Psoriasis Treatment

Psoriasis is a type of skin inflammation – the symptoms of psoriasis can come and go, but when you see them flare up, there is treatment available to help them go away faster and make them less uncomfortable.

Who gets psoriasis? – it affects around 2% of people, no matter what age or gender you are. Psoriasis is not contagious so you can’t get it from someone else, or pass it on to other people either.

What are the different types of psoriasis? – there are a few different types of psoriasis that you can get, including:

• Chronic plaque psoriasis – the most common kind of psoriasis. This can affect your knees, elbows, chest, stomach, back and scalp, as well as other areas too.
• Guttate psoriasis – this usually appears in patches on your arms, legs, chest, stomach, and back. It's related to a type of bacteria called Streptococcus that causes sore throats
• Palmoplantar psoriasis – this type affects your hands and feet
• Pustular psoriasis – this a rare psoriasis that affects the arms, legs, chest, stomach, and back. It causes small pus-filled spots to appear and can come up very quickly. It can sometimes require urgent hospital treatment

How serious is psoriasis – most types of psoriasis are not an emergency, but they can still be very unpleasant. Psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depression. Because of this, it’s important to manage your psoriasis effectively.

Yes, we offer an online psoriasis service – if you’ve been diagnosed with chronic plaque psoriasis (the most common type), you can get psoriasis treatment from ZAVA.

Can I get a diagnosis online? – we don’t offer diagnostic services for psoriasis at the moment. If you think you’re having psoriasis symptoms for the first time, make an appointment to see your GP. Once they confirm you’re having chronic plaque psoriasis symptoms then you can request treatment through our service.

What if I have a different kind of psoriasis? – if you have a different type of psoriasis other than chronic plaque psoriasis, then you’ll need to get treatment another way. Your GP should be able to give you advice on appropriate treatment options for other types of psoriasis.

Calcipotriol (Dovonex) treatment works well – for chronic plaque psoriasis, treatments containing calcipotriol can help improve symptoms. Calcipotriol is an anti-psoriatic medication and is a type of vitamin D treatment. It works to reduce the symptoms of your psoriasis by reducing the amount of extra, scaly skin your body produces. Calcipotriol medication is available under the brand name ‘Dovonex’.

Do you take calcipotriol on its own? – it’s recommended that you take calcipotriol with a moisturiser. They are best used often (3 times a day) especially just after bathing.

What other treatment options are there? – you can also try topical corticosteroid treatments. Vitamin D treatments like Calcipotriol and corticosteroids are the normal, first-line treatment options. If these don’t work or you have severe psoriasis then there’s a treatment called phototherapy which involves shining UV light on your symptoms to improve them. There’s also treatment with coal tar, calcineurin inhibitors (which reduce immune system activity), dithranol (which reduces the rate your skin grows), or systemic anti-inflammatories as well. Your GP can advise you about those.

Yes, calcipotriol treatment can cause side effects – as with all medications, there’s a risk of side effects from psoriasis treatments like calcipotriol. They include:

• a rash, possibly with red itchy bumps
• pain where the treatment is used
• your psoriasis can get worse
• itchy or burning feelings on your skin
• skin or hair follicle inflammation and irritation
• flaky, dry, or red skin
• skin colour changes
• increased amount of calcium in your body
• a sunburn-like reaction

How likely are side effects? – about ¼ people who use calcipotriol will experience some minor side effects. Most are mild and not too difficult to manage. You can help avoid them by limiting your exposure to sunlight (including tanning beds) and avoid eating a lot of calcium rich foods (like dairy, sardines, or beans) or taking calcium supplements.

Overdosing – using too much calcipotriol can cause too much calcium in your blood and lead to:

• needing to urinate often
• constipation
• muscle weakness
• confusion
• coma

So it’s important to take the treatment as prescribed by your doctor, and seek urgent medical attention if you overdose.