What should you know about lichen planus before and after?

Before treatment, a clinician looks at the rash’s shape, colour, distribution and symptoms, and checks the mouth, nails or genital skin when relevant. A biopsy may be suggested if another condition could look similar. Tell the clinician about new medicines, allergies, pregnancy, liver disease and products used on the skin. Lichen planus can cause itchy bumps, soreness or mouth sensitivity; [Itchy Skin](/symptoms/itchy-skin/) and [Skin Bumps](/symptoms/skin-bumps/) describe these symptoms more generally. The aim is to control inflammation and protect affected tissue, not to promise an instant cosmetic change.

Use treatment exactly as directed and keep follow-up appointments, even if itching improves quickly. Topical corticosteroids are often applied to selected areas, while extensive or difficult disease may need another treatment plan. Moisturise, avoid fragranced products and reduce scratching to limit irritation. Skin colour may remain darker or lighter after active inflammation settles, and that change does not necessarily mean treatment has failed. Photographing the same area in similar light can help you and your clinician notice change. See [Lichen Planus](/conditions/lichen-planus/) and [Topical Corticosteroids](/treatments/medical-dermatology/topical-corticosteroids/) for related reading.

Contact your clinician if the rash spreads, becomes painful, develops open or bleeding areas, or returns after improvement. Mouth lesions that interfere with eating, genital sores, eye symptoms or nail changes deserve specific review. Seek urgent care for facial swelling, breathing difficulty, fever with rapidly worsening skin, or a severe reaction after treatment.

Ask how to apply each medicine, when improvement should be checked, how to handle a missed application, whether colour changes need treatment, and which recurrence signs warrant an earlier appointment.