Mild to Moderate Psoriasis

People with mild to moderate psoriasis may get relief from a number of topical treatments applied directly to the skin. The treatments come in many forms, including ointments, creams, gels, foams, tape, sprays, shampoo, oils and lotions. Most work by slowing skin growth and in some cases, by also reducing inflammation and maybe used alone or in combination with another topical treatment. The most commonly used treatments include:

• Corticosteroids – The cornerstone of treatment for mild to moderate psoriasis, corticosteroids come in many different strengths and types, such as creams, lotions and ointments. They stop the itch, and reduce inflammation and the rapid growth of the skin cells, but side effects may include thinning of the skin, infection and dilated blood vessels.
• Tazarotene – A man-made vitamin A derivative (retinoid), tazarotene comes in cream and gel forms and works by controlling DNA activity in the skin, which slows the growth of the skin cells. It can irritate the skin and women who are pregnant must not use it. The treatment can be combined with corticosteroids to increase its effectiveness.
• Vitamin D Analogues, or Calcipotriene – This man-made vitamin D slows skin cell growth and reduces inflammation but can cause skin irritation. This side effect can be reduced when used with corticosteroids.

Other treatments that may be used include:

• Anthralin – Used for many years to treat plaque and guttate psoriasis, anthralin is effective on tough-to-treat thick plaques. It can irritate the skin and stain clothing, skin and other items, although newer forms are less likely to cause that problem.
• Coal tar – Coal tar is one of the oldest treatments for scaling, inflammation and itching. The tar slows scale formation and softens thickened plaques. It also can stain clothing and irritate the skin.
• Salicylic acid – Also used to treat warts, salicylic acid may be used in combination with other topical treatments to treat psoriasis. Researchers believe salicylic acid may help the other treatment penetrate the skin better. Although rare, it can be toxic if too much is absorbed into your body.

In addition, several promising new treatments for psoriasis are in clinical trials, including topical immunomodulators (pimecrolimus and tacrolimus) which are anti-inflammatory agents currently used to treat eczema.

Also, moisturizers and scale removers can help soften the scaly skin and allow topical treatments to penetrate the plaque.

Next: Moderate to Severe Psoriasis