Roughly 40 percent of people with psoriatic arthritis have at least one close family member with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, says Dr. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know the exact cause of psoriatic arthritis or psoriatic rashes, although certain risk factors may play a role, including genetics and family history. In Black people, the psoriasis often looks violet or dark brown, and the scale is often gray.In Hispanic and Latinx people, the psoriasis tends to be salmon-colored and the scale is often silvery white.In white people, psoriasis tends to be red or pink, and the scale is often silvery white.Psoriasis rashes can also present differently on different skin tones, which can lead to psoriatic rashes being misdiagnosed more often in people of color.Īccording to the American Academy of Dermatology: Also, a psoriatic rash can mimic or be easily mistaken for other skin conditions, including:

“The reason a psoriatic rash can be hard to diagnose is that it can present in such different ways,” says Dr. Pustular psoriasis: small, fluid-filled blisters, known as pustules, which often develop on the palm of the hands and feet.Inverse psoriasis: flat, red, shiny psoriasis patches in areas where the skin folds, such as elbows, knees, groin, armpit, or underneath the breast.Guttate psoriasis: small, tear-dropped dots or lesions, usually on the trunk, upper arms, and thighs.Erythrodermic psoriasis: generalized redness and scaling of a large portion of the body.Plaque psoriasis causes red, slightly raised patches with silvery scales covering them on the elbows, knees, scalp, or in or around the belly button and lower back. One of the most common ways it shows up is as plaque psoriasis, says Dr. For example, one person can have just a few patches near their scalp or elbow while other people can have them on the majority of their body. What Does a Psoriatic Arthritis Rash Look Like?Ī psoriatic arthritis rash can present differently for different patients. This isn’t to say that all rashes are psoriasis, notes Elaine Husni, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of the Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Disease at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, “but if you have a rash that doesn’t go away after a week or two - and it gets more red or itchier - then it’s time to see a dermatologist,” who can help diagnose your skin condition and work with your rheumatologist to comanage your condition if you do have psoriatic arthritis, she says. But if you have so-called ‘dandruff’ and joint pain, it may be that the dandruff is actually psoriasis.” “Or they could have some little flecks in their scalp and believe that it’s dandruff. “Patients think, ‘Oh, I’ve had this one little area behind my ear that sometimes itches,’ but otherwise they never notice it,” says Dr. What’s more, you may even have a psoriatic arthritis rash and not realize it. “A smaller number of people - 3 to 5 percent of patients with PsA - do not have psoriasis but they do have a first degree relative who has the rash.” “About 85 to 95 percent of psoriatic arthritis patients develop the rash of psoriasis before they develop psoriatic arthritis, but some people develop joint pain before the rash, or they both come at the same time,” says Rebecca Haberman, MD, Clinical Instructor of Rheumatology at NYU Langone Health in New York City. You would think that having a psoriasis rash along with joint pain would be a telltale sign of psoriatic arthritis, but in real life, things are not so straightforward.įor some people, psoriasis skin manifestations might come years prior to a psoriatic arthritis diagnosis, so they may not necessarily be top of mind. Psoriatic arthritis can cause changes in your nails (such as crumbling and pitting) and can make your fingers and toes swell and look like mini sausages ( known as dactylitis).īut the most well-known visual clue is a psoriasis rash. But psoriatic arthritis, which occurs because your immune system is overactive, causing inflammation, also has some visible clues that can help doctors diagnose the condition in the first place and keep tabs on how well the disease is under control. There’s a lot about psoriatic arthritis (PsA) that is invisible, such as joint pain and stiffness and debilitating fatigue.

Pics of jock itch rash