How to Treat Psoriasis

Male Speaker: But first, it's irritating, debilitating and sometimes embarrassing. If you have psoriasis, you know its effects are more than skin deep. Up to seven million Americans suffer from this chronic skin condition for which there is no cure. But thanks to newer treatment options, more patients can put away their cover-ups and wear their self-confidence on their sleeve. Meet Mark Bishop, outdoors man, motorcycle enthusiast. But for 15 years, cloaked under his year-round wardrobe of pants and long-sleeved shirts, Mark hit a painful secret. Mark Bishop: It gives you an awful appearance. There's no part of your body that is immune to being attacked by the psoriasis. Male Speaker: And when it attacks, it causes patches of itchy, scaly and sometimes, inflamed skin. Dr. Alan Menter: The patches themselves can range from dime size to huge, big, large patches. And each patch itself is -- has a little small red appearance to the skin. Male Speaker: Nearly one in fifty Americans suffer from psoriasis, no age group, ethnicity or gender is immune. Dr. Jerri Johnson: It is a genetic disease. We know this because we see an increased incidence in relatives, the psoriasis, and twins, identical twins. Male Speaker: Despite its unattractive appearance, psoriasis is not contagious. Well, reasons unknown, the body's immune system now functions and causes skin cells to grow too fast. Dr. Boni Elewski: The skin cells multiply roughly ten times faster than a normal person's skin and so you get accumulation of scales, fix scale on spots of skin or patches of skin. Male Speaker: Even worse, it can attack your self image. Mark Bishop: You don't get out and advertise if you have psoriasis because a lot of people don't know how to accept you in life with it. Male Speaker: For some, psoriasis is debilitating. Physical therapist Kevin Copeland says, it interferes with his work. Kevin Copeland: When I am working with the patient if I had to get on my knees on the mat, it's incredibly painful. Dr. Robin Travers: You can imagine if you have very thickened scaly skin on your hands that is source of the touch, how difficult that would be to function in the workplace. Male Speaker: There is no cure for psoriasis, but several new therapies can help patients control their condition. Like this gel called Tazorac. Unlike other topical it's applied just once a day. Male Speaker: This seems to work for a longer period of time and the majority of patients have 80% will get significant improvement on their psoriasis. Male Speaker: In more severe cases like Kevin's, topicals can be combined with other treatments like systemic drugs or a light therapy. Robin Travers: We all know that patients with psoriases improve when they go out into the sun and we determined that it's not all sunlight that improves psoriases, it's particularly the ultraviolet rays. Male Speaker: Since prescribing sunshine has its own risks, dermatologist Robin Travers uses a special laser. Robin Travers: This laser was developed so that we could focus that beam of ultraviolet light just on the areas of the psoriases. Male Speaker: It's time consuming but after ten treatments, at least 75% of patients see an improvement. Robin Travers: It doesn't mean that people walk out of here with normal appearing skin. Alright, it means that their psoriases is better, that it's thin. Male Speaker: But all the lotions, creams and sunlight weren't enough to improve Mark's condition. Mark Bishop: It is somewhat, do a lot of sole searching and thinking in your life when u have psoriases, wondering why me? Why was I picked to have something that there is no cure for? Male Speaker: But you may have found the next best thing to a cure, a new class of drugs called biologic response agents. Female Speaker: It's an enormous criteria, because what we have these drugs that are now targeted specifically to the problems in the skin with psoriases without affecting the normal cells. Male Speaker: Biologic drugs block the molecules in the body that trigger a psoriases outbreak. Female Speaker: When this happens, the skin gets better, the joints get better and the patients actually feel better. Male Speaker: Biologics help clear up Mark skin and more. Mark Bishop: The quality of life just became wonderful. It's kind of like being reborn again. And a new body without psoriases. Male Speaker: This year, he is looking forward to summer. Mark Bishop: I would be wearing short sleeves. Male Speaker: Biologic agents appear to be safer than many older drugs. Initial study show they don't cause liver or kidney damage and have fewer side-effects than traditional medications.