Many people see psoriasis lesions and falsely assume that the condition is contagious. “A little girl came up to me and asked if I was contagious,” wrote one MyPsorasisTeam member.

Psoriasis is not contagious. A person can’t catch it by touching someone with psoriasis, even during a flare with visible symptoms. However, fear of contagion is a stigma that has real impacts on people living with psoriasis.

Here, we’ll discuss how a person may develop psoriasis. We’ll also examine the social, emotional, and professional effects of misunderstandings and stigma surrounding this skin disease.

What Is Psoriasis? How Does a Person Develop It?

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory condition. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells (in this case, the skin cells). This overactive immune response leads to inflammation and faster production of skin cells.

In people with psoriasis, the skin builds up more quickly than it can shed. This buildup of skin cells results in patches of thick, scaly skin known as plaques (seen in plaque psoriasis). Psoriasis plaques can be red or pink in people with lighter skin and purple or dark brown in those with darker skin.

Dermatology experts are not sure exactly why certain people develop psoriasis. Several factors, including genetics and environmental factors, may influence who gets the condition.

Dermatologists are certain, however, that psoriasis is not contagious. A person can’t catch psoriasis by coming into contact with someone who has the condition — even if they are experiencing a psoriasis flare-up and have visible skin symptoms. If you have psoriasis, you can’t give it to anyone else through skin-to-skin contact or any other method of transmission.

Is Genital Psoriasis Contagious?

Genital psoriasis occurs anywhere in the genital area. Between 33 percent and 63 percent of people who experience psoriasis will have it on their genitals at some point. It has the same overall symptoms as psoriasis elsewhere, including itching, pain, and split skin.

Genital psoriasis can cause emotional upset and embarrassment. “I’ve been too embarrassed to talk about it with anyone,” one MyPsoriasisTeam member said. Another added, “It’s painful, itchy, and shame-inducing.”

Part of the distress of living with genital psoriasis is people thinking the symptoms are infectious and could be transmitted sexually.

To be clear, genital psoriasis is psoriasis, and it is not a sexually transmitted infection. Psoriasis is never contagious, no matter where you have it. That includes your genitalia.

The Impacts of Misunderstandings About Psoriasis

Many MyPsoriasisTeam members have experienced the impact of stigma and misunderstandings about psoriasis. Misunderstandings can cause many different feelings and, in some cases, can affect self-esteem.

Embarrassment and Social Withdrawal

Members often share that they feel uncomfortable or embarrassed when others mistake their psoriasis for a contagious disease. Here’s what they had to say:

What Members Are Saying

“It’s embarrassing. People look at you like it’s contagious.”

“I stay in because when I go out, people stare at me like I’m contagious.”

“It makes me sad when I reach for change or something and people don’t want to touch me because they think it is contagious.”

“I want to be a hermit crab and not leave my house because I feel like everyone’s staring at me like I have some kind of nasty contagious disease.”

Impact at Work

Some MyPsoriasisTeam members find that misconceptions about psoriasis follow them to work, in some cases even affecting their jobs. Members shared the following experiences:

What Members Are Saying About

“I had my current job for just over five months, and my boss only just noticed my skin today. He asked me if I was contagious, then sat on the far opposite side of the office. It made me feel so self-conscious and depressed.”

“I was suspended twice from my employer because they thought I was contagious.”

“My problem is that I can’t find a job. They look at my resume, call me for an interview, then when I take my hands out from under the desk, they suddenly have a change of heart. They think I am contagious.”

Having Conversations About Psoriasis

It’s up to you whether you want to explain your psoriasis to others. Some people with psoriasis find that misconceptions from strangers present opportunities to spread awareness.

“You could use these incidents as opportunities to educate those ignorant of psoriasis,” suggested one member. “Explain that it is not at all contagious and that it is simply an area of rapid reproduction of skin cells. We all naturally shed and reproduce skin daily. These are just overactive areas.”

That said, not everyone with psoriasis feels like educating others who are unaware of the condition. As one member put it simply, “I, too, am way too tired to keep explaining that my psoriasis is not contagious.”

If you want to talk about your psoriasis but don’t know how, ask your healthcare provider for suggestions. They can offer medical advice and direct you to other professionals who can help you find the language to explain symptoms like purple or red patches, blisters, and scaly patches.

Find Your Team

On MyPsoriasisTeam, people share their experiences with psoriasis, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Have you ever had to explain to someone that psoriasis isn’t contagious? Let others know in the comments below.