World Psoriasis Day

I have always been very open and honest on the blog about my psoriasis and the journey I have had with the condition.

This World Psoriasis Day, I want to share what the day means to me and why it is important. 

If you don’t know my psoriasis story, here is a quick update. I have had psoriasis for 6 years. I first started noticing small red, flaky patches in August 2013 after starting my 4th year of university. My psoriasis wasn’t properly diagnosed until Spring 2014 which is when I started using creams. When the creams didn’t work immediately and my doctor wasn’t giving me much help on what to do, I stopped using them and didn’t seek treatment again until December 2014.

In December 2014, I saw a new doctor who referred me to a dermatologist immediately and I started seeing my first dermatologist at my local hospital and getting help with my psoriasis in early 2015. After a year of seeing my local dermatologist and trying many medications with no long-term results, I was referred to the severe psoriasis unit in Glasgow. My first appointment with the severe psoriasis consultant was in early 2016. I have continuously seen this dermatologist since then.

After trying more medication and nothing working, in January 2017 I started biogelic injections which worked incredibly. However, in early 2018, my psoriasis started coming back and on the advice of my dermatologist I came off all medication in May 2018. I next go back to the dermatologist in January 2019. Currently, my psoriasis is under control but slowly coming back, spreading across my face, scalp, belly button and pubic area. 

World Psoriasis Day means a lot to me for so many different reasons. Psoriasis is an incredibly common yet unknown, complex, incurable autoimmune disease. The disease appears on the skin, so people automatically assume it is purely a skin condition. This is incorrect.

Did you know the people with psoriasis are 60% more likely to have a heart attack? Or that we are 50% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes? Let’s not forget about the chances of getting psoriatic arthritis or the effects the condition have on a person’s mental health?

Psoriasis is so much more than a skin condition that can be helped with moisturiser. You need a plan (medical and holistic) to ensure you are looking after yourself and doing the best to keep the condition under control – all of it, not just the skin aspect of psoriasis.

World Psoriasis Day is so important to the 125million people who currently have psoriasis to help raise awareness and find ways to manage the condition.

What does World Psoriasis Day mean to you?

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