Topical Steroids

Topical steroids remain the mainstay in the treatment of psoriasis. It is a “cortisone” which is analogous to a naturally produce hormone in our body. It functions by decreasing inflammation in the skin. (That is why it is used to treat all of inflamed skin conditions like eczema and poison ivy). The benefits of topical steroids are generally they can work quickly and if used in small locations, generally there have little internal side effects.

The down sides of topical steroids include thinning of the skin, development of enlarged blood vessels and stretch marks. In addition, it is not practical to used topical steroids for people who have multiple plaques since there is some concern of absorptions when steroids are used in too large of an area. Finally, some people notice that the topical steroids slowly stops working over time.

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