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Jane Brody on Psoriasis

Jane Brody, an award-winning health reporter at the New York Times, wrote a fine column on Psoriasis (July 5, 2011).

Ms. Brody tells us "Psoriasis is one of the most common skin ailments, affecting about 2 percent of the population, with no respect for gender, age or socioeconomic status. Caucasians.  As with other genetically influenced diseases, psoriasis tends to run in families. If both parents have it, their children have about a 40 percent chance of also developing it; the risk drops to 14 percent if only one parent is affected."

Click on For Many Millions, Psoriasis Means Misery to access the full article.

Topical Steroid Potency Chart

 Topical steroid preparations are grouped according to relative anti-inflammatory activity, but activity may vary considerably depending upon the vehicle (cream, ointment, solution, foam, etc.), the site of application (face, skin folds and genitalia), disease, the individual patient and whether or not an occlusive dressing is used.  In addition,there are a number of these charts and they are not entirely consistent.  The National Psoriasis Foundation's Potency Chart is well-prepared and a good general guide.

Topical steroids should be used under your doctor's direction, since overuse can cause thinning of the skin, rosacea, acne, stretch marks if used on the wrong part of the body and for too long.  .

Updike on Psoriasis

 "From the Journal of a Leper" is a fiction piece written by John Updike which appeared in the October 19, 1976 New Yorker magazine.  It is difficult to find so we have placed it here in two parts: Download Updike Pso 1 and Download Updike Pso 2

Updike's second essay on psoriasis appeared in the New Yorker in 1985 and in the book"Self-Consciousness," Chapter 2.  Here it is as PDF in four parts:

Download Updike War Skin 1

Download Updike War 2

Download Updike War Skin 3

Download Updike War Skin 4

For more on Updike and psoriasis see the Pathography Blog. The Pathography posting has the information about Updike's other essay on psoriasis, a memoir called "At War With My Skin."