Discover our expert guide to know everything about psoriasis on face. Discover our tips for managing symptoms and improving your quality of life
Psoriasis on face: understanding and managing facial psoriasis
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Psoriasis on the face
Psoriasis on the face is a condition that causes thick and dry skin. Discover our expert guide to help you understand Psoriasis on the face, manage the appearance of the symptoms and limit the impact of the disease on your life
What is psoriasis on the face?
Psoriasis on the face, also known as facial psoriasis, is a chronic skin condition in which there are red, thickened and dry patches on the face. It usually goes along with psoriasis on other parts of the body. Because of its chronic condition, psoriasis’ symptoms can come and go unexpectedly. No cure has been found yet, but different treatments can help decrease the symptoms and heal the skin.
They are several different types of psoriasis:
Plaque psoriasis: it causes dry, scaly and discolored patches of skin
Guttate psoriasis: it causes dry, small and scaly spots
Pustular psoriasis: it causes small and pus-filled bumps on a dry and scaly skin
Sebo psoriasis: it is a mix between psoriasis symptoms and seborrheic dermatitis which often affects the eyelids, eyebrows, nasolabial folds and beard area
Scalp psoriasis: it causes swollen, dry, scaly and discolored patches on or around the scalp and can extend beyond the hairline onto facial skin
Facial psoriasis may affect any part of the face with sharply demarcated, red and scaly plaques.
Depending on the skin tone, psoriasis’ symptoms can look different. Indeed, on a dark skin tone, you will mainly see a raised scaly patch of skin turning from dark brown to red purple or even gray.
How common is psoriasis on the face?
Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease. Facial symptoms occur in about half of the people affected by psoriasis on their body. Psoriasis affects millions of people around the world and over 3% of the American population is concerned by this condition. It is extremely rare though to have psoriasis occurring solely on the face.
Eczema is usually characterized by red, dry and itchy areas poorly demarcated, whereas psoriasis’s symptoms are red, well-circumscribed plaques. Skin tends to be thicker and more inflamed than with eczema.
Both psoriasis and rosacea are common and are long-term chronic skin conditions. The difference between them both is that rosacea usually affects only the face when psoriasis can affect the entire body. Also, rosacea’s symptoms are often swollen red bumps and visible blood vessels when psoriasis are scaly patched of skin.
Psoriasis on the face is not contagious and can’t be transmitted to other people by skin contact.
What are the symptoms of psoriasis on the face?
Symptoms of psoriasis cause patches of thick and discolored scaly skin. It can start as a flat, scaly patch and progress to scaly plaque.
Physical symptoms
The patches of thick discolored and scaly skin can appear on your forehead, ears, around your eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, mouth or chin. These patches can range from mild to severe and usually begin at your hairline and extend down towards your chin. The physical symptoms vary depending on what part of your face psoriasis affects:
Eyelids: scales cover the lashes, edges of the lids getting red and crusty, rims turning up or down if they are inflamed for a long time
Eyes: dry, inflamed and irritated with trouble seeing
Ears: scales in ear canal causing hearing loss
Mouth: red skin, sores, peeling, pus bumps on the gums or tongue, inside the cheeks or on the lips
Psychological symptoms
Psoriasis is also associated with a variety of psychological symptoms like:
Feelings of shame and embarrassment
Social isolation
Stress
Depression
What are the causes and risk factors of psoriasis on the face?
The exact cause of psoriasis is still unclear, but genetic predispositions and an overactive immune system could lead to inflammation responsible for psoriasis on the face. This overactive reaction causes the immune system to attack healthy body skin cells. The skin cells will then create new cells faster than they should which increases proliferation of skin cells leading to symptoms of psoriasis.
Triggers for facial psoriasis are usually irritant or allergen but the following can make you more likely to get psoriasis:
Stress
Infection or injury
Reaction to a medication
Smoking
Obesity
Alcohol
Vitamin D deficiency
How to diagnose facial psoriasis?
Thanks to medical history and physical examination by a dermatologist, psoriasis can be diagnosed. As psoriasis can appear like other skin conditions, tests by a healthcare professional can be undertaken to confirm the diagnosis. In this case, a small sample of skin tissue is removed to be examined underneath a microscope.
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How to treat psoriasis on the face?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for facial psoriasis, but a different variety of treatment can help control the symptoms. Depending which part of the face is affected, the type of treatment varies.
The skin on the face is very delicate and needs to be treated with care, that’s why treatments must be chosen with care and always on the advice of a dermatologist or a health professional.
General skin care may include:
Gentle non-soap cleanser
Cream and moisturizer
Sunscreen in case of sun exposure even for a short period of time
Over-the-counter creams and moisturizers can be used to help reduce the symptoms of psoriasis.
Bioderma Sensibio Défensive is a gentle cream which boosts the skin’s ability to defend itself against aggression. It can be used as a facial treatment to limit psoriasis symptoms.
Salicylic acid is an agent found in many over-the-counter creams and is also a good ally for a treatment against facial psoriasis. This remedy helps get rid of scales and can be paired with steroids.
Other corticosteroids creams, ointments, lotions and sprays can be helpful to reduce inflammation, redness and swelling. They are to be used for just a few weeks at a time.
Use cold compresses or ice pack to prevent scratching your psoriasis. Moisturizing the area affected can also help reduce the itching feeling.
