Are you looking to understand the visual differences between plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA)?
These two conditions are related but show up very differently on the body. Here's a quick breakdown:
Plaque Psoriasis (skin)
- Raised, scaly patches on the skin
- Reddish on lighter skin tones, purplish or brown on Show Full Answer
Are you looking to understand the visual differences between plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA)?
These two conditions are related but show up very differently on the body. Here's a quick breakdown:
Plaque Psoriasis (skin)
- Raised, scaly patches on the skin
- Reddish on lighter skin tones, purplish or brown on darker skin
- Silvery or white scales that flake off
- Commonly found on knees, elbows, scalp, torso, and lower back
Psoriatic Arthritis (joints)
- Affects the joints rather than just the skin
- Can cause swollen, stiff, or painful joints
- May also involve nail changes
- Sometimes causes spine inflammation For actual photos, the National Psoriasis Foundation (psoriasis.org) and DermNet (dermnetnz.org) have excellent visual libraries showing both conditions across different skin tones. Your dermatologist or rheumatologist can also help confirm which type — or combination — you're dealing with.
August 12