Psoriasis on Hands

Overview

Psoriasis is a chronic disease that is caused by an overactive immune system and is associated with inflammation throughout the body. Symptoms may resolve and recur throughout a person's life.

Psoriasis on the hands and/or feet, also known as palmoplantar psoriasis, affects 12 - 16% of people living with psoriasis. [1] Palmoplantar psoriasis typically appears on the palms of the hands and/or the bottoms of the feet.

Psoriasis on the hands is considered a high-impact site, which can have an increased negative impact on quality of life, regardless of the total area affected by psoriasis. Psoriasis on the hands can be one of the most disabling forms of psoriasis because it can limit the use of your hands. Daily activities, such as holding objects or typing, can become painful. Research shows that people living with psoriasis on the hands are almost twice as likely to report mobility problems and almost 2.5 times more likely to say they have trouble doing daily activities. [2]

Diagnosis

A health care provider will take several factors into consideration when making a diagnosis for psoriasis, including:

• The appearance of the skin. Different types of psoriasis have different appearance.
• The location of psoriasis. Certain types of psoriasis are more common in certain locations.
• Itch of the skin. This is a common symptom of psoriasis.
• A skin biopsy (the removal of a small piece of skin to be looked at under a microscope). A biopsy may also be done to determine if it is psoriasis or another skin condition.

Treatment & Management

Although there is no cure, there are more effective psoriasis treatments today than ever before. Treating psoriasis can help improve symptoms as well as lower the risk of developing psoriasis comorbidities such as psoriatic arthritis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression.

Treatments for psoriasis include:

• Topicals, including over-the-counter topicals, topical steroids, and topical non-steroids
• Phototherapy
• Systemics, including oral, biologic, and biosimilar treatments

Because this type of psoriasis is difficult to treat, you may need to try many treatments to find the one that works best for you. Keep working with your health care provider until you find a treatment that works for you.

Your health care provider may recommend occluding (covering) the skin to make a topical treatment work better. You can occlude by wearing cotton or plastic gloves on the hands. Always follow your provider’s directions on occluding and only occlude if your provider recommends it.

Prevention

There is no known way to prevent the onset of psoriasis, however, there are many ways that you can manage your triggers to reduce flares.

Outlook/Prognosis

Psoriatic disease is lifelong, and symptoms may resolve and recur throughout the lifetime.

While there is no cure for psoriasis, treatments today are more effective than ever before and research into new treatments, as well as a cure, is ongoing. Treating psoriasis can help improve symptoms and may decrease the associated inflammation that can lead to psoriasis comorbidities such as psoriatic arthritis, heart disease, and depression.