An inflammatory disease that affects almost 0.5 to 2 % of the world population, Lichen planus is an auto-immune condition that tends to run a chronic course. It presents with dark, raised lesions which are flat-topped mostly affecting the skin, but also involving the oral cavity and genitals in many cases.

Lichen planus is neither infectious nor contagious in nature. Apart from being chronic, the disease has periods of remissions (when the symptoms disappear or reduce in intensity) and relapses (when the disease symptoms increase in intensity). Hence, patient compliance to conventional treatment is poor at times.

The disease can affect people of any age group though it tends to be common in young adults and middle ages. Children are less commonly affected and so are old people. Lichen planus affects females more commonly as compared to males.

On account of the etiology not being understood fully, conventional therapies tend to be more symptomatic in nature. However, homeopathy medicines have been demonstrated to have a significant impact on the psyche of the patients thereby giving rise to better results in the treatment of lichen planus.