What Is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes the skin to produce new cells far faster than normal, resulting in a build-up of red, scaly, itchy patches. While it most commonly appears on the knees, elbows, scalp, and trunk, psoriasis frequently affects the feet and toenails, and is one of the more commonly mismanaged conditions we see in the clinic.
There’s no cure for psoriasis, but the foot and nail manifestations can be effectively managed to reduce discomfort, protect the skin, and prevent secondary complications.
How Psoriasis Affects the Feet and Nails
Psoriasis can present differently depending on where it appears:
On the feet and heels
- Thick, scaly plaques on the soles, heels, or sides of the feet
- Dry cracking skin that may bleed or become painful with walking
- In some cases, pustular psoriasis presents as small blisters on the soles
On the toenails
Nail pitting (small dents across the nail surface), thickening, discolouration, crumbling, or the nail separating from the nail bed (onycholysis).
Nail psoriasis looks very similar to a fungal nail infection and is frequently misdiagnosed. An accurate assessment is important, as the two conditions require different treatment approaches.
What Triggers Psoriasis Flare-Ups?
Psoriasis tends to cycle through periods of flare and remission. Common triggers include:
- Stress
- Skin injury or pressure (including friction from footwear)
- Illness or infection
- Certain medications
- Hormonal changes
- Genetic predisposition
How We Help
Podiatrists manage foot and nail psoriasis rather than systemic symptoms, which require a GP or dermatologist. Our role is to reduce pain and manage complications through:
- Accurate assessment and diagnosis — distinguishing nail psoriasis from fungal nail infection, which requires very different management approaches
- Skin and nail care — providing careful debridement for thickened or scaly skin on the heels and soles, along with specialised care for separating or fragile nails
- Footwear and pressure assessment — identifying how footwear friction or pressure is aggravating skin plaques and recommending modifications
- Padding and offloading — reducing mechanical stress on cracked or painful heel and sole plaques
- KeryFlex nail restoration — for nails significantly affected by psoriasis, KeryFlex can restore a natural-looking nail surface cosmetically while the underlying condition is managed
- GP or dermatologist referral — where systemic treatment or formal diagnosis is needed, we’ll coordinate with your wider care team
Why Choose Highett Podiatry?
We see a range of patients with psoriasis affecting their feet and toenails across our Melbourne clinics, and we understand how significantly it can affect daily comfort and confidence.
Our podiatrists take the time to distinguish psoriasis from other nail and skin conditions accurately and build a management plan that addresses the foot-specific impact of the condition.
Book an appointment at our Highett or Mentone clinic. No referral needed.