Psoriasis is often characterized as a chronic immune disease that leads to redness and irritation of the skin. Your immune system stimulates the production of new skin cells at a higher rate than normal, leading to a buildup of epidermal cells on the surface of your skin. This causes scaling, dryness and itching along areas of the body. Though hormones don't necessarily play a role in the development of this skin condition, they may help improve psoriasis.
Estrogen
According to a study conducted by the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, Irvine, there's some indication that estrogen may help improve psoriasis. During pregnancy, those women who experienced a significant increase in estrogen in relation to progesterone had an improvement in symptoms associated with psoriasis. Approximately 55 percent of women suffering from this skin condition experienced an improvement in psoriatic lesions during their pregnancy as a result of increases in estrogen as well as estradiol and estriol, two forms of estrogen produced in the body.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
The improvement in psoriatic lesions during pregnancy doesn't necessarily mean that hormone replacement therapy can help improve psoriasis. Further studies would need to be conducted to determine whether the supplementation of this hormone could improve psoriasis in women. Other forms of treatment are recommended.
Topical Treatment
Mild to moderate psoriasis is typically treated with a topical medication, according to the Mayo Clinic. Corticosteroids are by far the most popular form of treatment. These topical medications can help lessen inflammation of the skin and slow the cellular turnover associated with psoriasis. However, your doctor may instead prescribe topical retinoids, anthralin, salicylic acid or calcineurin inhibitors to treat the condition. Any one of these medications can slough dead skin, lessening the buildup of epidermal cells on the surface of the body.
Light Therapy
Besides topical medications, many people suffering from psoriasis respond favorably to light therapy. Exposing the skin to UV, UVB or PUVA rays can slow the cellular turnover of epidermal cells causing the buildup of dead skin and thereby improve the symptoms associated with psoriasis -- including scaling, dryness and flaking.
Oral Medications
If topical treatments or light therapy fail to improve the condition or you're suffering from severe psoriasis, your doctor may decide an oral medication is best, the Mayo Clinic says. A number of medications can be used, including retinoids, methotrexate, cyclosporine or immunomodulator drugs. Your doctor can decide which is best for you.
