Psoriasis can appear suddenly or slowly. Many times, it goes away and then comes back again and again.
Symptoms include:
- Irritated, red, flaky patches of skin
- Most often seen on the elbows, knees, and middle of the body
- Red patches may appear anywhere on the body, including the scalp
The skin may be:
- Itchy
- Dry and covered with silver, flaky skin (scales)
- Pink-red in color (like the color of salmon)
- Raised and thick
Other symptoms may include:
- Genital lesions in males
- Joint pain or aching
- Nail changes, including thick nails, yellow-brown nails, dents in the nail, and nail lifts off from the skin underneath
- Severe dandruff on the scalp
Psoriasis may affect any or all parts of the skin. There are five main types of psoriasis:
- Erythrodermic — The skin redness is very intense and covers a large area.
- Guttate — Small, pink-red spots appear on the skin.
- Inverse — Skin redness and irritation occurs in the armpits, groin, and in between overlapping skin.
- Plaque — Thick, red patches of skin are covered by flaky, silver-white scales. This is the most common type of psoriasis.
- Pustular — White blisters are surrounded by red, irritated skin.