Psoriasis is a skin condition that is chronic but not contagious. It is characterized usually by itchy, raised and red patches of dry skin also referred to as plaque. Psoriasis can also look like flaky scales that are usually white to grayish in color. Psoriasis can vary from mild to severe. It can also vary in shape, in size and the specific location in the body where it is seen.

Psoriasis is usually found on the elbows and knees but can also be present in the other parts of the body such as the scalp, the neck, the legs, torso and in more other parts of the body, depending on severity.

The outer skin is normally ‘replacing’ itself every 21-28 days. People affected by psoriasis usually undergo the skin’s changing process in a faster cycle, which is usually two to six days. As such, the skin cells mount up on the surface of the skin, thereby resulting to the dry patches that psoriasis is characterized with. The scaling is due to the accumulation of skin cells while the redness is due to the increase in blood in the vessels that aid in the replacement of the skin and cell production.