You may be surprised to learn that psoriasis is one of many medical conditions that can disqualify you from U.S. military service. Other disqualifying conditions include psoriatic arthritis, atopic dermatitis, eczema, and acne. However, the rules for enlistment can be complex and may need to be carefully evaluated. In some cases, you can request a medical waiver. Whether or not you can enlist with psoriasis depends on your treatment and which branch of the armed forces you want to join.

If you or a loved one has psoriasis and would like to enlist in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, read this article for more information.

Why Can Psoriasis Disqualify You From Military Service?

Psoriasis can prevent you from joining the U.S. military or disqualify you from your current military duties for a few reasons. These include treatment challenges, the risk of flare-ups, and the potential impact on other service members during active duty.

Psoriasis Treatment

Psoriasis causes lesions, plaques, itching, and other skin and nail issues. Although treatment can help control symptoms, psoriasis is a chronic (long-term) disease with no cure. This means there is a risk of flare-ups while you’re serving.

Your psoriasis might not prevent you from joining the military if your symptoms are mild and a topical (applied to the skin) treatment can control them. Biologic medications, however, can be a challenge because they must be kept cold. When military dermatologists are determining which psoriasis treatment is best, they must consider which medications can be administered in different conditions.

Military dermatologists also have to consider the potential side effects of different treatment options. For example, some psoriasis treatments suppress the immune system. This can put you at an increased risk for infections. Depending on your military duties and where you’re located, a suppressed immune system could be a problem.

The treatments required to manage your condition will have an impact on a medical evaluation board’s decision about your enlistment.

Risk of Flare-Ups

Common psoriasis triggers include stress, changes in weather, and skin injuries like bug bites, scratches, and sunburn. Serving in the military may make you more likely to experience these triggers.

Here are a few examples:

• The weather at some active duty stations is hot and humid.
• Deployment can cause physical and emotional stress.
• Military equipment, like heavy helmets and protective gear, can irritate the skin.

Although you may be able to control your psoriasis symptoms at home, the U.S. military is concerned about whether you can control them in the field. Serving in the armed forces may make your symptoms worse.

Impact on Other Service Members

A study published in Military Medicine found that service members with psoriasis have a high likelihood of needing to be evacuated during deployment due to flare-ups. Losing a team member in a critical or dangerous situation can put the rest of the company at risk. It can also be costly for the military to plan and execute an emergency evacuation. Of course, you would never want to leave your fellow service members behind, but stress, the environment, and other triggers could take away that choice.

Rules by Branch

Officially, psoriasis is a disqualifying condition for enlisting in the U.S. military. In some cases, it can also lead to potential discharge from military service. Depending on the specialties you are interested in and your willingness to be flexible, you could qualify to serve in a support role. It depends on the military branch and the severity of your psoriasis symptoms.

U.S. Army

Psoriasis is a disqualifying condition for the U.S. Army. The Army will consider granting a medical waiver for psoriasis in some cases. They base their decision on your potential for service and the Army’s needs. Ask your Army recruiter for details.

U.S. Navy

Psoriasis is a disqualifying condition for the U.S. Navy. The Navy will consider granting a medical waiver for psoriasis if it’s a mild case controlled by topical steroids. As part of the waiver process, you must have a dermatology consultation.

U.S. Air Force

Psoriasis is a disqualifying condition for the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force will consider granting a medical waiver for psoriasis under two conditions. First, you must be willing to serve in an air traffic controller or ground-based operator role. Second, you must be able to control your symptoms with treatment that does not rely on systemic medications or phototherapy.

Psoriasis is also a disqualifying condition for the U.S. Air Force Academy. They will consider waivers for mild eczema and atopic dermatitis cases but not psoriasis because it is a systemic disease — a condition that affects the whole body.

U.S. Marines

Psoriasis is a disqualifying condition for the U.S. Marines. Ask your recruiter about the possibility of a medical waiver.

A Medical Waiver May Help You Qualify To Serve With Psoriasis

In 2022, nearly 30 percent of the 215,000 potential enlistees who underwent medical exams failed those exams. Once medical waivers were approved, that number dropped to 16 percent.

Don’t let a psoriasis diagnosis discourage you from applying for military service. You may need to file an appeal if your medical waiver is denied. You may also need to consider a different branch of the armed forces than you were hoping for. But if you would like to serve, be persistent, ask for help, and talk to a doctor specializing in dermatology about treatment options that could make your waiver more likely to be approved.

Find Your Team

MyPsoriasisTeam is the social network for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and their loved ones. On MyPsoriasisTeam, more than 126,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Are you serving in the U.S. military with psoriasis? Were you told psoriasis was a disqualifying condition? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.