On a recent episode of “Keeping up with the Kardashians” Kim Kardashian took time to visit her dermatologist and discovered that a flaky rash on her leg was in fact psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a common skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation. Most people with psoriasis have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called scales. Unpredictable and irritating, psoriasis is one of the most baffling and persistent of skin disorders. It’s characterized by skin cells that multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. Skin cells grow deep in the skin and normally rise to the surface about once a month. In persons with psoriasis, this process is too fast (about 2 weeks instead of 4 weeks) and dead skin cells build up on the skin’s surface.
People who get psoriasis usually have one or more person in their family who has psoriasis. Kim’s mother, Kris Jenner, revealed that she also suffers from psoriasis. Not everyone who has a family member with psoriasis will get psoriasis.
While there is no cure for psoriasis there are many treatments that can help control the condition.
Check out my contribution to a Self Magazine article about Kim’s Psoriasis HERE