Is inverse psoriasis a fungus?

In the past, having healthy skin may seem a thing that is pursued by women or girls but we can see that in current times, men or boys also want to have healthy skin. Having healthy skin can make a person look attractive and even make them seem younger than their age. Healthy skin means more than just a great look. Healthy skin ensures the skin is able to perform its job of protecting from infections and protecting against potential injury. Thus, it is important for you  to take care of your health which includes taking good care of skin.

However, not everyone is lucky to have good healthy skin. Some skin issues may not be easily resolved by using skincare available in drugstores. One of the skin issues that is quite difficult to live with is an inverse psoriasis. Inverse psoriasis is also known as flexural psoriasis. Inverse psoriasis is a form of psoriasis that occurs in skin folds such as armpits, under the breast and genitals but it can occur at many other folds on the body. Inverse psoriasis is part of the many kinds of presentation of psoriasis.

To better understand inverse psoriasis, you may want to know a bit more about psoriasis itself. Psoriasis is a skin disease characterised by the speed up of skin cells growth cycle. It is part of autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is a disease that is caused when the immune system mistakenly thinks cells in the body as an enemy and attacks it. In case of psoriasis, the overactive immune system speeds up the skin cell growth. In normal skin cells, skin grows and shed in a month but in psoriasis, the skin does this in only 3 to 7 days. However, instead of shedding, psoriasis led to the skin cells pile up on the surface of the skin. Thus, inverse psoriasis is not a fungal although it is true that fungal can worsen this condition.

It is not known the exact cause for psoriasis. The only cause that is suggested by researchers is the dysfunction of the immune system itself. This led to the inflammation of the skin. Psoriasis can run in the families but there is no evidence that genetics does cause psoriasis to be inherited. Many people with psoriasis find that their symptoms get worse when there is a trigger such as injury to the skin, infections, medicines and a stressful event. Symptoms can occur at any age but often in early adulthood.

In general, patients with psoriasis often are presented with thick and scaly plaques. The differences with psoriasis in general and inverse psoriasis is, inverse psoriasis is presented with a shiny and smooth silvery scale. This is due to the appearance of the inverse psoriasis at the moist nature of the skin folds. There may be cracks (fissures) in the depths of the skin crease. These cracks may be painful and bleed. The typical shape of psoriasis of the deep red colour and well-defined border may be seen in inverse psoriasis. Scaly plaques may occur but particularly on the circumcised penis.

Treatment of flexural psoriasis is almost the exact same as psoriasis in general. Topical steroids are often the initial treatment. Topical steroids can be in forms of creams, lotions, oils, sprays, foams, gel and ointment. It is best to get topical steroids prescribed by doctors. Patients usually need to use stronger topical psoriasis for a few days and stop it when the psoriasis cleared. It is recommended to use a stronger one by spreading it thinly and accurately on the psoriasis. Patients may use the topical steroid again when the condition occurs. It is important to not overuse topical steroids as it may result in long-term aggravation of psoriasis (tachyphylaxis). Doctors may also prescribe topical steroids combined with antifungal agents to prevent thrush. Calcipotriol cream, a medicine with vitamin-D like compounds may be given as options in long-term topical treatment. Topical calcineurin inhibitors such as calcineurin inhibitors, tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus cream may be given as other options although it is deemed to be less effective than topical steroids but good for preventing skin thinning. Topical agents such as salicylic acid or retinoids might be given by doctors but it is uncommon unless it is diluted in emollients or applied only for a short period before washing it off. This is because these topical agents can be irritative to the delicate area of the skin folds.

In essence, inverse psoriasis is just another form of psoriasis. It mainly affects the skin folds and characterised with shiny plaques. Since inverse psoriasis symptoms may be confused with other skin issues, it is wise for patients to get checked by a doctor. Topical treatments are often the mainstay in treating inverse psoriasis but it is possible that doctors may prescribe other medication such as oral or phototherapy. Combinations of treatments are common to be seen in patients with this skin condition. Due to the fact that inverse psoriasis is a life-long condition, patients need to adhere to the doctor’s advice.

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