Objective:
Vitamin D insufficiency appears to be a pandemic problem and is more common in inhabitants of high latitude compared to low latitude areas. We aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), its seasonal and geographic variation, and the possible association with demographics and disease activity.

Methods:
This study was conducted in a northern geographic area and in a subtropical region from March 2009 to August 2009. Most subjects were assessed in both winter and summer. Demographics, clinical data, skin phototype, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were determined. Multivariate linear and logistic mixed models were used to assess the relationship with serum 25(OH)D levels.

Results:
In total, 302 PsA patients were enrolled. Two hundred fifty-eight patients were evaluated during the winter, while 214 patients were evaluated during the summer. 25(OH)D levels in winter and summer were adequate (north: 41.3% winter and 41.4% summer, south: 42.1% winter and 35.1% summer), insufficient (north: 55.7% winter and 58.6% summer, south: 50.9% winter and 62.2% summer), and deficient (north: 3% winter and 0% summer, south: 7% winter and 2.7% summer) among patients. There was no association between 25(OH)D levels, geographic and seasonal interaction, race, employment status, and skin phototype or disease activity in both seasons. No association between disease activity in summer and vitamin D levels in winter could be found.

Conclusion:
A high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among PsA patients was found. There was no seasonal variation in 25(OH)D levels among PsA patients in the southern and northern sites. No association could be established between disease activity and vitamin D level.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Creabilis raised €15 million (about $20 million) in a Series B round of fundraising led by Abbott Biotech Ventures. The funds will be used to support continuing development of the firm’s lead product CT327 to the end of Phase II trials, along with additional pipeline candidates.

CT327 is a topical TrkA kinase inhibitor which is currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and proof-of-concept studies in pain. The candidate has been developed using Creabilis’s Low Systemic Exposure (LSE) platform for conjugating small molecules to low molecular weight polyoxyethylene. The firm claims the LSE technology results in products with high local and low systemic exposures, and optimizes drug molecules for topical routes of administration.

Creabilis’s pipeline includes a second, LSE-modified TrkA kinase inhibitor, CT340, which is preclinical development for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and also for other indications including inflammatory aritis and pain. The firm says it anticipates filing an IND application in 2012.

A second preclinical-stage candidate, CT637, is a PEGylated variant of HMGB-1 Box-A domain targeting Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which is in development for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.  Creabilis’s research-stage CT750 program is centred on the development of  LSE-modified local anaesthetics for the treatment of pain, which demonstrate low systemic exposure and thus reduced risk of cardiotoxicity.

Source: genengnews.com

Research shows that most who have survived these harsh symptoms of skin itch, dryness, discolorations and even cracking engage in a multitude of treatments. Some good news is that nutrients found in the quail egg contribute greatly to the maintenance and prevention of skin allergies. Specifically, they aid in controlling allergic skin symptoms; healing skin damage from eczema and psoriasis; and minimizing the possibility of future allergic skin flair-ups.

Among the most prescribed methods for healing skin damaged from excessive dryness, peeling and cracking is to continually hydrate the skin. As a product well balanced in the essential fatty acids, quail eggs provide a natural remedy for cell moisture. What's more, its Vitamin B2 riboflavin makes it a natural remedy for repairing damaged tissue without having to consume the high cholesterol associated with the more popular meat, fish and chicken egg sources of Vitamin B2.

A key to reducing itchiness and unsightly skin rash from eczema and psoriasis is to minimize inflammation while detoxifying the body from residual acids. The latter requires foods that are high in alkaline-to-acid formation in order to minimize skin flair ups attributed to toxic residual acids stored in our bodies. Quail eggs are not only high in alkaline formation; they are available all year round. Other inflammation reducing remedies for instant itch relief include corticosteroid hormones, immune-suppressants and anti-itch antihistamines.

Perhaps no greater solution exists for avoiding skin flair-ups than to strengthen our immunity systems by rectifying Vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Research has identified enriched sources of Vitamin A as perhaps the most vital nutrient deficiency to replenish. In particular, products rich in Vitamin A retinol have been found to heal damaged epithelial tissue associated with eczema. Quail eggs are not only rich in Vitamin A, they are among the only sources of retinol that does not compromise your cholesterol levels.

Hello, not sure if this is the right place to post, but I had a question about skin care products with Irish Peat in them. I've heard they're meant to be good but as they are expensive I've not been able to try any. Wondered if anyone here has? Or, what moisturisers do people find help? I used cetraban which I didn't get on with, made me itch so now I've settled on Double Base for a while now which seems to not irritate my skin.

