Psoriasis and inflammation

Inflammation can make skin feel itchy, warm, tender, or tight. The visible colour varies with skin tone and may be pink, red, violet, brown, or darker than nearby skin. The process can also affect the scalp and nails. Periods of improvement and flare are common, and a flare may follow skin injury, illness, stress, or irritating products, although a trigger is not always identifiable. Psoriasis is not contagious.

Use the treatment prescribed for the affected body site and keep applying it according to the plan even when scale starts to improve. Gentle cleansing, regular moisturising, and avoiding picking help protect the skin barrier. Tell your clinician about smoking, alcohol use, medicines, recent illness, and sleep problems if flares are frequent; these details can guide a broader plan. Do not stop systemic treatment suddenly without medical advice.

Seek urgent help for rapidly widespread inflamed skin, severe pain, fever, pus, or feeling very unwell. Arrange dermatology review when symptoms limit sleep or movement, treatment no longer controls the patches, or new nail changes appear. Report persistent joint swelling, heel pain, or stiffness after rest, since these symptoms may signal inflammatory joint involvement.

Ask which signs show that inflammation is active, how to treat different skin sites, and whether your joint symptoms warrant assessment. Clarify the expected follow-up, possible treatment adjustments, and which side effects should be reported.