Red, Raised Patches on the Skin
The main symptom of plaque psoriasis is the presence of plaques on the skin. These plaques are patches of red, inflamed, and raised skin. These plaques are caused by the build-up of excess skin cells on the skin. On white skin, the plaques look like red patches on the skin. On people with darker skin, the color may not be red. You may notice that the color of the plaque ranges from purple to gray to dark brown [4]. The plaques appear thicker sometimes.
The plaques are not always present on the skin. You may notice that these patches of raised red skin are present for a few days or weeks before clearing up. When the plaques disappear, you are said to be in remission. The symptoms may return after a while. Certain medications, stress, and injury to the skin may trigger a flare.
You may notice that your plaques are symmetrical [5] in how they affect the body. They often affect the same location on the body on the right and left sides. While you may notice these raised red patches anywhere, they are more common on the knees, elbows, arm, trunk, and scalp.