Treatments Your Provider May Prescribe
If lichen planus is suspected, your doctor may want to perform a skin biopsy. The procedure involves:
- Numbing the skin with an injectable anesthetic.
- Sampling a small piece of skin by using a flexible razor blade, a scalpel, or a tiny cookie cutter (called a "punch biopsy"). If a punch biopsy is taken, a stitch (suture) or 2 may be placed and will need to be removed 6–14 days later.
- Having the skin sample examined under the microscope by a specially trained physician (dermatopathologist).
In addition, your doctor may recommend one of the following treatments:
- Topical corticosteroid (cortisone) cream, lotion, ointment, or gel
- Topical tacrolimus or pimecrolimus
- Anti-itch lotions containing menthol, pramoxine, or phenol
- Corticosteroid (cortisone) injected directly into a thick lesion
- Oral antihistamine pills such as diphenhydramine, loratadine, cetirizine, fexofenadine, desloratadine, or hydroxyzine for itching
In addition, your doctor may suggest one of the following treatments for oral lichen planus:
- Topical corticosteroid (cortisone) ointment or gel
- Topical cyclosporine solution used as a mouthwash
For very severe cases of lichen planus, one of the following therapies may be recommended:
- Ultraviolet light treatment
- Oral retinoid pills such as isotretinoin or acitretin
- Oral cyclosporine pills
- Oral hydroxychloroquine pills
Although there is no cure for lichen planus, treatment can usually minimize symptoms and improve the appearance of the rash until it heals.
Self-Care Guidelines