Thanks, JustJess x

Hello, just thought I'd share I've been using a shampoo from Boots, it's from a range called Naked. Think it's 97% natural ingredients and after a long search it's one that you can get on the high st. which doesn't seem to have sodium laurel sulphate in it. It hasn't helped clear my scalp but it has helped reduce the itching (been using it about a year now) and I don't need to use quite as much xamiol now so less scaling all over (still chronic round my hair line though). Just wanted to share.

I'd be interested to know what other people use for soap/shampoo and what experiences they've had.

Thanks, JustJess

Want to be different to everyone else and have an Avatar  (Photo in your profile and posts ?)

Click "User CP" in the green bar just below the main menu, then Under your profile on the left click "Change Avatar"

A search for "Avatars For Forums" should find you something. or you can use your own photo, If using your own photo the maximum avatar size is 100x100 pixels and 50 KB

Still not sure ask away, we would rather you have an avatar as it makes you different.

Hello everyone, I've just posted a looong post about my situation in the 'Please Help Me' section. When I'm not letting this plague ruin my life, I'm actually a nice person so looking forward to being part of this community and hoping I can learn from how other people do more than exist with this awful disease and hopefully, when I'm in a better place offer support to other people having a hard time with it! Thanks for reading.
JustJess x

Hi, hoping some people on here might be able to offer some words of advice or support.

Yes, I want to rip my skin off. Or burn it. All of it. I've had this plague for nearly 4 years now, I'm a woman in my mid 30's. it's everywhere and it just keeps getting worse. I've had both forms of light therapy - TLO1 and PUVA which were unresponsive, use dovobet all the time, and xamiol all the time. As best patches fade but never all of it. I was offered the next set of tablet treatment but I won't take it as it can cause cancer (which runs in the family any way) and infertility. I'm so at the end of my tether now with it, it has sytematically ruined my life in 4 short years and now I can feel a real depression coming over me having been made redundant earlier this year and recently separated from my husband. I'm getting to a very real mental state of thinking 'What is the point of it all, I can't live a normal life with this thing, it's never going to go away. I won't ever be able to have a normal relationship where I'm comfortable'.

I don't enjoy anything. I'm miserable all the time because of this. Every single day I wake up thinking what's the point even about very basic normal stuff, you know, 'What shall I wear today?' Who cares? There's no point. Wear the same as every other day. All I can wear is long trousers and long sleeved tops or jumpers (that have to be white due to scalp plague). Anything in contact with my skin is painful or itches like mad unless I moisturise top to toe every 2 hours. This plague is in every fold of skin so no matter how many times I wash or moisturise the skin splits, turns to a delightful paste and smells of rotting flesh (I am a very clean person but it does this anyway). I am a picture of femininity. Not.

I have to force myself to leave the house which causes so much anxiety I often talk myself out of it.

People I see don't 'get' what it's like and I often get a cursory and polite 'your skin's looking better' I usually nod and reply with a 'mmmmmm', but inside my head is screaming at them 'no, obviously it's not better. It's just as bad as last time I saw you so shut the fu*k up'. Or worse, for example if I hear people talking about how they have nothing to wear, in my head I want to scream at them 'try living a life knowing you will NEVER. EVER., be able to wear a skirt, or cropped trousers, or a vest, or a t-shirt EVER again or ever go to a special event or get dressed up and then see how limited your wardrobe looks. Just be grateful you self-centred and insensitive git'. (ok, that's probably more one for the girls).

I can't go on a night out with friends or family as it just throws up the question, what can I wear. Jeans and a cardigan like every other single day
of my life. I hate the school run, the other Mums just stare.

Think that's one of the worst things about this plague, people think it's something worse or something contagious and they stare. They never ask. Maybe it would be better if they did. On public transport it's a nightmare, I daren't hold onto a hand rail on an over crowded bus, people physically lean away from me as if they're going to catch it. And, after a hot day in an office, with every skin fold pasty and l'eau'd'rot in full effect, it's no joy getting on an even hotter bus packed to the rafters where you're inches away from people on all sides. I waited over an hour once for a bus that wasn't full (busses arrive every 8 minutes or so).

I know this is a genetic thing passed down through the family but I can't forgive the person who gave it to me. If they knew this ran in the family they shouldn't of had children. If I had known about it and that it was hereditory and that I would get it, I would not have had my daughter (really). I didn't get this plague until after she was born. If I have passed this on to her I'll never forgive myself either.

