What does psoriasis look like?

Plaque (plack) psoriasis: Patches of thick raised skin covered with silvery scale form. These patches usually appear on the scalp, elbows, knees, or lower back — but they can develop anywhere on the skin.

Scalp psoriasis: On the scalp, the psoriasis may be thin or thick. Very thick patches can lead to hair loss. Whether thick or thin, the patches can extend beyond the scalp to the forehead, neck, or ears.

Nail psoriasis: This can develop with any type of psoriasis. Signs include yellow-brown spots on the nails, pitted nails, crumbling nails, and nails separating from fingers or toes.

Guttate (gut-tate) psoriasis: This type often develops in children, who get it after they’ve had an infection, such as strep throat. Guttate psoriasis tends to cause lots of small, scaly spots.

Inverse psoriasis: Found where skin touches skin, such as the armpit (left) or groin area (right), this type causes shiny, smooth patches instead of scaly ones. This psoriasis is often bright red and the skin may be sore.

Pustular psoriasis: On their hands and feet, people develop painful pus-filled blisters and thick, scaly skin that cracks easily.

Generalized pustular psoriasis: Rare and very serious, this type of psoriasis requires emergency medical care. It begins with dry, red, and tender skin. Within hours, widespread pus-filled blisters appear.

Erythrodermic (eh-rith-row-der-mic) psoriasis: This type of psoriasis causes large areas of skin to look burnt. Anyone who has skin that looks burnt should see a doctor immediately because this type of psoriasis can be life threatening.