What does lichen planus look like?
Lichen planus looks like purple or reddish-purple bumps on the skin. The bumps have flat tops. They are uneven in shape. If you look at the bumps closely, you might see white scales or flakes on them. Lichen planus can appear on any area of the skin. The most common areas are the inner wrists, the forearms and the ankles. Lichen planus may also affect the scalp, the nails or inside of the mouth. On the scalp, lichen planus may cause hair loss. Lichen planus of the nails can cause brittle or split nails. In the mouth, it looks like lacy white patches on the inside area of the cheeks. Sometimes lichen planus affects areas of skin where you had a cut or burn. What causes lichen planus? You can’t “catch” lichen planus from someone else. You can’t “give” it to someone else. It is not caused by stress, but sometimes stress makes it worse. Some cases may be linked to a virus called hepatitis C virus. This virus can cause liver disease. Hepatitis C virus infection can be passed through blood t
