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Psoriasis
Just because your face is clear, it doesn’t mean that your skin condition isn’t worth treating. Psoriasis is a chronic condition, and while it rarely affects the face, it can appear anywhere on your body – with severity varying significantly between patients.
Psoriasis usually consists of red patches covered with silvery scales – and these patches will fluctuate with time, even without treatment. You know how irritating psoriasis can be, which is why we’ve developed a wide variety of treatment pathways to manage your skin health. This enables us to carefully tailor a treatment plan to your condition and your needs, leaving you feeling more comfortable and confident in your skin. |
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Skin diseases are challenging; nothing is more rewarding than seeing my patients getting better. ![]() Dr Kenneth Wong
Dermatologist, Skin Cancer
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Treatment Detail Sheet
If you have booked, or plan to, this information is useful to read prior to your dermatology consult. Book a dermatology consultation
Book a dermatology consultation with one of our Doctors or Dermatology Associates. Book a dermatology consultation
Book a dermatology consultation with one of our Doctors or Dermatology Associates. |
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About Psoriasis is a fairly common condition, with approximately 2% of adults affected. While the cause isn’t precisely known, the result is skin that grows around seven times more quickly and thickly than it should. The patches – also known as plaques – can appear anywhere, but most frequently affect the elbows, knees, lower back and scalp. In cases where the groin, armpits, genital area and/or skin between the breasts are involved, the patches will generally be less scaly and instead have a glazed appearance. Psoriasis does not result in scarring, and rarely results in hair loss. Psoriasis is not an allergy, and it is not contagious. Your patches of affected skin can grow and shrink for no apparent reason – but even if it disappears completely, the predisposition remains. Recurrent flares can happen years after the first incidence. Different cases need different solutions. But there are some basic principles that psoriasis treatment will aim to achieve:
Causes It is generally believed that psoriasis is due (at least in part) to an abnormal immune system reaction against a component of the skin. The precise cause of this is unknown, but there is definitely a genetic component. Some families have a propensity to developing the condition; about half of those affected know of a relative with psoriasis too. Outbreaks seem to start after a trigger of some kind – from emotional stress to skin injury, strep throat to hormones, or in some rare cases, specific medications. Excessive alcohol consumption does not itself trigger psoriasis, but it can certainly aggravate the condition. Treatment Certain treatments are more appropriate for some patients than others. The following are loosely arranged from basic treatments for mild cases, through to more intensive regimens for severe cases.
Scalp care
Radiation
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Psoriasis Video
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Why Skin Institute?
Since being established in 1994, Skin Institute has been at the forefront of dermatological care in New Zealand. From the beginning, we have demonstrated expertise in the areas of clinical dermatology, veins, cosmetic medicine and surgery, and skin cancer. Today, we are a multi-disciplinary specialist centre, with clinics across the country – and teams of highly qualified medical and nursing staff at each one. Book a dermatology consultation
Book a dermatology consultation with one of our Doctors or Dermatology Associates. ![]() |