People say, 'you've just got to not let it affect you'. How? Please tell me. How do I do that when it is a constantly in my face taunting, 'look at the life you could of had!'
Another thing I get a lot is 'you've just got to get out in the world and take each day at a time' Again, HOW????? And my personal favourite 'there are people in the world with worse things that this'. True. Very true, but that doesn't mean my experience of this is any less real or valid.

If there's a knack to just accepting it? Please tell me. I'm just not one of those people who can just put two fingers up to the world and say 'this is me, if you don't like it, that's your problem'. I would love to know how people on here have come to terms with it. How do people live normal lives with this disease when it affects so many things on a day to day basis.

Here's a list of things I can't do now, some of which are day to day things and others are 'that would be a nice thing to do once in a while but I can't because of the plague' kind of things....
1. I can't take my daughter swimming. (breaks my heard because she always asks me if I'll be able to take her when my skin is better to which I have to say 'yes' because she's desperate for me to go with her even though I know it'll never be better enough to do it.
2. I will NEVER be able to wear a t-shirt or a vest out in public again.
3. I will NEVER be able to wear a skirt/dress/cropped trousers in public again.
4. I can no longer wear my hair in a ponytail due to it being so bad on my scalp.

These things alone are enough to fu*k your life up, imagine never being able to wear a t-shirt again in hot weather. I literally have anxiety leaving the house now and have to make sure I'm covering it all up with my boots, jeans, long sleeved t-shirt or jumper or cardignan which is most delightful in 30 degree heat.

5. It fu*king hurts. No matter how clean or how moisturised I keep it it hurts. Every. Single. Day. Sitting for more that 5 minutes, standing, walking, sleeping.
6. I can't sit in the garden. It's over looked. I used to be a really outdoorsy person, not anymore.
7. Can't go on holiday. Anywhere that might need skin exposure due to heat ot activity. Unless perhaps a secluded holiday if such a thing exists. I know I wouldn't enjoy it. The mere thought fills me with dread. Might as well stay at home and be secluded here. (cheaper). Unfortunately that means my daugher won't ever have a holiday which hardly seems fair. More guilt.
8. Can't play team sports - can't wear shorts or t-shirt.
9. Can't go to the gym - same as above.
10. Can't think, hey it's my birthday, lets get the girls together and go for a spa day or out for a meal.
11. Can't join in on friends hen do's or birthday days out as they usually involve the above.
12. Can't have a love life.
13. Can't get a hair cut. - Probably manage 2 a year after weeks of mental preparation and hours of crying beforehand. Same with the dentist or optician or seeing the Doctor, anything that involves someone being close to my head.
14. Answering the front door. It has to be a very VERY good day for me to answer the front door. Usually just sit very still and hope they go away.

These things might sound like materialistic things but they're really not, they're normal everyday things which you take for granted until you can't do them anymore.

Maybe I should just suck it up and get on with it like people tell me to but I just can't seem to get past this.

Before this, I was a happy, out-going, confident person and fun to be around. Really.

Would burning the skin help? Would it come back? I'll consider anything. Honestly.

Sorry for being depressing. Someone help me, please. Any advice will be gratefully received.
JustJess

We all know how important it is to use plenty of Moisturiser. I mostly use Coconut Oil which I get from an ethnic shop in the city. a €4 pot lasts me about 3 months. I sometimes switch to a 50/50 mix of Olive and Peanut Oil. My dermatologist also gives me Dexeryl, I don't use it that often though.

So what do you use as a Moisturiser ?

Company names a fine but please don't post links as it's not good for the forum.

Thanks.

The FDA requires that all skincare companies list their ingredients in order of highest concentration first. Learn to read your lotion labels. Do your own research as well. Does your daily lotion contain these harmful ingredients?

Paraben
This is also known as Methylparaben, Propylparaben, IIsoparaben, Butylparaben. Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They have been linked to possible carcinogenicity, as well as an estrogenic effect from being exposed to the continued use of parabens as preservatives. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their report "Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change?" reported that the parabens—methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl displayed estrogenic activity in several tests. It is a known medical fact that estrogen stimulates breast cancer and anything absorbed through the skin may be as high as 10 times the concentration of an oral dose. There have been no successful studies to show that repeated and prolonged use of paraben is safe. It is a low-cost synthetic preservative for which many large cosmetic brands have tried to fund study to prove that prolonged usage is safe; all studies failed. Parabens are used in many personal products as a preservative to extend the shelf life of products. These chemicals can be found in face and body moisturizers, body wash, and cleansers.

