5 days ago
Psoriasis healing stages: Explanation and duration
Flare-ups
Improvement
Remission
Symptom duration
Treament
Summary
Psoriasis symptoms generally develop in three stages: flare-ups, improvement, and remission. The condition causes lifelong skin symptoms, but a person can stay in remission for many months if they follow their proposed treatment schedule.
Psoriasis is an immune system disorder that causes skin cells to multiply too quickly. It can lead to inflamed, cracked skin and white scales, often on the elbows, knees, scalp, and other areas of the body, but symptoms vary from person to person.
For many people with psoriasis, symptoms get worse during periods called flares and improve during remission. Flares often occur in response to triggers, including stress, illness, dry air, skin injuries, or certain medications and foods.
This article explains the healing stages of psoriasis, how long they last, and what psoriasis treatment involves. CatherineDuring flare-ups, symptoms develop or get worse. These often last for weeks or months before improving. These occur because the process that causes skin cells to grow in deeper layers of skin and move to the surface speeds up. This usually takes about a month, but it may occur in days for people with psoriasis. stress
illness, which may cause flares 2-6 weeks after an infection
skin injury, which may lead to symptoms around 10-14 days later at the injury site
weather changes, such as dry air or low sunlight
rarely, allergies, specific foods, alcohol, or factors in the environment may contribute to psoriasis flares
Avoiding these triggers may help people prevent flares, but this is not always possible.
When a person starts psoriasis treatment, they should see symptoms improving. If plaques have a smaller surface area, fewer plaques are visible, or they are becoming less severe, medical professionals would likely deem these to be signs of improving psoriasis.
A doctor may use a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) to track how symptoms respond to treatments or move through the healing stages. This index rates the redness, thickness, and scaling of psoriasis plaques on a scale from 0 to 4, with 0 being complete remission and 4 being very severe.
The score also uses an estimated percentage of the head and neck, upper limbs, trunk, and lower limbs that the plaque or plaques take up.
The time this takes depends on the treatment applied. For example, topical treatments such as creams and ointments are usually the first a doctor recommends. It can take up to six weeks before an individual notices improving symptoms.
Others, such as calcineurin inhibitors, have more potent side effects, including burning and irritation. However, they may start to improve symptoms within a week.
Treatment is essential for extending remission periods in people with psoriasis. For example, a 2021 study surveyed 930 people with psoriasis that covered less than 3% of their body. Of these, 51.7% claimed to have psoriasis that was in remission.
Remission periods lasted 31 months on average, and 79.1% of those in remission reported receiving ongoing treatment.
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, psoriasis symptoms can flare for weeks or months .
As the duration of symptoms may be hard to predict, a person should speak to their dermatologist about the expected course of healing and how to support their healing time while symptoms move through the improvement stage.
Psoriasis can last for a long time, and some types may even be lifelong. However, treatments may help to reduce the severity, duration, and frequency of flare-ups and speed up recovery. Topical treatments: These involve using lotions, ointments, creams, solutions, and foams, often corticosteroids, to treat mild or moderate psoriasis. Nonsteroidal treatments include retinoids, medicines containing vitamin D, tar products such as coal tar or anthralin, and drugs that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor.
These involve using lotions, ointments, creams, solutions, and foams, often corticosteroids, to treat mild or moderate psoriasis. Nonsteroidal treatments include retinoids, medicines containing vitamin D, tar products such as coal tar or anthralin, and drugs that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Methotrexate: This is an antimetabolite drug that may slow down skin cell division. People take it as an injection or by mouth.
This is an antimetabolite drug that may slow down skin cell division. People take it as an injection or by mouth. Oral retinoids: This is a form of vitamin A that, along with phototherapy, may support people with severe psoriasis.
This is a form of vitamin A that, along with phototherapy, may support people with severe psoriasis. Biologics: These injected drugs block certain molecules in the immune system, helping to slow disease progression and inflammation.
These injected drugs block certain molecules in the immune system, helping to slow disease progression and inflammation. Immunosuppressants: For people with severe psoriasis, these can help to suppress immune activity.
For people with severe psoriasis, these can help to suppress immune activity. Oral phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors : These slow the production of new skin cells by targeting enzymes inside immune cells.
: These slow the production of new skin cells by targeting enzymes inside immune cells. Oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitors : People with psoriasis take TYK2 inhibitors to prevent certain immune cells from activating.
: People with psoriasis take TYK2 inhibitors to prevent certain immune cells from activating. Phototherapy: This involves shining specific wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) light on the skin in a clinician's office. Doctors may prescribe this for people whose plaques cover a large surface area. Some people will need to administer phototherapy at home using a special light unit.
Psoriasis symptoms flare up and heal in three stages. They can last from weeks to months before starting to improve, usually with the help of treatments such as creams or systemic medications. The recovery time can vary based on the type, severity, and treatment received.
Treatment aims to achieve complete remission, or a complete absence of symptoms and clear skin. This often lasts up to 12 months, but psoriasis may flare up again in response to a trigger.
