Lichen planus is a common skin condition. It affects about 1/100 people, more women than men, and is particularly common in people over the age of 40.

Lichen planus is a chronic skin condition that is an autoimmune inflammatory condition involving the white cells (the T-cells). It seems to be related to inflammatory proteins that affect the skin cells (keratinocytes), resulting in a white, streaky rash. Lichen planus can affect fingernails, genitals, the face, the hands, and other parts of the body.

In the case of auto-immune conditions such as lichen planus, the first thing I recommend is to get a comprehensive stool analysis performed by either Doctor Data Labs or Genova Diagnostic Labs. A breath test may also be useful. Once you have the results of the testing, work with your physician to determine the state of your gut flora.

Often people with autoimmune diseases have problems with their small intestine. For example, a “leaky” small intestine is not uncommon in auto-immune conditions. If a leaky gut is present, the small intestine will need repairing as part of treating the lichen planus.

After addressing any problems with your gut flora, the next step is to work on your diet. The diet I recommend is very similar to the Candida crusher approach. You will need to take junk food out of your diet. The emphasis should be on fresh fruits and vegetables, leans meats, legumes, nuts and seeds, and plain fresh drinking water. When you eat according to the principles of good health and build a community of healthy gut bacteria, your immune function will naturally improve. Immune function is what you want to balance out to help down-regulate the inflammatory responses. A healthy diet will reduce inflammation, which will make the lichen planus much less severe. You will still have the condition but in a much less angry state.

In time, you can also use probiotics to improve the efficiency of the gut. Probiotics can also help create an anti-inflammatory, rather than a pro-inflammatory state in your body. Fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) is a must when treating lichen planus. I would suggest a dose of approximately 2000 mg a day.