Pinpointing psoriasis on darker or Black skin can be different than spotting it on lighter skin for several reasons.
Color
The appearance of psoriasis can vary based on the level of melanin, or the pigment that colors our skin. For Black patients or those with darker pigmented skin, lesions may be violet, dark brown, or gray, according to Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology. On lighter skin, psoriasis appears as thick plaques with a silver scale.
“Since psoriasis looks different on Black skin — and there’s not enough education about what this looks like — it’s often misdiagnosed,” Dr. Hartman says.
Location
If you have scalp psoriasis, work with your dermatologist to create a hair-care regimen that works for your specific type of hair.
Effects
The aftereffects of psoriasis also differ among individuals with heavily pigmented skin. Depending on the severity of the outbreak, Hartman says that lesions from psoriasis can leave spots of discoloration or post-inflammatory dyspigmentation for months after a flare-up resolves. Dermatologists caution Black patients not to confuse this with active psoriasis, and they do not recommend using topical steroid treatments on non-inflamed, hyperpigmented areas.
