Psoriasis is an immune-mediated condition in which skin cells are produced far faster than they are shed, forming raised, scaly plaques. It is not contagious and not caused by poor hygiene. It is associated with metabolic syndrome and with joint disease, both of which are worth managing.
Symptoms of psoriasis
Symptoms vary, and few people have all of them. These are the ones most commonly reported.
2-minute check
What is driving your flares?
Four questions. Your result appears immediately — we do not ask for an email.
Do flares follow periods of stress?
Any joint pain or morning stiffness?
Do you have raised weight, blood pressure, sugar or cholesterol?
Do you smoke or drink regularly?
Your answers do not point to strong modifiable drivers
Skin treatment from your dermatologist is the main lever. Consistency matters more than anything else.
Some modifiable drivers are present
Stress, weight and alcohol all affect flare frequency and are worth addressing alongside treatment.
Several modifiable drivers are present
Worth noting the joint question in particular — psoriatic arthritis is common, treatable, and best caught early.
This check is an indication, not a diagnosis. It does not replace medical advice.
When to see a doctor
Arrange a medical appointment rather than waiting if you have:
- Joint pain or stiffness with psoriasis — psoriatic arthritis needs early treatment
- Widespread or rapidly spreading plaques
- Pustular psoriasis, or widespread redness with fever — urgent
- Significant effect on mood or daily life
- No response to treatment over several months
What causes psoriasis
The skin is where it is visible, but the process is immune and body-wide, which is why the associations matter.
Signalling as though there were an injury to repair.
Driving rapid skin cell production.
Rather than over several weeks.
Raised, red and scaly, because shedding cannot keep pace.
Risk factors
- A family history
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Obesity
- Stress
- Streptococcal throat infection, which can trigger a first episode
- Certain medications
- Skin injury at the site
How psoriasis is diagnosed
| Test | What it indicates |
|---|---|
| Clinical examination | Usually sufficient to diagnose |
| Skin biopsy | Occasionally, where the picture is unclear |
| Joint assessment | To screen for psoriatic arthritis |
| Lipid panel, HbA1c, blood pressure | Metabolic syndrome is strongly associated |
| Liver function | Relevant before and during some treatments |
| Vitamin D | Commonly low, and relevant to skin |
Not sure which of these you have had?The assessment asks, and tells you which are worth requesting.
Check my health parametersWhat happens if it is left untreated
Stated factually, because these risks are real and manageable rather than inevitable.
- Psoriatic arthritis, which can cause permanent joint damage
- Metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes
- Raised cardiovascular risk
- Fatty liver disease
- Depression and anxiety
- Significant effect on quality of life
How Health Total treats psoriasis
Our protocol runs alongside whatever your doctor has prescribed. We do not ask anyone to stop medication.
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1
Treat it as more than skin
The metabolic and joint associations are real and routinely unmanaged. We screen for them.
-
2
Address weight where relevant
Weight reduction is associated with improved response to psoriasis treatment.
-
3
Reduce dietary inflammation
Alongside, never instead of, what your dermatologist has prescribed.
-
4
Deal with alcohol and smoking directly
Both are associated with more severe disease and poorer treatment response.
-
5
Support mood and sleep
Because stress is a recognised trigger and the condition itself affects both.
What makes this different
A standard diet plan
- Treated purely as a skin condition
- Metabolic risk never assessed
- Joints never asked about
- Diet claims that promise clearance
How we do it
- Screened for metabolic and joint disease
- Weight and inflammation addressed
- Psoriatic arthritis actively looked for
- Honest about what nutrition can and cannot do
Nine questions. Two minutes.You will see your result before we ask for your name.
Start my free assessmentAudited results
Publication pending. Aggregate outcome figures for this condition — sample size, inclusion criteria, mean and median change, range and dropout rate — will appear here once the audited outcome report is complete and signed by a second clinician.
Under the ASCI Healthcare Guidelines, a success rate, timeline or efficacy claim requires peer-reviewed data or the organisation’s own audited outcome report. We would rather publish nothing here than publish a number we cannot substantiate.
Case studies
De-identified clinical records — the plan as delivered, the markers as measured, and adherence as it actually was. Each signed by the supervising clinician and verified by a second.
Case file 1
Awaiting the case production line — dependency D6.
Case file 2
Awaiting the case production line — dependency D6.
Case file 3
Awaiting the case production line — dependency D6.
The standard each case must meet before publication →
Published with specific, informed and withdrawable consent. Individual results vary.
Why Health Total for psoriasis
Clinicians, named
Over 200 doctors and nutritionists. Every condition page here carries the name and credentials of the person who wrote it and the person who reviewed it.
Indian food, Indian bodies
Thirty years of treating Indian patients, with plans built from Indian kitchens and read against Asia-Pacific metabolic cut-offs.
Our own data
Outcomes come from audited internal records, not from studies conducted elsewhere on other populations.
Somewhere to walk in
Physical centres across India, which most app-based programmes cannot offer.
Recipes for psoriasis
Flaxseed chutney
Whole flaxseed passes through undigested. Ground into a podi, it becomes a daily habit.
See the recipe →Turmeric and black pepper preparation
The pepper is not a garnish. Without it, most of what you drink is not absorbed.
See the recipe →Walnut and seed omega mix
Five walnuts a day — and why the ratio to omega-6 matters more than the amount.
See the recipe →Articles
Vitamin D deficiency in a country with abundant sun
Sunlight is necessary and, for most urban Indians, not sufficient.
Read →What an anti-inflammatory diet can and cannot do for joints
The honest version is narrower than the marketing version, and more useful.
Read →What diet does and does not do for skin
Some dietary claims about skin are well supported. Most are not.
Read →Questions we are asked
Is psoriasis contagious?
No, not in any way. It is an immune condition and cannot be passed to anyone by contact. This misconception causes real social harm and is worth correcting clearly.
Can diet clear my psoriasis?
No, and we would not claim otherwise. Diet can reduce inflammation, support weight loss that improves treatment response, and address the metabolic risks that travel with psoriasis. It does not replace dermatological treatment.
Why do my joints hurt?
Up to a third of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, and it is frequently missed. It responds far better to early treatment, so joint pain with psoriasis should always be mentioned to your doctor.
Does stress cause it?
Stress does not cause psoriasis, but it is a well-recognised trigger for flares in many people. Managing it is a legitimate part of managing the condition.
Start with your own numbers.Free assessment, free first consultation, and no figure quoted that we cannot substantiate.
Start my free assessmentReferences
- IADVL consensus statement on the management of psoriasis.
- Joint AAD-NPF guidelines of care for the management of psoriasis.
- [Further references to be completed by the medical review panel.]