Treatments Your Provider May Prescribe
If your doctor is not sure if you have lichen simplex chronicus, he/she may wish to perform a skin biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. 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 suture or two 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).
Once you are sure you have lichen simplex chronicus, it is important to break the scratch-itch cycle. In addition to the above self-care measures, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following treatments to reduce itching and scratching:
- Aggressive moisturizing techniques
- Corticosteroid (cortisone) creams or ointments
- Creams containing salicylic acid or urea, to improve penetration of the topical corticosteroid
- Oral anti-histamines, especially for use at bedtime
- Injection of corticosteroid solution directly into the lichen simplex chronicus lesions
- Ultraviolet light therapy
- Sedatives or anti-depressants for people with lichen simplex chronicus strongly related to psychological stress
- Doxepin or capsaicin cream
- Topical or oral antibiotics if infection is present
Self-Care Guidelines
