What Does Psoriasis of the Nails Look Like?

Nail psoriasis affects many patients with psoriasis, and may be a predisposing sign of the development of psoriatic arthritis. The nails can lift ("onycholysis"), develop small dark lines ("splinter hemorrhages"), develop a brown stain ("oil drop sign"), or become thickened (sometimes because of psoriasis, other times because of a fungal infection). Topical steroids can be tried on the skin around the nail, as well as injecting steroids in the same area. If not... more

Thanks for your question. Psoriasis of the nails can have many different appearances. The most common is nail pitting - the appearance of tiny pits in the nail when looking at it straight on or in tangiential light. The nails can also seperate from the nail bed (onycholysis) and have a whitish appearance at the tip of the nail that can spread down pretty close to the cuticle. The nails can also appear crumbly or have debris gathering up underneath the nail. There are other various signs,... more