Psoriasis treatments come in 3 forms: topical, light therapy and systematic medication. Topical and light therapy psoriasis treatments have both already been discussed in Topical Psoriasis Treatments and Light Therapy Psoriasis Treatments, so this article will solely be devoted to the discussion of psoriasis treatments via systematic medication.

By definition, systematic medications are medications that affect the entirety of the body’s systems. Unlike topical and light therapy treatments, systematic medications are typically only used as psoriasis treatments on individuals who suffer from moderate to severe cases of psoriasis. In fact, many dermatologists won’t even consider putting their psoriasis-laden patients on systematic medications until all other treatment types have been exhausted and found ineffective. Having said that, systematic medications normally come with the chance of severe side effects. As a result, dermatologists who end up prescribing them to their patients will often closely monitor them in a pre-emptive effort to avoid those severe side effects.

That being said, the following are the systematic treatments for psoriasis that are most commonly prescribed by dermatologists: methotrexate, cyclosporine and retinoids.

To begin, methotrexate is a medication that can be taken either by mouth or via an injection. On the fundamental level, methotrexate functions by suppressing the immune system. Ultimately, this suppression of the immune system leads to the reduction of the effects of psoriasis. It does this by binding with, and then stopping, the cells that are commonly associated with the growth of skin. Taken in the short term, methotrexate has been found to be an effective psoriasis treatment. However, over the long term it can cause irreperable liver and blood cell damage.

Having said that, cyclosporine functions in almost the exact same way as methotrexate. So, next up is retinoids.

Retinoids, a derivative of vitamin A, functions by altering the method of growth and process of shedding undergone by skin cells. When taken by itself, retinoids do wonders for individuals who have pustular psoriasis or erythrodermic psoriasis. But, they are also beneficial for those individuals with plaque psoriasis as long as they are combined with phototherapy. All things considered, retinoids can cause severe birth defects even after the individual has stopped taking them, so dermatologists typically recommend that women should not be pregnant when they begin taking retinoids, or have plans on becoming pregnant within three years after they’ve stopped taking them.

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As mentioned in Topical Psoriasis Treatments, psoriasis can be treated, although there is no known outright cure for it. In 85 to 95% of people with psoriasis, relief from psoriasis flare-ups can be had through a number of treatments. In brief, there are three categories into which psoriasis treatments fall. The first — topical treatments — has already been discussed in the aforementioned article. The other two are light therapy treatments and systematic medications.

In this article, only light therapy psoriasis treatments will be discussed. However, if you want more information on the other two treatments, you can read about them here (Topical Psoriasis Treatments) and here (Psoriasis Treatments via Systematic Medication).

To begin, light therapy psoriasis treatments aren’t normally prescribed as a stand-alone treatment. In most cases, they are combined with either topical treatments or systematic medication, and in rare cases, both. Despite this fact, light therapy — also known as phototherapy — can be extremely effective in individuals who have a very mild case of psoriasis.

Now, intuitively enough, light therapy serves as a psoriasis treatment through the use of natural or artificial ultraviolet light. Typically, it functions entirely by exposing the skin of the psoriasis-plagued individual to a controlled amount of natural sunlight. However, it is not rare for dermatologists to use UVA or UVB light instead of natural light to treat psoriasis. In fact, there are approximately 8 methods that dermatologists use. These are: sunlight exposure, UVB phototherapy, narrowband UVB therapy, Goeckerman therapy, photochemotherapy, the use of an Excimer laser or pulsed dye laser, and combination light therapy.

For the sake of brevity, this article will not go in depth into each of these specific treatment methods. However, each of these treatments function the same way, which I will explain in the following paragraphs.

At the fundamental level, when exposed to any type of UV light, the T cells that are abnormally firing the signals that lead to the scaling and inflammation of psoriasis are killed. Because of this fact, daily exposures of small amounts of UV light has been proven to improve psoriasis. However, if individuals with psoriasis exposes themselves to intense UV light for a prolonged amount of time, their psoriasis may worsen and even cause sever skin damage. So, for those who are looking into treating their psoriasis via light therapy, the best route to take is to ask their dermatologist for tips on the safest way to implement light therapy into their psoriasis treatments before the actual implementation of light therapy.

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Although psoriasis remains an incurable disorder to this day, you can’t argue with the fact that it responds surprisingly well to a handful of topical and systematic psoriasis treatments. In fact, for 85% to 90% of people severely plagued by psoriasis, there exist treatments that never fail to offer them relief during flare-ups.

That being said, all psoriasis treatments aim to do two things: 1) put an end to the cell growth cycle responsible for the increase in skin cell production, thereby minimizing skin inflammation and the formation of plaque; and 2) rid your skin of any scales caused by the psoriasis while simultaneously smoothing it.

With that, psoriasis treatments can be split up into three major types: 1) topical treatments, 2) light therapy and 3) systematic medications. However, only topical treatments will be discussed in this article.

To begin, topical psoriasis treatments — mostly in the form of creams and ointments — are extremely effective in combating the discomfort and lack of confidence brought about by mild to moderate psoriasis. But, in individuals whose psoriasis is severe, topical treatments aren’t enough. In these cases, it is often very necessary to combine the power of the creams and ointments with the aforementioned light therapy and systematic medications.

Now, with topical treatments, options are a plenty. You can choose from topical corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, anthralin, topical retinoids, calcineurin inhibitors, salicylic acid, coal tar or moisturizers.

Out of all these options, topical corticosteroids are the most frequently prescribed topical. In short, topical corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that are used to treat mild to moderate psoriasis. It does this by significantly increasing the amount of time it takes for a cell to turnover, thereby reducing inflammation and the itching that is often associated with mild to moderate cases of psoriasis. And, it does this by far of supressing the immune system.

That being said, the strength in which topical corticosteroids are offered greatly range, with each strength catering to a specific area of the skin where psoriasis has manifested. For instance, low-strength corticosteroid ointments are typically used to treat psoriasis flare-ups that confine themselves to sensitive areas, such as the face or fold of the skin. Moreover, low-strength corticosteroids are also prescribed to treat patches of damaged skin that are extremely widespread.

Now, in order for a doctor to prescribe a higher strength corticosteroid, the areas in which the psoriasis manifests itself on an individual must be confined to either a small area of skin or constantly persistent on the hands or feet. However, if other topical treatments haven’t worked, doctor’s may prescribe a higher dose of corticosteroids, as well.

All things considered, topical corticosteroids are not without their side-effects. In fact, studies have shown that long-term use of topical corticosteroids results in the thinning of the skin, as well as the skin building up a strong resistance to the treatment. Because of these facts, doctors generally advise their patients with psoriasis to only use topical corticosteroids on active outbreaks for as long as it takes to get them under control and for absolutely no longer.

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