Petrochemicals
Almost all skin care products contain synthetic substances - petroleum (chemical) based. Studies have found that oral and topical application of petrochemicals in rodents resulted in anemia, kidney degeneration, and nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord. Even more disturbing was that several animals died before the study ended! Are you shocked that people still use these chemicals on their body? Some synthetic colors, such as FD & C Blue No. 1, are suspected carcinogens. Behentrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydrosypropyltrimonium Chloride, Linoleamidepropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate are toxic ammonium compounds for which concentrations as low as 0.1%. In the past little, was known about the long term exposure to petrochemicals. However, today we know that many of the household cleaning products, home furnishings and our food supply is loaded with petrochemicals, and this is linked to the rise in cancer, along with other diseases. The FDA (Federal Drug Administration) has not been proactive in removing these products from households in the United States. Read more about petrochemicals at The Ecology Centre.

Phthalates
A truly toxic skin care ingredient. Dibutylphthalate and diethylphthalate (DBP, DEP, also butyl ester) helps lotions absorb into skin. DEHP has been classified as a "probable human carcinogen" by the EPA. The Department of Health and Human Services has also classified DEHP as a potential carcinogen. L'Oreal is the only major cosmetic company to discontinue the use of this chemical in Europe only due to severe allergic reactions. L'Oreal in the United States, as well as many other cosmetic companies continue to sell and use this harmful chemical. We prefer a lotion that may take longer to absorb, rather than a lotion which absorbs rapidly while injecting cancer and killing our skin cells. Do not use it.

Cosmetic Fragrance
Artificial fragrances are made from petroleum or coal which degrade in the environment and cause skin irritations.
Cosmetic fragrance is made with cheap synthetic chemicals which replicate the natural aroma of products which already exist in nature. Companies use them because it is cheaper than using the natural scent.

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate
Also known as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). This is the second most concentrated ingredient in shampoos. READ YOUR LABELS - the FDA requires that label ingredients are listed in the order of highest concentrations - meaning that the highest level of ingredients are listed first. Take a look at your cleanser or shampoo and you will find SLS is second or third. Simply disgusting. It is used in concrete floor cleaners, engine degreasers, car wash detergents, and just about every soap and shampoo on the market. In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines, sodium lauryl sulfate also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. According to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology, Vol. 2, No. 7, l983, SLS is a mutagen. In sufficient amounts, it is capable of changing the information in genetic material found in cells. It has been used in studies to induce mutations in bacteria. It denatures protein, impairs proper structural formation of young eyes, creating permanent damage. SLS can damage the immune system. It can cause separation of skin layers and cause inflammation to the skin. If it interacts with other nitrogen bearing ingredients. Do your own research - there have been many studies done on these chemicals.

Diazolidinyl Urea or Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
It is chemically related to imidazolidinyl urea and is a formaldehyde releaser used as a preservative. It was International Agency for Research on Cancer to its highest toxic class, IARC 1 (known human carcinogen). Formaldehyde is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which provides sufficient evidence that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer in humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The label on your skin care product may not list "formaldehyde". The following ingredients break down and release formaldehyde: diazolidinyl urea (or 3-diol diazolidinyl urea) 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1 (or bronopol) DMDM hydantoin. The label on your skin care product may not list "formaldehyde". The following ingredients break down and release formaldehyde: diazolidinyl urea (or 3-diol diazolidinyl urea) 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1 (or bronopol) DMDM hydantoin.

It has been banned in Europe, after studies concluded that effects can result in: carcinogen, causes allergic reactions and contact dermatitis; headaches; irritates mucous membranes; damaging to eyes; linked to joint and chest pain; depression; headaches; fatigue; dizziness and immune dysfunction.

Source: madefromearth.com

First things first the PASI score is not the same as the Psoriasis Score you see in the menu bar above of the forum.

The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) is the most widely used tool for the measurement of severity of psoriasis. PASI combines the assessment of the severity of lesions and the area affected into a single score in the range 0 (no disease) to 72 (maximal disease).

