Psoriasis is a fairly common skin condition which is characterized by dry, itchy scaly skin. Currently, about 7.5 million Americans experience psoriasis symptoms. Psoriasis can occur in a variety of different places on the body manifests itself differently in a wide variety of cases.
The following are the 3 most common places where psoriasis tends to appear on the body:
1. Psoriasis on the Elbows & Knees:
Psoriasis often tends to appear around jointed areas such as your elbows and knees. Other points where psoriasis often shows up includes around the wrists and ankles. It will often appear as white, raised patches of skin with the silvery buildup of dead skin collecting around the area. Sometimes it’s only a few small patches of skin that take on this look while at other times the entire area of the skin is covered in these scaly patches. As this is tougher skin than what is found on the on the facial area or scalp, many times a prescription of a topical solution is needed to help treat psoriasis on these parts of the body.
2. Psoriasis on the Scalp & Facial Area:
Psoriasis affects many people’s scalp and facial areas. The skin around the hairline and on the forehead will often be a key area for flare-ups along with the skin between the top lip and the bottom of the nose as well as around and behind a person’s ears. This can be a challenging area to treat as the skin on these parts of the body can be very sensitive to the chemicals in many treatments. The best treatment for psoriasis on the scalp and facial area of the body are over-the-counter treatments with salicylic acid or even lower-dose steroid topical creams that can be prescribed by your dermatologist.
3. Psoriasis on Hands & Feet:
The palms of the hands and soles of the feet are common areas for psoriasis breakouts. These breakouts are often called palmoplantar psoriasis which can be very painful due to the psoriasis being on surfaces such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet as they are used so frequently. It can often make using one’s hands, walking, or even standing difficult for a person who has psoriasis symptoms on this part of the body. Treatment for psoriasis on the hands and feet generally includes topical treatment for more mild cases with ultraviolet light therapies and systemic medicines to help treat psoriasis on these parts of the body.