Psoriasis is a long-term condition, and living with it means dealing with red, scaly patches that can itch, crack, or bleed depending on the day. The providers at Soine Dermatology & Aesthetics diagnose and treat psoriasis for McComb patients with a plan built around how the condition is actually showing up on your skin. Options range from topical medication through light therapy and treatment that works throughout the body, depending on how widespread and severe your psoriasis is.
One of the first causes behind psoriasis for any McComb patient is the immune system. White blood cells called T-cells normally defend the body against bacteria and viruses, but in psoriasis they mistakenly attack healthy skin cells instead. That immune response pushes the skin to produce new cells far faster than normal, and those cells pile up on the surface faster than the body can shed them, forming the raised, scaly patches known as plaques.
There’s also a genetic piece. Having a parent, grandparent, or sibling with psoriasis raises your own risk, and researchers have identified specific genes tied to it, though some people carry those genes and never develop the condition while others develop it without them.
Psoriasis is not contagious. Presentation varies a lot from patient to patient, from a handful of small guttate spots that follow a strep infection to widespread plaque psoriasis covering large areas of the body, and identifying which type you have shapes the treatment plan.
For milder or more localized cases in our McComb patients, treatment for psoriasis usually starts on the skin itself. Topical corticosteroids reduce inflammation and are often the first medication added to a plan. Vitamin D analogues can flatten thick patches and cut down on scale, and topical retinoids such as tazarotene work similarly, though they call for daily sun protection while in use. Tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are alternatives for sensitive areas like the face or skin folds, where stronger topical steroids aren’t a good fit.
When psoriasis covers more of the body or isn’t responding to topical treatment, phototherapy uses controlled ultraviolet light to slow the overactive skin cell turnover behind the plaques. It’s delivered as a series of sessions rather than a single visit, and it can treat the scalp and nails in addition to the skin.
Moderate to severe psoriasis often calls for treatment that works systemically rather than just on the surface. Apremilast is an oral medication taken twice daily for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Biologic medications for psoriasis are given to McComb patients by injection and target specific parts of the immune system involved with the condition, and they’re generally reserved for moderate to severe cases that haven’t responded well to other treatments. Older systemic options like methotrexate and cyclosporine are still used for extensive or disabling psoriasis, with regular monitoring built into the plan.
There’s no cure for psoriasis, but most patients see real, lasting improvement once their dermatology provider finds the right combination of therapies for their case.
Soine Dermatology & Aesthetics has provided medical dermatology care from its McComb clinic since 1999, with board-certified dermatologist Heather Newlon, MD leading care alongside the rest of the McComb team. Every psoriasis treatment plan starts with an accurate diagnosis of what type you have and how it’s affecting you, not a one-size-fits-all prescription.
Contact our McComb office at 601-684-3210 or schedule an appointment online.