Keeping your skin moisterized with over-the-counter products is a good first step. Prescription creams, ointments and lotions (called topical medicines) that you put on the affected areas are often used. Shampoos are used for psoriasis on the scalp. In more severe cases, medicines are taken in pill form. Other treatments include a special type of ultraviolet light therapy. Sunlight can help psoriasis. You should use a sunscreen on the parts of your skin that aren't affected by psoriasis. It's especially important to put sunscreen on your face.

Some things that can make psoriasis worse are stress and infections. Some medicines can make it worse, too. These medicines include lithium, and certain high blood pressure medicines, such as beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, as well as pain relievers like some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen).

Psoriasis has been shown to be a systemic inflammatory condition with similarities to other inflammatory immune disorders. In addition to its effects on the skin, 30 percent of people with psoriasis will also have psoriatic arthritis. Besides its association with arthritis, psoriasis is associated with depression, obesity, and atherosclerosis (a buildup of plaque in the arteries). Those with psoriasis may also have an increased prevalence of ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, and an increased risk of death. Inflammation could be a biologically plausible explanation for the association between psoriasis and high blood pressure or hypertension, as well as that between psoriasis and diabetes. Research and attention has also been focused on the association between psoriasis, cardiovascular health, and heart attacks or myocardial infarction.

There?s no cure for psoriasis, but many different treatments, both topical and systemic, can clear psoriasis for periods of time. People sometimes need to try out different treatments before they find one that works for them.

Take a photo or make a list of your current treatment regimen to bring with you to the office visit so your dermatologist can know how to adapt or adjust your treatment to optimize your results. It also helps to bring in any recent lab work. Your doctor may have you continue topical treatments when you first add a biologic, and then taper off as the new medication takes effect.