When psoriasis develops on your feet, it can cause uncomfortable itching or soreness that makes tasks like walking difficult.

Psoriasis, an autoimmune skin condition, usually causes itchy and scaly rashes but can also cause pus-filled blisters. It most commonly develops on your:

  • knees
  • elbows
  • scalp
  • trunk

Psoriasis can affect many other parts of your body, such as your feet. In a 2020 study from Denmark, researchers found the soles of the feet were the fourth most common hard-to-treat area.

Mild psoriasis on your feet can be managed with home remedies such as moisturizers, but more severe psoriasis may need prescription medications.

Read on to learn more about the signs of psoriasis on your feet and how it can be treated.

Psoriasis is divided into subtypes depending on its features. Several types can develop on your feet.

Plaque psoriasis

Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis. It makes up about 90% of cases. It’s also known as psoriasis vulgaris. Vulgaris is the Latin word for “common.”

Plaque psoriasis on your feet causes similar symptoms as when it develops on other parts of your body. It’s characterized by raised patches of dry and scaly skin. These patches tend to be itchy or sore.

Palmoplantar psoriasis on feet

When plaque psoriasis occurs on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet, it’s referred to as palmoplantar psoriasis. In a study of people with psoriasis, 15% of them were found to have palmoplantar psoriasis.

Localized pustular psoriasis on feet (also known as palmoplantar pustular psoriasis)

Palmoplantar pustular psoriasis is a rare form of psoriasis that causes pus-filled blisters to form on your palms or the soles of your feet. It’s much more common in women between the ages of 40 and 69 who smoke.

Nail psoriasis

Nail psoriasis is when psoriasis also causes nail symptoms. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, nail symptoms usually start years after psoriasis develops on your skin. They may include:

  • grooves
  • blood beneath the nail
  • lifting of the nail from the nailbed

Guttate psoriasis

Guttate psoriasis causes small red and scaly spots to form on your skin. These spots often resemble raindrops and generally form on your:

  • trunk
  • upper arms and legs
  • face
  • scalp

Guttate psoriasis has also been reported in case studies on the soles of the feet. It’s usually triggered by infections, particularly strep throat.

Erythrodermic psoriasis

Erythrodermic psoriasis makes up about 1% to 2.25% of cases of psoriasis. It causes redness over at least 75% of your body’s surface. It can also lead to fluid retention in parts of your body, such as your feet and ankles.

Erythrodermic psoriasis requires immediate emergency medical attention to prevent severe complications such as heart failure or hypothermia.

Acropustulosis

Acropustulosis is a rare form of psoriasis that causes a painful rash on the soles of your feet or palms of your hand. The rash may contain small, reddish, flat bumps that turn into blisters.

Acropustulosis is most common in infants but can affect anybody.

Psoriasis can cause similar symptoms on your feet as on other parts of your body. Psoriasis on the feet can be mild, only affecting a small area of your feet, to severe, which affects your quality of life. Symptoms usually flare up for a few weeks to a few months and then go into remission for months to years.

Plaque psoriasis can cause:

Plaque psoriasis patches tend to be pink or red on people with light skin and violet or dark brown on people with darker skin.

Palmoplantar pustular psoriasis can cause:

  • tiny blisters filled with yellow pus
  • scaly skin
  • painful cracking
  • bleeding

About 10% to 25% of people with palmoplantar pustular psoriasis also have plaque psoriasis.

Psoriatic arthritis

About 20% of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis can affect any of your joints but often occurs in your:

  • knees
  • ankles
  • hands
  • feet

Symptoms can include:

  • swollen and tender joints
  • stiffness in the mornings
  • swollen fingers or toes
  • lower back pain

Psoriasis develops when your immune system attacks healthy skin cells. It’s not clear why this happens, but a combination of genetic and environmental factors likely play a role.

People with family members with psoriasis are at an elevated risk of developing it too. In a 2020 study, researchers found 31.9% (444 of 1,393) of people with psoriasis had a family history.

The most common gene associated with palmoplantar psoriasis is HLA. People with a version of this gene called HLA-Cw6 seem more susceptible to developing psoriasis.

Symptoms often develop when genetically susceptible people are exposed to certain triggers.

Triggers vary between people but often include:

The majority of people with palmoplantar psoriasis are current or former smokers. It’s been hypothesized that activated nicotine receptors in sweat glands could trigger an inflammatory reaction that leads to psoriasis.

Here are some images of different types of psoriasis on the feet.

Psoriasis doesn’t have a cure, but a combination of home and medical treatments can help relieve flare-ups and symptoms.

Home remedies

Home remedies might be all you need to treat mild psoriasis. The following remedies may help ease your symptoms:

Making lifestyle changes may help reduce flare-ups. Some habits you can adopt include:

Over-the-counter treatments

Some over-the-counter medications may help ease your symptoms. These include:

Medical treatment

A doctor may prescribe you stronger medications if you have moderate or severe psoriasis. Some of these medications include:

A doctor may also recommend you try light therapy to treat pain and itchiness. This treatment involves exposing your skin to ultraviolet light in a controlled way to lower symptoms.

It’s a good idea to visit a doctor any time you develop an unknown rash or skin lesion. A doctor can help you determine if it might be a sign of psoriasis or another condition.

The National Psoriasis Foundation recommends seeing a dermatologist if:

  • your symptoms are flaring up or getting worse
  • treatments recommended by your primary care doctor aren’t working
  • you’re interested in trying treatments such as biologics, oral medications, or phototherapy

A primary care doctor may be able to diagnose psoriasis based on the appearance of your skin if you have typical symptoms. They may refer you to a dermatologist if your condition is severe or if they aren’t sure if you have psoriasis. They may refer you to a rheumatologist if you have signs of psoriatic arthritis.

In some cases, a small skin sample called a biopsy may be taken to confirm the diagnosis.

Psoriasis can develop on any part of your body, including your feet. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Some people have soreness that may lead to disability.

There’s no cure for psoriasis, but a number of treatments can help you manage your symptoms. If you have mild psoriasis, a doctor may recommend home remedies and over-the-counter treatments. They may recommend prescription medications or light therapy if your symptoms are more severe.