Psoriasis is a long-term immune condition that speeds up skin-cell growth, causing scaly patches. It is not contagious, it can be controlled well, and it deserves attention beyond the skin.
Reviewed September 2026 · For information, not diagnosis
In India call 112 for emergencies or 108 for an ambulance, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Do not wait to see whether a remedy works.
In psoriasis, an over-active immune response makes skin cells multiply and move to the surface in a few days instead of about four weeks. They pile up as raised, well-defined patches (plaques) covered in silvery-white scale. On lighter skin plaques look pink or red; on brown skin they often look purple, grey or dark brown and can leave dark marks after they clear.
Plaques are most common on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, and may itch or crack. Nails can develop pits, ridges, discoloration or lift away from the nail bed. Psoriasis tends to run in families, comes and goes in flares, and affects roughly 2 in every 100 people. It is not infectious and cannot be caught by touch.
| Type | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Plaque psoriasis | The most common: raised scaly patches on elbows, knees, scalp, back. |
| Scalp psoriasis | Thick, stuck-on scale that may extend beyond the hairline. Thicker and more defined than dandruff. |
| Guttate psoriasis | Many small drop-shaped spots over the trunk, often 2–3 weeks after a strep throat, in children and young adults. |
| Inverse (flexural) psoriasis | Smooth, red or dark patches without scale in skin folds: groin, armpits, under the breasts. |
| Palmoplantar pustulosis | Sterile pus spots on the palms and soles; strongly linked to smoking. |
| Nail psoriasis | Pitting, yellow-brown “oil drop” patches, thickening; often goes with psoriatic arthritis. |
| Erythrodermic and generalised pustular | Rare, severe forms covering large areas — medical emergencies. |
| Step | Options |
|---|---|
| Creams and ointments | Emollients; vitamin D creams (calcipotriol), often combined with a steroid; salicylic acid to lift scale; coal tar; medicated scalp shampoos and lotions. |
| Light therapy | Narrow-band UVB, two to three sessions a week in a clinic, for widespread psoriasis. |
| Tablets | Methotrexate (once weekly), ciclosporin, acitretin, apremilast — with regular blood tests. Acitretin and methotrexate harm unborn babies, so contraception is essential. |
| Biologic injections | For severe psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis not controlled by other treatment. Very effective. |
Avoid steroid tablets and injections for psoriasis. They clear the skin briefly, but stopping them can trigger a severe, widespread flare, including pustular psoriasis.
A homeopath considers the character of the plaques, itching and scaling, triggers, seasonal pattern, and the person’s constitution, and chooses a remedy.
Using homeopathy safely with psoriasis
There are no good-quality controlled trials showing that homeopathic remedies clear psoriasis or prevent psoriatic arthritis.
More broadly, the largest independent assessment — the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council’s 2015 review of 176 studies — found no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health condition, and advised against using it for conditions that are chronic, serious or could become serious. People often do feel better after a long, unhurried homeopathic consultation; in one controlled trial in rheumatoid arthritis, the benefit came from the consultation rather than the remedy.
In practice: if you choose homeopathy, use it alongside the care described on this page, not instead of it — and tell each practitioner what the other has prescribed. More on the research →
These are the traditional descriptions (“keynotes”) from the homeopathic materia medica, listed so you recognise names a practitioner may mention. They are not evidence that a remedy works and not a guide to self-treatment. Homeopaths choose one remedy for the whole person rather than by diagnosis.
Described for dry, scaly patches with burning eased by warmth, in anxious, restless people.
Described for itchy, burning plaques worse from warmth and washing.
Described for thick, cracked skin in folds and behind the ears, with sticky discharge.
Described for deep cracks on hands and heels, worse in winter.
Described for dry, scaly plaques with itching worse from warmth.
Described for ring-shaped scaly patches, in tired, chilly people.
Described for thick scalp crusts with intense itch.
Described for dry, unhealthy-looking skin in very chilly people.
If you would like to try homeopathy, see a registered homeopathic doctor (BHMS or MD (Hom)) who will take a full history, knows your other treatment and will tell you when you need a medical specialist. Take your prescriptions and recent test reports with you.
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This page is general information, reviewed September 2026. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a consultation. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine without talking to the doctor who prescribed it. In an emergency in India call 112 (ambulance 108).
