What is going on ?

You body is producing skin cells faster than it should do and that is when you start getting the flakes that is a common sign of psoriasis. It's happening because your immune system is going into overdrive.

T Cells are like little Soldiers in your body and their job is to protect you from Viruses, Infections and Foreign Substances. Usually your Soldiers will just go about their business without you knowing about it, but should you have psoriasis then things go wrong with your army.

Private T cell thinks he knows best and gets a bit carried away with his job. Somehow he gets in your skin, which is not his job. He spots a skin injury and off he goes! He stimulates B cells and other white blood cells into attack mode.

Also amongst his weapons he can stimulate the production of powerful immune factors called cytokines. In small amounts, cytokines are very important for healing. However, a high level of cytokines causes your skin cells to reproduce at a faster rate. This in turn creates a pile of dead skin that Private T Cell thinks are more enemies, and so the cycle begins.

Psoriatic arthritis

There are different figures about how many people will go on to also get psoriatic arthritis, but it's around a quarter of us that will suddenly get struck. Some even go straight to the psoriatic arthritis stage and only have a little psoriasis, but mostly it comes after you have had psoriasis for a while.

Again it can be managed and it comes in different levels of severity, so getting the right treatment is difficult. Some people just get the odd annoying finger that will give some discomfort, and some can end up at times completely locked up and in a huge amount of pain.

We have a lot more information about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis on our forum. You can also talk to others that live with one or both and get first hand information from real people.

What can I do now ?

Your first step is to see a doctor and get a diagnoses. Once He/She confirms it is psoriasis you will be started on some creams, in some cases it may be all that is needed.

If however it is very bad or not being managed with the creams then you should ask your doctor for a referral to a dermatologist. A dermatologist is better suited to treat psoriasis and will work with you to find the right treatment for you.

Do Not

Go trawling the internet. Although there is a lot of information out there it can be a nightmare sifting your way through the scams to find the genuine information. The internet is full of Fake News about psoriasis.

Unfortunately you are now a prime target for some charlatans that will make you false promises about cures or management plans. They will only empty you wallet and leave you in some cases with worse psoriasis than you first had.

We can help

At Psoriasis Club you will find a genuine friendly bunch of people sharing information and support. None of us are doctors but we know what it is like living with psoriasis and we have built up a huge amount of information.

You are welcome to read some of that information on our forum (See the Go To The Forum button) once there you will see a huge amount of genuine information posted by our members.

If you like what you see then click the register button and join in. We are very proactive against spammers, trolls and scammers. But genuine people living with psoriasis will be given a very warm welcome.

Once you have joined us go and check out the Members Only boards, you will find plenty there to take your mind off things whilst at the same time get to know others that understand.

We don't care if you leave flakes around the place and we will never ask you to sweep up after your visit.