Psoriasis what does it look like

Plaque psoriasis , or psoriasis vulgaris, is the most common form of psoriasis. An estimated 80 to 90 percent of people with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis. Patches are usually 1 to 10 centimeters wide, but can also be larger and cover more of the body.

If you scratch at the scales, the symptoms will often get worse. As a way to ease discomfort, your doctor may recommend applying moisturizers to keep the skin from becoming too dry or irritated.

These moisturizers include an over-the-counter OTC cortisone cream or an ointment-based moisturizer. Your doctor may also work to identify your unique psoriasis triggers, including stress or lack of sleep. In some cases, you may need light therapy. Sometimes treatments combine prescription oral medications, light therapies, and prescription ointments to reduce inflammation. With moderate to severe cases, you may be prescribed systemic medication in the form of oral, injectable, or intravenous medication.

Guttate psoriasis appears in small red spots on the skin. Most of the time it starts during childhood or young adulthood. The spots are small, separate, and drop-shaped. They often appear on the torso and limbs, but they can also appear on your face and scalp.

Spots are usually not as thick as plaque psoriasis, but they can develop into plaque psoriasis over time. To treat guttate psoriasis your doctor may prescribe steroid creams, light therapy, and oral medications. Determining the underlying cause of the infection can also help to clear guttate psoriasis.

If a bacterial infection caused the condition, antibiotics may help. Flexural or inverse psoriasis often appears in skinfolds, such as under the breasts or in the armpits or groin area. This type of psoriasis is red and often shiny and smooth. The sweat and moisture from skinfolds keeps this form of psoriasis from shedding skin scales. The skin-on-skin contact can make inverse psoriasis very uncomfortable. Most people with inverse psoriasis also have a different form of psoriasis in other places on the body.

Your doctor may prescribe a lower potency steroid cream to avoid your skin from thinning too much. You may also benefit from taking or applying medications that reduce yeast or bacteria growth. Pustular psoriasis is a severe form of psoriasis.

It develops fast in the form of many white pustules surrounded by red skin. These pustules can also join together and form scaling. Some people experience cyclic periods of pustules and remission. While the pus is noninfectious, this condition can cause flu-like symptoms such as:. Treatment may include OTC or prescription corticosteroid creams, oral medications, or light therapy.

Biologics may be recommended as well. A study of 1, people with psoriasis found that guttate psoriasis affects about 8 percent of people with psoriasis. You can spot this type of psoriasis rash by small, raised round spots called papules. They sometimes have a scaly appearance. The spots might look red on light skin and purple or brown on skin with more pigment. Guttate psoriasis can start at any age.

For most people, though, it starts in childhood or adolescence. It can develop after an infection, such as strep throat or tonsillitis. Psoriasis can appear anywhere on the body. It can develop in just one area, or it can show up in several.

Pustular psoriasis is most likely to develop on the hands and feet. The pustules are scaly white blisters filled with pus. The skin around the painful blisters may be red and inflamed and may crack easily. Erythrodermic psoriasis is a severe skin condition.

The main symptom is a dry rash that covers much of your body. On lighter skin, the rash looks red. On skin with more pigment, it may look more purple or gray.

It can look like skin that has been burned. Erythrodermic psoriasis can also cause a chemical imbalance in your body and is a life threatening condition. Call or go to the nearest emergency room if you quickly:. Generalized pustular psoriasis is another uncommon but serious skin condition, also known as von Zumbush psoriasis.

It starts out looking like a widespread dry rash. Blisters appear within a few hours, then fill with pus. As the blisters dry out, they peel and leave a smooth surface. Over the course of a few days or weeks, new blisters may erupt, forming layers upon layers. Generalized pustular psoriasis is life threatening and requires emergency medical care. These blisters form in a studded pattern. Over time, the blisters turn brown and become crusty. Due to the rarity of the condition, there is a lack of evidence-based treatment guidelines.

As a result, medical professionals may recommend a combination of topical ointments, oral medications, and therapies. They may also cycle between medications and therapies to find the most effective option and reduce the risk of side effects. A person with mild pustular psoriasis may be able to treat the condition with prescription topical ointments. However, those with more extensive symptoms may require hospital treatment.

While most forms of psoriasis tend to be mild or moderate, erythrodermic psoriasis is severe and can be a life-threatening medical emergency. It causes an extremely painful, peeling rash that looks like a burn. Erythrodermic psoriasis is a rare condition and affects Unlike symptoms of the types of mild psoriasis, symptoms of erythrodermic psoriasis tend to be serious.

They may include:. People who have erythrodermic psoriasis are prone to infection. They may also experience other serious problems, including heart failure and pneumonia. People with erythrodermic psoriasis are often hospitalized and may require emergency treatment.

This may include fluid replacement and systemic medications, which affect the whole body. Biologic therapy is also a potential course of treatment. Biologics target cytokines, which are signaling molecules that assist in the movement of cells to sites of inflammation.

By suppressing or inhibiting these signals, biologics can reduce the severity of inflammation from erythrodermic psoriasis.

In mild cases, focused treatment for the symptoms of erythrodermic psoriasis may include topical steroid creams and ointments, wet dressings, and oatmeal baths. Most types of psoriasis tend to be of mild to moderate severity. This exception is erythrodermic psoriasis, which can be a life-threatening medical emergency. Psoriasis varies in its appearance and symptoms, but most treatment approaches are similar.

Typically people with mild psoriasis can manage their symptoms using topical treatments, according to treatment guidelines. However, if a person has moderate to severe symptoms a doctor may prescribe new biologic therapies. These can help treat the underlying cause of skin changes and may reduce the number of flares and severity of symptoms. Many people also have scalp psoriasis.

The common skin rash seborrheic dermatitis pictured also causes scaly, itchy skin patches. It can occur on your scalp, where it may be called dandruff, or on your face and chest. While doctors don't know the exact cause of seborrhea, it occurs across the age spectrum, in babies as well as in adults, and is usually treated with creams and lotions.

Pityriasis rosea pictured causes a red skin rash that is scaly and can look like guttate psoriasis. This skin rash is common in children and young adults. It often begins with cold-like symptoms and is followed by red, scaly, and sometimes itchy oval-shaped patches that appear on your back or abdomen. Like psoriasis, this skin rash is not contagious. Doctors do not know the exact cause, but pityriasis rosea may be due to a viral or bacterial infection.

You can take medication to relieve the itching, and the rash should go away after a few weeks to months. And unlike psoriasis, this skin rash rarely comes back.

Like psoriasis, eczema pictured is a chronic skin condition that often causes intense itching. Scratching causes redness and inflammation of the skin, leading to a worsening of the eczema. Scratching can also cause a secondary bacterial infection. The most common type of eczema is caused by a reaction to irritants like detergents, soaps, or household cleansers.

So if you have eczema, you should be careful to use mild soap and regularly moisturize your sensitive skin. Your doctor may prescribe a steroid cream or other medications if eczema is severe.

Some forms of psoriasis appear as pus-filled blisters that may be confused with pimples. Pustular psoriasis forms white blisters that are filled with pus and surrounded by red skin. Far more common than psoriasis, acne pictured also causes a pus-filled pimple eruption. However — unlike psoriasis — acne is caused by excess oil, blocked pores, and bacteria. Acne is common in teens and young adults and occurs on the face, neck, back, or chest.

Pustular psoriasis is usually seen in adults and can occur anywhere on the body, but less likely on the face. Like guttate psoriasis, measles pictured also follow symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in children and cause a skin rash of small, red spots.