Psoriasis on the Face

What is psoriasis on the face?

Psoriasis on the face, or facial psoriasis, is a condition that causes patches of thick, discolored and scaly skin on your forehead, around your eyes, on your cheeks or your chin. Facial psoriasis can also affect the skin around your mouth, on your eyebrows and your nose. These rash-like patches are called plaques. Psoriasis is a chronic condition, which means symptoms can come and go unexpectedly and there’s no cure.

What are the different types of psoriasis that affect the face?

There are several different types of psoriasis. Some types of psoriasis cause symptoms that affect the skin on your face, including:

• Plaque psoriasis: Plaque psoriasis causes dry, discolored, scaly patches of skin.
• Guttate psoriasis: Guttate psoriasis causes small, dry, scaly spots on your skin after a streptococcal infection.
• Pustular psoriasis: Pustular psoriasis causes small, pus-filled bumps on top of dry, scaly skin.
• Sebopsoriasis: Sebopsoriasis is a cross between psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff).
• Scalp psoriasis: Scalp psoriasis causes swollen, discolored patches of dry, scaly skin on or around your scalp.

Who does psoriasis on the face affect?

Psoriasis on the face can affect anyone diagnosed with psoriasis.

How common is psoriasis on the face?

Psoriasis affects millions of people. Over 3% of the United States’ population has a type of psoriasis. Most people who have psoriasis on the face also have psoriasis in another location on their body. About 50% of people diagnosed with psoriasis experience symptoms on their face at least once during their lifetime.

What is the difference between facial psoriasis, rosacea and eczema?

Psoriasis, rosacea and eczema are all skin conditions that can affect the skin on your face. The main difference between each condition is the symptoms they cause, including:

• Psoriasis: Scaly patches of skin.
• Rosacea: Small, swollen red bumps and visible blood vessels.
• Eczema: A dry, discolored and itchy rash.

What are the symptoms of psoriasis on the face?

Symptoms of psoriasis on the face range from mild to severe and cause plaques to form on the skin of your face. Plaques are patches of skin that are:

• Dry.
• Scaly or flaky.
• Discolored, from pink to red, red to purple or brown to silver.
• Thick.

Psoriasis on your face usually begins at your hairline and extends down toward your chin. Symptoms can resemble dandruff if a plaque forms at your hairline and the scales shed. Psoriasis that forms near your mouth can affect your ability to eat and cause discomfort.

You might experience mild itchiness from psoriasis plaques on your skin. If you scratch your skin plaques, they could break open. This could lead to an open sore or an infection. Signs of an infection are fluid drainage (pus), swelling and a burning sensation or pain.

What does psoriasis on the face look like on dark skin?

Psoriasis doesn’t look the same on every skin tone. If you have a dark skin tone, psoriasis can look like:

• A raised, scaly patch of skin.
• Patch of skin that’s dark brown or red to purple.
• Patch has gray to silver scales.

When the plaque on your face goes away, you may have skin discoloration that lasts for a few months to a year. A healthcare provider can offer treatment options to improve how your skin heals after a psoriasis outbreak.

What are the stages of psoriasis on the face?

Psoriasis can start as a flat, scaly patch and progress to a scaly plaque.

What causes psoriasis on the face?

While the exact cause of facial psoriasis is unclear, research suggests that inflammation from an overactive immune system causes psoriasis on the face. Cells in your immune system protect your body from foreign invaders, like bacteria, that can make you sick. With psoriasis, your immune system instead attacks your body’s healthy skin cells. This attack causes your skin cells to create new cells faster than they should, which leads to symptoms of psoriasis.

What triggers psoriasis on the face?

Psoriasis on the face could start after interaction with a trigger, which is an irritant or allergen that causes an outbreak of symptoms. Triggers for facial psoriasis include:

• Stress.
• An infection.
• A reaction to a medication.
• An injury to your skin.

Is psoriasis on the face contagious?

No, psoriasis on the face isn’t contagious. You can’t spread the condition to other people through physical contact.

How is psoriasis on the face diagnosed?

A healthcare provider or a dermatologist will diagnose psoriasis on the face. A diagnosis occurs after a physical exam to look at your skin and review your symptoms. As psoriasis can appear similar to other skin conditions, your provider might offer tests to confirm a diagnosis. A skin biopsy is a test where a healthcare provider will remove a small sample of skin tissue to examine it underneath a microscope.

How do I get rid of psoriasis on the face?

Treatment for psoriasis on the face could include:

• Topical corticosteroid creams.
• Topinarof cream.
• Roflumilast cream.
• Calcipotriene cream.
• Immunosuppressants.
• Light therapy.
• Over-the-counter creams and moisturizers designed for psoriasis that include ingredients like salicylic acid to prevent flaking.
• Methotrexate injections or cyclosporine injections and biologics for severe cases.

It can be challenging to treat facial psoriasis because the skin on your face is thinner and more sensitive than the skin on the rest of your body. The treatment you use to treat psoriasis on your arms and legs, for example, might not work effectively to treat psoriasis on your face.

Before beginning treatment, talk to your healthcare provider about the possible side effects and any medications or supplements you currently take to avoid drug interactions.

How soon after treatment will I feel better?

It could take a few weeks to a few months after you begin treatment for your skin to improve after a psoriasis outbreak. Medicated treatments from your healthcare provider can speed up your skin’s healing time. You may have temporary skin discoloration where you had a psoriasis plaque for a couple of months up to a year on your face.

How can I prevent psoriasis on the face?

While you can’t prevent all cases of psoriasis on the face, there are some things you can do to improve the symptoms of psoriasis like:

• Using a gentle cleanser to clean your skin daily.
• Applying moisturizer to your skin daily or as your skin becomes dry throughout the day.
• Wearing sunscreen when you go outdoors.
• Managing your stress.
• Avoiding triggers.

What can I expect if I have psoriasis on the face?

Psoriasis is a lifelong condition. You may experience psoriasis outbreaks on your face in addition to outbreaks on other parts of your body at the same time.

As psoriasis on the face can affect your appearance, some people find comfort in talking with a mental health professional if their symptoms affect their emotional well-being.

It may take a few different treatment options before you find one that works best for your skin. Each person’s skin is unique, so what works for you might not work for someone else with similar symptoms.

There isn’t a cure for facial psoriasis, but treatment is available to help you manage your symptoms.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Visit your healthcare provider if:

• Your symptoms get worse after treatment starts.
• You experience pain, swelling or pus leaking out of your skin plaque (signs of an infection).
• Your skin isn’t healing a couple of months after treatment.
• You have recurring psoriasis outbreaks on your face.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

• What can I do if I’m worried about how psoriasis affects my appearance?
• How do I prevent future outbreaks?
• Are there side effects to the treatment?

Can you get a facial if you have psoriasis?

During a psoriasis outbreak or a flare-up of symptoms, getting a facial isn’t recommended. A facial is a skin care treatment performed at day spas that involve exfoliation, moisturizing and hydrating your skin. This type of treatment can irritate your skin if you have an outbreak of psoriasis.

When your skin heals after an outbreak, you may choose to get a facial from a spa. There’s a risk that the moisturizers from the facial could cause your skin to react negatively. Before you schedule a facial, talk to your healthcare provider to see if it’s right for you. If your healthcare provider approves, you should also tell your facial provider that you have psoriasis, so they can choose gentle skin care products for your face.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Psoriasis on your face is a chronic skin condition that needs lifelong treatment or management. It can affect your appearance, which may have an impact on your self-confidence and mental health. Dealing with a chronic condition isn’t easy, but your healthcare provider or dermatologist can work with you to find a treatment option to help you feel more comfortable.