Your doctor will ask questions about your health and examine your skin, scalp and nails. Your doctor might take a small sample of skin (biopsy) for examination under a microscope. This helps determine the type of psoriasis and rule out other disorders.
Treatment
Psoriasis treatments aim to stop skin cells from growing so quickly and to remove scales. Options include creams and ointments (topical therapy), light therapy (phototherapy), and oral or injected medication.
Which treatments you use depends on how severe the psoriasis is and how responsive it has been to previous treatment. You might need to try different drugs or a combination of treatments before you find an approach that works for you. Usually, however, the disease returns.
Topical therapy
- Corticosteroids. These drugs are the most frequently prescribed medications for treating mild to moderate psoriasis. They are available as ointments, creams, lotions, gels, foams, sprays and shampoos. Mild corticosteroid ointments (hydrocortisone) are usually recommended for sensitive areas, such as your face or skin folds, and for treating widespread patches. Topical corticosteroids might be applied once a day during flares, and on alternate days or weekends only to maintain remission.Your doctor may prescribe a stronger corticosteroid cream or ointment— triamcinolone (Acetonide, Trianex), clobetasol (Temovate) for smaller, less-sensitive or tougher-to-treat areas.Long-term use or overuse of strong corticosteroids can thin the skin. Over time, topical corticosteroids may stop working.
- Vitamin D analogues. Synthetic forms of vitamin D, such as calcipotriene and calcitriol (Vectical) slow skin cell growth. This type of drug may be used alone or with topical corticosteroids. Calcitriol may cause less irritation in sensitive areas. Calcipotriene and calcitriol are usually more expensive than topical corticosteroids.
