Quick tips for assessing my psoriasis
how much of my body surface area is affected?
how red and angry is the skin
how thick are the plaques of disease?
how much scale is coming off the plaques?
how does this affect me psychologically?
is it painful or troublesome? E.g. bleeding, and does it stop me doing normal daily activities e.g. work or walking/exercise?
is there any pus formation?
Body surface area
Each 1% of your body surface area is about the size of your hand. Broadly speaking, the legs are about 18% each, the arms 9% each, the front and back of torso18% each, the head and neck 9% and the genitalia one percent.
So you can work out how much of your body surface area is involved and anything more than about 10 or 15% means your condition is pretty severe
How red are the areas
Normally psoriasis is a light pink colour but sometimes when it is angry and inflamed it becomes redder and redder. The darker the red colour, the more active the disease.
How thick are the plaques
Psoriasis causes area of the skin to become red and then thicken up giving a rough texture. The thicker these areas become, the more severe the disease.
How much scale is coming off
Psoriasis causes increased skin cell turnover and the more aggressive the condition, the more flaking and scaling appears. Sometimes this can be very thick and adherent but usually it flakes off throughout the day.
How does this affect you Psychologically
Psoriasis is a disfiguring condition and sometimes it’s very painful. It can affect one’s confidence and prevent one undertaking normal daily activities. Sometimes it can cause anxiety and depression, so the psychological effects are important.
Is it painful or troublesome
Psoriasis can occur in delicate and awkward areas such as over the joints or in the groin or on the genitals which can cause discomfort and sometimes splitting and bleeding. When it is on the palms or souls it can really be painful and interfere with daily activities. For anyone who is unable to exercise or work, the psoriasis is classed as severe because it is having such a huge impact on a person’s life.
Is there any pus formation
If you see whiteheads appearing in the areas of inflammation then your psoriasis is extremely active and very severe. This is called pustular psoriasis. There is a variant confined to the hands and feet called Palmo plantar pustular psoriasis which is not so aggressive but can really cause impact as it is painful.
Once the severity of your psoriasis has been calculated by your Dermatologist, the next step is to commence you on the appropriate treatment.
