National Psoriasis Foundation

Recent comments

• Posted to What's All Over Her Arms? Kim Kardashian Confesses on 25 Jul 2011

  Thanks RealSelf for posting this information about Kim Kardashian and psoriasis. Psoriasis is a serious autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It happens when a person's immune system goes haywire and overproduces skin cells. The skin cells pile up on the surface of the body and cause lesions that crack, itch terribly, burn and bleed. Psoriasis is not contagious. There is a major genetic component to this disease. There is no cure for psoriasis - and the disease requires extensive, complex and lifelong care to treat. Treatments are not as simple as just pills creams, and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Treatments may stop working at any time, and may not work for everyone. Of serious note is the fact that Kim and others with psoriasis are at increased risk for other serious health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, obesity and depression. Also, up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis - which can cause irreversible joint damage. Kim and others with psoriasis deserve our support and understanding. They're dealing with a critical, lifelong disease!