Our Mission
We Built the Resource We Couldn’t Find
No one should spend years searching for answers that should have been easy to find.
Welcome. We’re glad you’re here.
If you’ve been searching for trustworthy information about lichen planus, you know how difficult it can be to separate evidence from misinformation. We created About Lichen Planus to be the resource we wished existed: clear, evidence-based, and built around the real experiences of people living with this condition.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, supporting a loved one, or still looking for answers, you’re in the right place.
Growing Our Mission
About Lichen Planus is an educational initiative of the LichenS Support Network.
What began as the Lichen Sclerosus Support Network has grown into a broader mission: serving people living with lichen planus, lichen sclerosus, and other complex lichenoid conditions through evidence-based education, patient advocacy, and community support.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, still searching for answers, or supporting someone you love, we’re honored you’re here.
Watch the Launch Announcement
If you’d rather hear the story directly from our team, watch our 7-minute launch announcement below. We share why we created About Lichen Planus, what you’ll find on the new site, and where we’re headed next as we expand support for people living with lichen planus.
In this video, you’ll learn:
Prefer reading? Keep scrolling for the highlights and everything included in the new website.
What You’ll Find Here
Whether you’re newly diagnosed or looking for deeper answers, we’ve built this resource to help you move forward with confidence.
Why We Built About Lichen Planus
If you have recently been diagnosed with lichen planus, you have probably already discovered a frustrating reality: reliable information is surprisingly difficult to find.
Many people spend months or even years trying to understand what this condition is, why it affects so many different parts of the body, and why finding knowledgeable providers can feel nearly impossible.
Because of this lack of clarity, many people are not diagnosed correctly until much later. We knew patients deserved something better.
Beyond Our Commitment to Evidence-Based Education
Science and evidence-based education are at our core. Since launching our educational initiatives, LSSN resources have been accessed more than 2 million times, helping patients find trusted answers sooner. However, anyone living with lichen planus knows this condition affects more than just your skin or mucosal tissues.
It influences your daily routines, mental health, confidence, identity, and relationships. It can profoundly impact intimacy and how you navigate your workplace.
These human conversations are often completely missing from traditional medical resources.
At About Lichen Planus, we believe you deserve both evidence-based education and compassionate support that acknowledges the real-world, emotional impact of living with a chronic inflammatory condition.
Our goal is simple: to create a trusted place where you can find reliable answers without spending hours sorting through conflicting information online.
Meet Our Clinical Advisors & Contributors.
Every article on About Lichen Planus is grounded in current medical evidence and developed in collaboration with clinicians, researchers, and people living with these conditions.
Clinical Advisors
Dermatologist – Mucosal Disease Specialist
Erin Foster, MD, PhD
Dr. Foster is an unpaid medical advisor for LichenS Support Network. She reviews educational materials for About Lichen Planus and is nationally recognized for her expertise in diagnosing and treating complex vulvovaginal and oral mucosal diseases, including lichen planus and lichen sclerosus.
Featured:
Leadership Team
Executive Director
Kathy Ruiz-Carter
Kathy founded LSSN after years of delayed diagnosis. She now leads the organization’s educational initiatives and patient advocacy work.
Reach out at kathy.ruiz-carter@lssupportnetwork.org.
Chief Content Researcher/Creator
Jaclyn Lanthier, PhD
Jaclyn leads educational content development, research translation, and patient resources for About Lichen Planus, helping transform complex medical literature into practical, evidence-based guidance.
Reach out at jaclyn.lanthier@lssupportnetwork.org
Get updates as we grow.
You shouldn’t have to navigate this condition alone. Join our community list for the latest lichen planus education, research opportunities, patient resources, and LSSN updates.
Welcome. We’re glad you’re here.
While you’re waiting for your first email, explore these trusted resources:
We don’t offer miracle cures, but we do offer a path forward. You deserve to understand your body.
We believe the patient voice is the most powerful tool we have. If you are living with lichen planus and would be open to sharing your experience for a future video, educational project, or patient story, we would love to hear from you.
Every story shared is a lifeline that helps someone else feel less alone on their diagnosis journey.
If you are interested, please reach out to Jaclyn directly at:
jaclyn.lantheier@lssupportnetwork.org
Help Shape the Future of Lichen Planus Care
Your experience can help improve future research and care.
Stories inspire us, but data changes medical systems. Right now, there is a massive gap in documented data regarding the real barriers lichen planus patients face.
To change this, we are conducting a vital patient survey in partnership with an international pharmaceutical company. If you meet the following criteria, we need your voice:
The survey takes about 35 minutes and can be completed entirely anonymously. Your answers will help us show researchers and policymakers exactly where patients are falling through the cracks, helping us build better resources and stronger clinical trials for the future.
Start Here
If you’re new to lichen planus, these are great places to begin:
Welcome to Our Community
We are still a very small team, but we have big missions and big dreams.
Wherever you are in your journey—newly diagnosed, searching for answers, or supporting someone you love—you have a place here.
Welcome to About Lichen Planus. We’re honored to learn alongside you, advocate with you, and help you navigate what comes next.
Help Build the Resource We Wish We’d Had
When the Lichen Sclerosus Support Network began, it started with one simple belief: no one should spend years searching for answers that should have been easy to find.
Today, that mission has grown.
Through About Lichen Planus, we’re creating trusted, evidence-based education, practical tools, expert interviews, and compassionate support for people living with lichen planus and other complex lichenoid conditions.
But we can’t do it alone.
Join the Circle of Hope
The Circle of Hope is our community of monthly supporters who make this work possible every day of the year. Their generosity helps ensure that patients and families can access reliable information, advocacy resources, and supportive programs free of charge—long before they reach a breaking point.
Every monthly gift helps someone find answers sooner, feel less alone, and walk into their next appointment with greater confidence.
Your monthly gift can be changed or canceled at any time. Every contribution helps ensure that people living with lichen planus, lichen sclerosus, and related conditions can access trusted education and support.
