Psoriasis...

Psoriasis, pronounced (sore-EYE-ah-sis) is a noncontagious lifelong skin disease. It appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells, called scale. No one knows exactly what causes psoriasis, but is believed to have a genetic component. Most researchers agree that the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. A normal skin cell matures and falls off of the body's surface in 28 to 30 days. But a psoriatic skin cell takes only 3 to 4 days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off/shedding the cells pile up and form lesions.

There is no cure for psoriasis. There are many different types of topical and systemic treatments to help clear psoriasis for periods of time. Seven and a half million Americans are said to have psoriasis. And I'm one of them.

More on this tomorrow...