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Psoriasis Health Center

Psoriasis

Psoriasis, a chronic skin condition, causes skin cells to grow too quickly. Symptoms include thick white, silvery, or red patches of skin, inflammation, and flaking skin. Psoriasis is caused by an overactive immune system.

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Topic Overview

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis (say "suh-RY-uh-sus") is a long-term (chronic) skin problem that causes skin cells to grow too quickly, resulting in thick, white, silvery, or red patches of skin. Normally, skin cells grow gradually and flake off about every 4 weeks. New skin cells grow to replace the outer layers of the skin as they shed. But in psoriasis, new skin cells move rapidly to the surface of the skin in days rather than weeks. They build up and form thick patches called plaques (say "plax").

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