types, Symptoms & Causes | NIAMS - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- What Is Psoriasis And Can It Be Treated? - Forbes - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Plaque Psoriasis Treated With Tildrakizumab Shown to be Effective in Real-World Settings - MD Magazine - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Alumis Announces Initiation of Patient Dosing in Phase 2 Clinical Trial of ESK-001 for the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis - Business Wire - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- 15 Items That Will Make Your Life With Psoriatic Arthritis Easier - BlackDoctor.Org - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Types of Psoriasis and Their Effects on the Immune System - Cureus - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- MoonLake Immunotherapeutics to initiate global Phase 2 study of the Nanobody sonelokimab in patients with active psoriatic arthritis - BioSpace - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- How diversity and inclusion continues to be incorporated in dermatology - PMLiVE - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- Arcutis Announces Topline Results From ARRECTOR Pivotal Phase 3 Trial Of Roflumilast Foam 0.3% In Scalp A - Benzinga - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- Psoriasis Treatment Market Size to Hit USD 51.24 Bn by 2030 - GlobeNewswire - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Ventyx Sees Initiation Of Mid-Stage Psoriasis Study In Q4 2022 Following Positive Data From Initial-Stage - Benzinga - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Woman, 29, Slams Bullies Who 'Giggle And Whisper' At Her Unsightly Psoriasis Sores And Scabs, Leaving Her Depressed And 'Struggling To Walk' -... - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]