The calculation works like this:
The body is divided into four sections (head (H) (10% of a person's skin); arms (A) (20%); trunk (T) (30%); legs (L) (40%)). Each of these areas is scored by itself, and then the four scores are combined into the final PASI. For each section, the percent of area of skin involved, is estimated and then transformed into a grade from 0 to 6:

   0% of involved area, grade: 0
   < 10% of involved area, grade: 1
   10-29% of involved area, grade: 2
   30-49% of involved area, grade: 3
   50-69% of involved area, grade: 4
   70-89% of involved area, grade: 5
   90-100% of involved area, grade: 6

Within each area, the severity is estimated by three clinical signs: erythema (redness), induration (thickness) and desquamation (scaling). Severity parameters are measured on a scale of 0 to 4, from none to maximum.

The sum of all three severity parameters is than calculated for each section of skin, multiplied by the area score for that area and multiplied by weight of respective section (0.1 for head, 0.2 for arms, 0.3 for body and 0.4 for legs).

There are other ways of scoring hence the Psoriasis Score on the forum. its just a way of monitoring how well your treatment is going.

Hello Folks

I'm a 'newbie' and at some point soon will probably bore you all rigid with my own story!! But at the moment a query...I have palmar plantar psoriais (isn't it funny that something so horrid can sound so posh?!) which I'm having difficulty in getting under control, it first being diagnosed in 2009. My husband came back from The Body Shop the other day with some dropper bottles of a new product, Hemp Hand Oil. I've heard that hemp oil can be good for psoriasis but wondered if anyone had tried it and is it any good? I'm desperate to wean myself off the Dovobet and Elocon (I refuse to take tablets because of the side effects) and anything that will help alleviate the problems would be really helpful.

Thanks to you all and I'm glad I found this site!

How come I have made 4 posts and my post count is -2

Have just registered for the new forum.. and I'm liking the layout here very much!

I'm an American living in Germany with my German husband and two terrifying cats

And I've been a victim/ warrior of psoriasis for most of my 40 years on earth.. diagnosed at the age of six. Thankfully, the German and the furr-balls don't seem to mind.

There are good days, great days, bad days and terrible ones.. and then there are those days when I want to tell psoriasis to kiss my .

It is also not a fast-acting treatment, so if you're looking for a quick fix, this isn't it.

But I do think it's safer than almost any other treatment out there - and Germany has been using this therapy for over 20 years.

My own dermatologist has had 3 patients who were prescribed Fumaderm for a period of 3-4 years, whose psoriasis symptoms did not return once they ended treatment.. at least this is what he told me.. whether it's true or not I cannot say.. but he is a very good doctor and treats me with the utmost care, so I would have a hard time calling him a liar.

Having been treated with Fumaderm now for 3 months, I can see a slow but steady improvement in my condition. When I started on the old forum, my Psoriasis Score was 37.

Today it is 23.

In the next few months, I aiming for 0.

Hi all, not been available much lately, been very busy.
Hope everyone is well, apart from the obvious.
Oh, and a thanks to Fred for remembering my birthday in May.
Regards to all......

I am re-starting this thread from the old forum, since this is my current psoriasis treatment.

What is Fumaderm?

Fumaderm® (fumaric acid esters) tablets are licensed in Germany for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis for whom topical therapy is ineffective.

It is beneficial in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, particularly chronic plaque, guttate or pustular disease; at least 50% of patients treated with Fumaderm® will have a reduction of about 70% or more in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score after 16 weeks of treatment.

Data from controlled and observational studies show Fumaderm® is effective as a first-line systemic agent in patients not responding to topical therapy, as an alternative to other systemic agents that are ineffective or not tolerated.

Adverse effects, including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and facial flushing, are common at the start of treatment with Fumaderm® and lead to discontinuation and/or non-compliance in 30 to 40% of patients.

Reversible leucopenia, lymphopenia and transient eosinophilia are frequently observed. Observational studies following patients for up to 14 years do not indicate that Fumaderm® is associated with serious or permanent adverse effects. Increases in serum creatinine and liver function tests occur rarely and resolve with continued treatment or on dose reduction.

Please note if you are not receiving emails from Psoriasis Club when you should be, please check your spam folder.

This seems to be a bigger problem with hotmail and livemail so please make sure you have https://psoriasisclub.org and www.psoriasisclub.org in your "Safe Sender List"

Any problems let us know.

Ever since first getting psoriasis over 30 years ago I have often tried to work out what triggers a Flare Up !

I have tried keeping a diary of foods / drinks / emotional state / health / weather / etc / etc. but I just can not get an exact answer. I have found being wound up about something doesn't help but still can't say for definite that it caused the flare up.

After more research I have found the following things seem to be the most recognised triggers. but even they can sometimes contradict each other.

