Living With Genital Psoriasis
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Symptoms of genital psoriasis can be soreness, itching, pain, and then red spots.
Things you can do to manage your psoriasis is to wear cool, loose-fitting, cotton clothing to allow air circulation in the area. So don't opt for the tight underwear but the boxers. And keep the area clean, cool, and dry.
Use hydrating cleansers. Don't overcleanse the area because that dries out your skin. Be sure to moisturize the area. Hydrate those plaques so that they're not becoming too dry and then they crack open.
Avoid fragrances in the area. Avoid scrubs in the area. Use your medicines as directed.
Treatment for genital psoriasis is trickier than regular plaque psoriasis on the skin because the genital area is such a sensitive, thin-skinned area. We start with topical, low-potency steroid creams to diminish the inflammation of psoriasis and hopefully help heal the inflamed fissures or cracks that you can get in your skinfold areas.
After topical steroids, light therapy, and, in particular, UVB therapy is sometimes very helpful in this area. And then our hope for controlling psoriasis, once and for all, is our biologic treatments, your injectables or IV infusions to help control the overactive immune system.
STEPHANIE GARDNER
Genital psoriasis is a subset of psoriasis. Genital psoriasis does not affect the mucous membranes, so sexual function should not be impaired. It's the plaques on the surrounding skin that can cause some symptoms and cause some of the stress. Symptoms of genital psoriasis can be soreness, itching, pain, and then red spots.
Things you can do to manage your psoriasis is to wear cool, loose-fitting, cotton clothing to allow air circulation in the area. So don't opt for the tight underwear but the boxers. And keep the area clean, cool, and dry.
Use hydrating cleansers. Don't overcleanse the area because that dries out your skin. Be sure to moisturize the area. Hydrate those plaques so that they're not becoming too dry and then they crack open.
Avoid fragrances in the area. Avoid scrubs in the area. Use your medicines as directed.
Treatment for genital psoriasis is trickier than regular plaque psoriasis on the skin because the genital area is such a sensitive, thin-skinned area. We start with topical, low-potency steroid creams to diminish the inflammation of psoriasis and hopefully help heal the inflamed fissures or cracks that you can get in your skinfold areas.
After topical steroids, light therapy, and, in particular, UVB therapy is sometimes very helpful in this area. And then our hope for controlling psoriasis, once and for all, is our biologic treatments, your injectables or IV infusions to help control the overactive immune system.
