Lichen Planus can affect skin, mouth, nails, scalp, and genitals. All the patients may not have all the forms of Lichen Planus. Most patients have it only on skin. About 20% patients may have it in the mouth or genitals
Your conventional doctor is most likely to prescribe to you cortisone in the form of ointment, tablets, injection or mouth wash. Ask if that is going to cure it… Experience says that cortisone never cures Lichen Planus, it simply suppresses for some time; and the disease invariably resurfaces
Lichen Planus, an obstinate skin disorder has baffled not only the patients but also the practitioners equally. The cases of Lichen Planus have been observed all over the world, irrespective of the race, skin color and culture. The medical field today finds little help for this chronic disease. Fortunately, homeopathy, the fast growing alternative medicine has a definite, promising treatment for Lichen Planus.
It is a long standing (chronic), recurring, non-allergic, non-infectious, non-contagious disease of the skin, of which the exact cause is not yet fully understood.
It can affect skin, oral mucosa, tongue, scalp, genitals and nails. However, it is less likely that it affects all the areas as stated, at the same time. It has a tendency to relapse after some months or years. Females are more frequently affected as compared to the male counterpart, however, uncommon to find it in children. Over 1.9% of the total population is affected by Lichen Planus.
Planus eruption is round or irregular shape, raised slightly above the skin level, brown or pinkish or black in color.
Lichen Planus largely affects skin. It may also affect mouth (gums, tongue, palate) (oral Lichen Planus), the scalp, nails, or the genitals (glans, penis). It could affect one or more of the said body parts. It is not a rule that every patient with Lichen Planus will have all the said areas affected. In males it could affect the glans of penis and in females the vulva or vagina. It can be said that more areas affected, more difficult to treat. Also, experience says that the oral or genital Lichen Planus is more difficult to treat as compared to that on the skin. Also, Lichen planus affecting the scalp when leads to scarring, may lead to permanent hair loss; which is difficult to treat.
Some of the latest studies have shown a co-association of Lichen Planus with a rare variety of Hepatitis-C. It may be noted that the exact connection and causative link has not been established between the two entities. It may be noted that patients with Hepatitis C have some proneness to develop Lichen Planus; the reverse is not true.
Flat-topped shiny polygonal eruptions. Small in size, thickened eruptions, rough and/or oily to touch, dirty look at times. You may find spots either in groups, a few or numerous in number and very often bilateral symmetrical (on both the side of the body, say legs).
Under the microscope: It is of less importance to the patients to know how Lichen Planus tissues look when seen under the microscope. Following is the microscopic (histopathological) view of it.
At times, one also observes the Lichen Planus eruptions appearing along the line of a scratch mark, called as Koebner’s phenomenon. It has an affinity for the genitals are involved. In males, the glans ; while in females the vulva may be affected.
The nails when affected tend to become deformed. In short, Lichen Planus affecting the skin, mouth (Oral Lichen Planus) and vaginal LP are some of the most common variants. When the oral mucosa or the genitals are affected, this condition is often neglected, reported late or incorrectly diagnosed. Lichen Planus affecting the food pipe (esophagus) is not a commonly encountered condition. However, some cases have been reported at some institutes.
All variants of Lichen Planus respond very well to homeopathic treatment. It can be said with confidence that Lichen Planus is curable using homeopathy. Homeopathy offers excellent results in Lichen Planus of the skin, mouth and genitals; in this order.