Psoriasis specialist in London 

Plaque psoriasis 

The most common form of psoriasis, causing dry skin lesions covered in scales, known as plaques, often on your elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. These plaques can be sore and itchy.

Scalp psoriasis  

A type of plaque psoriasis, it can occur on parts of your scalp or on your entire scalp, causing patches of skin covered in thick scales. While you may find scalp psoriasis incredibly itchy, it doesn’t always cause discomfort. In acute cases it can cause you to lose some of your hair, though this is usually temporary.

Nail psoriasis 

Half of all people with psoriasis will find that the condition affects their nails, causing them to discolour, develop tiny dents, or to grow abnormally. Nails might separate from the nail bed, or less commonly, may deteriorate.

Guttate psoriasis 

Guttate psoriasis causes small tear-shaped sores to develop on your chest, arms, legs and scalp. Often guttate psoriasis will disappear altogether after a few weeks, but some people do develop plaque psoriasis. This type of psoriasis sometimes occurs after a streptococcal throat infection. Antibiotics might be recommended to treat the infection. 

Inverse (flexural) psoriasis  

This affects the creases of your skin, such as your groin, armpits, and between your buttocks. It can cause smooth patches of skin to develop in any or all of these areas.

Sweating and friction can aggravate the symptoms of inverse psoriasis, so it can be more uncomfortable in hot weather.

It can present anywhere on the body, including the scalp, hands, elbows, feet and genitals. It can also affect the joints.

Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory condition that can cause tenderness, pain and swelling in your joints, and sometimes lead to joint damage. Again, it varies from one person to another in severity, but early treatment is highly recommended by experts to minimise the damage to your joints. 

Psoriasis is believed to affect around 2% of people in the UK and can appear at any age, but is most common between the ages of 11 and 45. It can be uncomfortable and make you self-conscious, but it is not infectious.

Psoriasis is a condition that affects the immune system. When someone has psoriasis the rate at which their skin is replaced speeds up. Normally it takes 21-28 days to replace skin cells, but with psoriasis this can happen in just a few days. As a result, the skin cells can build up on the surface of the skin and appear as raised red, flaky patches. 

Many people with psoriasis will find that symptoms start or intensify because of a certain event or trigger. 

Common triggers of psoriasis include:  

• Having a throat infection or another type of infection
• An injury to your skin, through a cut or scrape, or surgery
• Using certain medicines, such as lithium or beta blockers
• Emotional stress
• Changes to your body temperature due to the weather

 It’s important to know that psoriasis is not contagious, so it cannot be spread through human contact. 

Psoriasis is a long-term (chronic) condition that is thought to run in families. Symptoms can appear and disappear at different times, with the severity of symptoms changing. While psoriasis can't be cured, there is a huge amount our specialists can do to help manage your symptoms and work out your triggers. 

If you're looking for effective private psoriasis treatment in London, we are here to help. Our team of Consultant Dermatologists will try to understand possible causes of any psoriasis flare ups, and work to improve symptoms, and the look and feel of your skin.

Often, first-line treatments including topical treatments, such as a topical corticosteroids, moisturisers for dry skin, medicated shampoos, or vitamin D ointment, will be recommended. 

If your condition is more severe and creams on their own are not effective, we might recommend a treatment called phototherapy. Phototherapy works by exposing your skin to specific types of ultraviolet light.

In more acute cases, systemic treatments may be necessary. These are oral medicines, or medicines that are injected into your skin to work throughout your entire body.

Psoriasis can just be a minor irritation for some people, but for others it can have a significant impact on quality of life. Persistent symptoms and flare-ups can understandably lead to low mood or depression, so it’s always a good idea to see a specialist if you are concerned about your skin.

People with psoriasis are more prone to high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and heart disease, so it's also advisable to talk to one of our GPs about this in order to assess your risk and make sure you receive the right treatments.

In the meantime, it’s important to remember that psoriasis is an inflammatory condition, and there are several things you can do to help yourself, including avoiding any known triggers. 

Other suggestions include:  

• Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly
• Quitting smoking and reducing your alcohol intake
• Finding ways to reduce stress, such as yoga or meditation
• Making sure you take your prescribed medications
• Keeping your skin well moisturised to prevent dryness and cracking

 If you’re looking for a psoriasis specialist in London, we are here to help. Our Consultant Dermatologists are highly experienced in managing psoriasis and can work closely with you to create a long-term treatment plan, including lifestyle changes based on your known triggers and individual needs.