Five Scientific Truths About Psoriasis You Must Know: Breaking Myths and Responding Rationally
1. The “contagion panic” can be completely eliminated: this is an immune disease, not an infectious disease
✓ Core fact: Psoriasis is a T cell–mediated autoimmune disease, unrelated to bacteria or viruses
✓ Clinical evidence: Global epidemiological studies have never identified cases of household contact transmission; intimate contact and sharing personal items do not transmit the disease
✓ Social significance: Dispelling the misconception of contagion is the first step for patients to return to normal social life
2. "Genetic determinism" is a misconception: genes ≠ inevitable disease expression
▌Scientific interpretation of hereditary probability:
If one parent is affected, the offspring's incidence is about 10%-20% (general population incidence 1%-3%)
If both parents are affected, the offspring's incidence rises to 30%-50%
▌Key conclusion: Genetics is only the "susceptibility basis"; environmental factors (infections, stress, smoking) are the "trigger switch" for disease onset ▌Prevention advice: Those with a family history can reduce their risk by quitting smoking and controlling sources of infection such as pharyngitis
3. "Picking and scratching behavior" equals a "disease accelerator": beware of the Koebner phenomenon
■ What is the isomorphic (Koebner) response?
After mechanical injury to the skin (such as scratching or needlestick), new psoriatic lesions may appear at the sites of injury
■ Clinical data: 30%–50% of patients exhibit this phenomenon, with higher risk in those in the progressive stage
■ Alternative care options:
✓ Apply a cold compress when itching (wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply for 5 minutes)
✓ Apply a medical moisturizer containing allantoin three times daily
✓ Wear pure cotton clothing to reduce frictional irritation
4. There is no scientific basis for “complete cure”: view “clinical remission” rationally
▲ Objective positioning by modern medicine:
Currently it is possible to achieve "lesion clearance" (PASI 100) with medications (such as biologics)
But the pathological basis of immune imbalance cannot be completely eliminated, and recurrence is possible
▲ Beware of pseudoscientific traps: ▸ Folk remedies that claim to "eradicate the root" often contain steroids or immunosuppressants; they are effective short-term but can easily trigger conversion to severe forms ▸ Expensive "detoxification therapies" have no evidence-based medical support and may delay standard treatment ▲ Correct goal setting: achieve "long-term remission" through standardized treatment (for example, 1–3 years without obvious lesions)
5. "Emotional storms" are a definite trigger: psychological intervention cannot be ignored
■ Neuroimmunology evidence:
Under anxiety, levels of proinflammatory cytokines (such as IL-6) can increase by 40%
Depressive mood reduces natural killer cell (NK cell) activity, weakening immune surveillance ability
■ Clinical correlation data: 38% of patients reported "rash worsening after intense emotional fluctuations," with female patients being especially sensitive ■ Interventions: ✓ Mindfulness meditation (15 minutes daily, lowers cortisol levels) ✓ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): changes negative cognitions about the disease ✓ Light-to-moderate exercise (e.g., yoga): promotes endorphin release and improves mood
[Scientific management summary]
Managing psoriasis requires a "triple rationality":
① Rational understanding of the disease nature — immune dysregulation rather than a superficial skin problem
② Rationally choose treatment plans — reject the myth of a cure, embrace standardized management
③ Rationally build a lifestyle — comprehensive adjustments from diet and exercise to emotional management