Psoriasis frequently appears on the arms, often on your elbow.
Several types of psoriasis may affect your arms, but plaque psoriasis is the most common.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease without a cure.
Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images
Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from DermNet New Zealand www.dermnetnz.org 2023.
Reproduced with permission from DermNetwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet New Zealand www.dermnetnz.org 2023.
The rash you develop appears differently, depending on the bang out.
The skin lesions may develop gradually or suddenly.
Youll notice plaques, which are raised, thick, scaly patches of skin.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNetwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
You may also have inflammation in the area, and the plaques may be itchy and painful.
The color of the lesions depends on your skin tone.
With light to medium tones, the plaques appear red or pink with silvery white scales on the surface.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023
With darker skin tones, the plaques may be purple or dark brown with gray scales.
Many people with plaque psoriasis on their arms also havenail psoriasis.
The nails can also become brittle or pull away from the nail bed.
The papules usually develop suddenly after a strep throat infection.
Inverse psoriasis develops in skin folds like the underarm area.
Psoriasis on Hands
In some cases, pustular psoriasis may only appear in a limited area.
When it does, it develops on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.
As a result, skin inflammation develops and skin cells grow faster than usual, accumulating in patches.
Is Psoriasis Contagious?
Psoriasis is not contagious, and it will not spread just because you scratch it.
However, scratching can leave you vulnerable to infection and trigger or prolong a flare-up.
For this reason, it’s important to see your healthcare provider for effective treatments.
Psoriasis is a chronic condition for which there’s no cure.
Early, effective treatments help prevent flare-ups and keep the disease in remission.
Treatment
Psoriasis treatments take several forms.
It may take some trial and error to find one that works well for you.
While psoriasis can’t be cured, it can be managed to reduce your symptoms.
This therapy is delivered in several ways, sometimes sensitizing the skin with medication.
Oral medications that work throughout the body may be prescribed.
Therapy can help you cope with the impacts of psoriasis.
Your healthcare provider can recommend products to help heal and hide psoriasis.
Guttate psoriasis can also develop on your arms.
you might also have inverse psoriasis, which occurs in the armpit.
No matter where the inflammatory condition occurs or the bang out, psoriasis occurs in cycles.
You’ll have flare-ups with mild to severe skin symptoms and periods of remission.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Are triggers causing your psoriasis flare-ups?
National Psoriasis Foundation.Pustular psoriasis.
National Psoriasis Foundation.Erythrodermic psoriasis.
National Psoriasis Foundation.Plaque psoriasis.
National Psoriasis Foundation.Guttate psoriasis.
National Psoriasis Foundation.Inverse psoriasis.
Rendon A, Schakel K.Psoriasis pathogenesis and treatment.Int J Mol Sci.
2019;20(6):1475. doi:10.3390/ijms20061475
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Psoriasis: diagnosis and treatment.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Psoriasis treatment: phototherapy.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Psoriasis treatment: biologics.
National Psoriaisis Foundation.Causes and triggers.
The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance.Emollients and psoriasis.
National Psoriasis Foundation.About psoriatic arthritis.