Food, Drink, Tobacco : Beef, Pork, Veal, Sausage, Salami, Burgers, Margarine, Tomatoes, Tobacco, Peppers, Potatoes, Chilli, Lobster,Shrimp, Prawn, Crab, Coffee, Gluten, Yeast, Fried Food, Pizza, Vinegar, Pickles, Spices, Strawberries, Peanut Butter, And Alcohol.

Emotional State: Anger, Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Tiredness.

Drugs: Betablockers (propranolol, atenolol, etc), Antimalarial medication, Lithium, Anti-inflammatory painkillers (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, etc), Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) Inhibitor drugs, and some Antibiotics.

Trauma: Injury to the skin, including excessive scratching, may trigger a patch of psoriasis to develop. The development of psoriatic plaques at a site of injury is known as What is Koebner reaction ?

Weather: Cold Dry Wind is the worst for psoriasis. and although Sunlight is generally good for psoriasis you should be careful not to over do it as sunburn is a skin injury.

Hormone changes in women: Psoriasis in women tends to be worst during puberty and during the menopause. These are times when there are some major changes in female hormone levels. Some pregnant women with psoriasis find that their symptoms improve when they are pregnant, but it may flare up in the months just after having a baby. Again, this is thought to be related to changes in hormone levels.

This list is not endless and if you have some triggers to add please post them here so we can keep them together.

Oh and by the way I never did find what triggers my flare ups, and I have now given up trying to find out. I don't have so many since giving up tying to work it out! so maybe I should add Don't bother trying to work it out in the "Emotional State" list.

So what's your Trigger for a flare up ?

The Koebner phenomenon is perhaps one of the most widely known phenomena in dermatology. It was described for the first time in 1872 by Heinrich Koebner, a well-known 19th century dermatologist, who gave it his name. Some of his patients had developed psoriasis on the site of an excoriation (an abrasion of the skin due to scratching), a bite by a horse or a tattoo.

The term is used to describe the response whereby new lesions appear and develop in patients suffering from skin conditions on healthy skin which has suffered a trauma. A trauma to a "normal" area of skin in a patient with psoriasis can hence lead to new lesions that are identical to those caused by the condition. This is why the Koebner phenomenon is also known as an "isomorphic reaction" (meaning a reaction in the same form).

The Koebner phenomenon is associated with several dermatological conditions, and most frequently with psoriasis, lichen planus and vitiligo. People with psoriasis are hence particularly vulnerable, and those with unstable or erythematic psoriasis, characterised by dark red patches all over the body, are especially at risk.

It should be noted that local traumas do not necessarily trigger this response.
The Koebner phenomenon usually appears between 10 and 14 days after a trauma to the skin, but it can appear up to several years afterwards. Other characteristics are that it does not affect any area in particular, appears most commonly in winter and especially affects children.

Various traumas can trigger this response. It has been observed at the site of bites by dogs and insects, abrasions, gunshot wounds, lacerations, burns, scars, friction, contact dermatitis, in the area rubbed by the elastic of a sock and also after the skin has been shaved, exfoliated or waxed.

The arms of glasses can cause a Koebner response behind the ears. Filing or manicuring the nails can exacerbate psoriasis of the nails. In one case friction by a tennis racket caused a Koebner phenomenon to appear in the right hand palm of a tennis player. Even when someone has psoriatic arthritis, friction by a wedding ring can lead to psoriatic lesions appearing solely on the ring finger.

In the case of palmoplantar psoriasis, lesions due to the Koebner phenomenon may be concentrated on pressure areas, and not be present on the arch of the foot. Sunburn can also lead to psoriasis spreading massively over the body, known as the photo Koebner phenomenon.

Many dermatoses can cause the Koebner phenomenon, including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, herpes, lichen planus, chickenpox and vitiligo. Eczema may therefore trigger psoriatic lesions. Finally, an allergic reaction to flu or tuberculosis vaccination, certain drugs, hair spray or hair dye, a tattoo, urticaria and some therapies such as UV therapy can also lead to a Koebner response.

Doctors sometimes talk about a reverse Koebner phenomenon when a psoriatic plaque clears after a trauma as may occur after rubella, a cold, acute pharyngitis or an operation.
Although external occurrences of the Koebner phenomenon are most well known, it can also be invisible and located on a nerve in close proximity with the site of an eruption. For example, a wrist fracture or isolated arthrosis can lead to psoriatic lesions on the nails. This is known as a deep Koebner phenomenon which is a rare phenomenon that should not be ignored.