Psoriasis is defined as a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the life cycle of the skin cells. Psoriasis results in rapid production of skin cells on the skin’s surface. This leads to formation of itchy, red and dry patches and thick and silvery scales on the affected regions. Sometimes psoriasis skin disease can cause severe pain in the areas effected.

Psoriasis skin disease is a chronic ailment of the skin. There may be periods, when the patient experience improvement of his or her psoriasis symptoms; but that does not indicate curing of the disease. Even after a period of remission, psoriasis may come back in a more severe form. Psoriasis is known to be more disabling if it is associated with arthritis.

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis can be classified into several types based on certain factors. We have tried to cover all the known variants in this short document.
Nonpustular Psoriasis

Nonpustular psoriasis can be again divided into two forms:

• Psoriasis erythroderma : This type of psoriasis known to occur mainly due to the exacerbation of the unstable psoriasis plaques. Patients, who stop using prescribed psoriasis medications without consulting the doctor often, suffer from this condition. Psoriasis erythroderma  is extremely serious and can result in risk to life. The extreme exfoliation and inflammation caused by this form of psoriasis causes a severe trauma to our system undermining our body’s ability to regulate temperature. Psoriasis erythroderma also stops the affected skin from performing the barrier functions increasing risk from external irritants including airborne pollution.
• Psoriasis vulgaris : What is psoriasis vulgaris?  The name used for describing the chronic and persistent form of psoriasis and plaque psoriasis. Psoriasis vulgaris is the most common form of the disease; over 80 % of the patients with psoriasis are diagnosed to be suffering from this  type of psoriasis .Clearly visible by raised areas covered with silvery scaly skin these are known as the psoriasis plaques.

Pustular Psoriasis

Patients with this type of psoriasis gets raised bumps on their skin that contain noninfectious pus or pustules. Pustular psoriasis is sometimes a localized condition attacking areas like feet and hands and at times it can occur in form of widespread patches covering different body parts.

Pustular psoriasis can be of the following types:

• Annular pustular psoriasis
• Pustulosis palmaris et plantaris
• Impetigo herpetiformis
• Acrodermatitis continua
• Generalized pustular psoriasis

Additional Psoriasis Variants

Other than the two basic forms covered above psoriasis, can be listed in the following forms:

• Prescription induced psoriasis : The psoriasis that is triggered by regular intake of a drug. Mostly, this type of psoriasis occurs as a side effect of certain medicinal drugs.
• Nappy psoriasis : It is the psoriasis occurring in the nappy area and is mostly found in the infants between the ages of 2 and 8 months,although can reoccur in young children under certain conditions ie during an illness that has symptoms of fever and associated sweating by constricting clothing.
• Inverse psoriasis : This type of psoriasis occurs in our skin folds, primarily around genitals (between the groin and the thigh), under the breast and in the armpits. People with extended abdomen also get inverse psoriasis under the abdominal region. The condition can turn worse by sweat and friction and is extremely vulnerable to the fungal infections.
• Guttate psoriasis
• Nail Psoriasis
• Psoriatic arthritis