‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ Singer Cyndi Lauper, 72, Taken to Stress-Relieving Yoga to Help Manage Her Psoriasis Condition Over the Years

“It’s not a bad thing to take care of yourself,” Lauper told the American Academy of Dermatology Association. “Make a little time for you… It’s a busy, busy world we live in, but how long does it take to put on cream [moisturizer or medicine] or take a bath?”

Despite her best efforts, psoriasis still disrupts her life at times. “When psoriasis gets really bad, it’s really hard to get up again… It looked like someone threw boiling water on me,” she told Psoriasis.org. When flare-ups hit mid-tour, she’d often turn to makeup to cover skin discoloration and keep performing.

Now an advocate for awareness, Lauper wants others living with the condition to know they’re not alone. “I’m not talking about it because I feel sorry for myself. I’m talking about it because no one talks about it… Nobody really talks about it, and a lot of times, you feel alone. I know I felt alone…”

Psoriasis is Chronic, But Can Be Managed

According to the National Institute of Health, “Many people with psoriasis have a family history of the disorder. Researchers have identified certain genes linked to the disease, but they still don’t fully understand the disease process. They do know that it isn’t contagious.”

Dr. Saakshi Khattri, a dermatologist/rheumatologist at Mount Sinai Health System, told SurvivorNet. “It is a chronic condition, which can ebb and flow. You can have good days and bad days.”

WATCH: Understanding the various types of psoriasis.

Dr. Khattri explained that while anyone can develop psoriasis, the disease is more common in people between the ages of 30 and 50. Researchers believe genetics and environmental factors may play a role in the development of psoriasis.

Common symptoms often include:

• Red patches of skin covered with silvery scales
• Small scaling spots
• Dry, cracked skin that may bleed or itch
• Itching, burning sensation, or soreness
• Thickened or ridged nails
• Swollen or stiff joints

Topical medicines like skin creams are considered mainstays in treating psoriasis symptoms. The topical you take depends on the kind of psoriasis you’re dealing with and its related symptoms.

The seven different types of psoriasis include:

• Plaque psoriasis: The most common form of the disease causes dry, raised skin patches that may be covered in scales. The patches may be itchy and tender.
• Nail psoriasis: This disease can affect fingernails and toenails and might cause nails to loosen from the nail bed.
• Guttate psoriasis: This disease typically affects young adults and children and is often caused by a bacterial infection like strep throat.
• Inverse psoriasis: This type of psoriasis mainly affects skin folds, so it will often present in areas such as the groin, buttocks, or breasts and can worsen with friction or sweating.
• Pustular psoriasis: This rare form of psoriasis causes pus-filled blisters to develop in widespread patches across the body.
• Erythrodermic psoriasis is another rare form of the disease. It can affect the entire body and cause a red, peeling rash that may itch or burn intensely.
• Psoriatic arthritis: This form of the disease causes joints to become swollen and painful. Sometimes, joint pain is the first or only symptom, while other symptoms, like nail changes, occur.

How is Psoriasis Treated?

Sometimes, psoriasis is treated with oral drugs, which may include:

• Methotrexate: This medication was approved for psoriasis in 1972 and can be administered orally or intravenously. It works as an immunosuppressant that inhibits rapidly dividing cells. According to the American Academy of Dermatology and National Psoriasis Foundation guidelines, methotrexate is typically administered in doses ranging from 7.5 mg to 25 mg weekly as one dose or divided into three dosages over 24 hours. Common side effects include fatigue and nausea.
• Apremilast (Otezla): This medication suppresses an enzyme inside inflammation cells. The most common side effects are diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache.
• Cyclosporine: This drug isn’t used for long-term psoriasis treatment due to potentially serious adverse effects. However, it does have a role “as a rapid-acting medication for severe, recalcitrant disease, acute flares, and erythroderma.” Nephrotoxicity (kidney issues) and hypertension (high blood pressure) are cyclosporine’s most common adverse side effects.

Other systemic treatment options for psoriasis include Biologic drugs, which are given by injection or intravenous (IV) infusion (a slow drip of medicine into your vein).

These drugs target only specific parts of the immune system, while other systemic drugs target the whole system.

How Phototherapy, Exposing Patients to UVB Light, Offers Another Option for Care

Phototherapy, known as light therapy, is a powerful tool for easing psoriasis symptoms by exposing affected skin to narrow-band UVB light. While it’s not a cure, it has proven to be highly effective in reducing symptoms and improving the appearance of skin plaques caused by the condition.

Typically considered a second-line treatment, phototherapy is recommended when topical medications alone aren’t working or for patients who want to avoid systemic medications that affect the entire body. It’s often used alongside other therapies, whether topical or systemic, to enhance results.

WATCH: Understanding phototherapy.

“In the last 10–20 years, there has been an explosion in the number of options that we have as dermatologists to treat our patients with psoriasis,” Dr. Khattri told SurvivorNet.

The treatment process usually begins with three sessions a week until the patient’s condition is controlled. From there, maintenance may only require weekly or biweekly treatments. Before each session, patients may apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to affected areas, which both boosts effectiveness and helps reduce UV-induced rashes.

Here are the most commonly used types of phototherapy for psoriasis:

• UVB Light Therapy: Patients either stand in a lightbox or have a UVB light source passed over their skin. There are two subtypes—narrow-band and broad-band UVB.
• Laser Therapy: High-dose light is delivered directly to psoriatic patches, allowing for targeted treatment.
• PUVA (Psoralen + UVA): This method makes the skin more sensitive to light. Patients either soak in a psoralen bath or take it orally before receiving UVA light therapy.
• At-Home Light Therapy: For those preferring convenience, home-use devices like handheld lamps or lightboxes can help manage symptoms without visiting a clinic.

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