Psoriasis is a common skin condition that affects about 2 percent of the United States population. Most people who get psoriasis have white skin, but this condition develops in people of all races.
Psoriasis is not contagious. While the exact causes of psoriasis have yet to be discovered, the immune system and genetics play a role in causing psoriasis. When a person has psoriasis, their immune system malfunctions, causing T-cells to attack the body’s skin cells. People who have certain genes are more likely to get psoriasis, and the condition does run in families.
However, just because a person may have a genetic predisposition to develop psoriasis does not mean he or she will get it.
Exposure to triggers may cause psoriasis to appear for the first time and can also cause flare-ups.