The Skin Nerd: What exactly is psoriasis?

August is Psoriasis Awareness Month and a time to draw attention to the chronic skin condition that affects over 73,000 Irish people

'It’s still unclear how big of a role genetics play in psoriasis, but you’re more likely to suffer from the skin condition if one of your parents has it.'

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that affects 2% of people in the UK and 73,000 people in Ireland. The skin disorder manifests as red, dry, and flaky patches of skin, which can appear anywhere, although the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back are hotspots. The patches can also feel sore and itchy.

The scaly patches occur when skin cells are produced and shed abnormally fast. Usually, skin proliferation — the process of skin cells reproducing and maturing — takes 28 days.