Category Archives: Psoriasis

If youve noticed inflamed, scaly skin on your body and wondered what it is (and what the hell you should do about it) we have good news and bad news. The bad news is that it sounds like you have psoriasis. The good news is that youre most likely not turning reptilian. OK, the actual good news is that there are tons of treatments available! This is really really good news because probably the worst thing you can do when you have psoriasis is to do nothing and hope it goes away on its own. Actually, thats not completely true; well get into what the absolute worst thing you can do for psoriasis is in a little bit.

Dr. Joshua Zeichner , MD, explains it in the simplest terms: Psoriasis is a condition in which the immune system gets angry at the skin, leading to red, scaly plaques. Usually youll see it on elbows and knees but psoriasis can appear anywhere, including the scalp, lower back, nails, and even the genitals.

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Want to get even more specific? This is a genetic, autoimmune, inflammatory condition in which your skin cells divide too quickly and do not shed quickly enough, says Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills and a clinical instructor at the University of Southern California. Thats what creates the inflamed, scaly plaques. According to Dr. Shainhouse, psoriasis is often associated with psoriatic arthritis, metabolic syndrome, elevated triglycerides, increased risk for heart disease, and obesity. Yikes. You can see why its not something you want to sleep on.

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You can generally tell that its psoriasis thanks to the main symptom of the aforementioned scaly plaques that can be pink, white, or even silvery. Sometimes these plaques will itch, crack, and possibly even bleed. There are also different subtypes of psoriasis, according to Dr. Shainhouse: Inverse psoriasis appears in the underarms and groin; palmo-plantar psoriasis causes itchy or painful peeling and pustules on the palms and soles; and guttate psoriasis is named after 'raindrops', because you get a sudden eruption of small pink, scaly spots all over the trunk, usually after exposure to Strep throat, Dr. Shainhouse says. A dermatologist will have to examine your skin for a concrete diagnosis.

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Once youve been diagnosed, you can discuss treatment plans with you dermatologist. Luckily, there are now quite a few different options available now for those suffering from psoriasis. According to Dr. Zeichner, your treatment will depend on how mild or severe your case is, as well as what kind of psoriasis you have. Mild cases of psoriasis may be treated with topicals anti-inflammatories including cortisones and Vitamin D creams, Dr. Zeichner says. More severe cases may require systemic medications like pills or shots to keep the inflammation calm. If you have scalp psoriasis, Dr. Zeichner suggests using over-the-counter tar shampoos, such as Neutrogena T-Gel , to relieve dandruff and itching.

Dr. Shainhouse seconds asking your doctor for topical or oral/injectable medications, depending on the severity of your psoriasis. You could also try an over-the-counter exfoliating product, but Dr. Shainhouse recommends getting advice from your dermatologist first. Exfoliating moisturizers can help to remove some of the thick scale, but this condition requires management by your dermatologist, she says.

Phototherapy could also be a viable option. UV light is generally a no-no in dermatology, since we know that too much can be associated with the development of skin cancer and melanoma, Dr. Shainhouse explains. However, it has an anti-inflammatory effect in psoriatic skin, and is a very useful option for reducing skin disease/symptoms.

Finally, Dr. Shainhouse also warns against doing certain things that could worsen your psoriasis. Picking at the scales is the last thing you should do. Rubbing and picking at the skin will actually worsen the spots, Dr. Shainhouse says. Psoriasis tends to develop in sites of skin trauma, including cuts and scratches. This is called the Koebner phenomenon. She also recommends maintaining a healthy body weight and avoiding drugs and alcohol, as obesity and substance abuse can also exacerbate psoriasis.

If you suspect you might have psoriasis, make an appointment with your dermatologist and check out the National Foundation for Psoriasis at http://www.psoriasis.org .

In case that wasn't quite comprehensive enough:

Link:
Here Are The Signs That You May Have Psoriasis - Allure Magazine

A mum has come up with an adorable way to teach people not to fear her daughter who 'looks like she has a contagious disease.'

Ashley Nagy, 29, said 19-month-old Charlie regularly receives stares and cruel comments from strangers.

But now Ashley is hitting back showing her daughter is not 'contagious' by smothering her in kisses and giving her plenty of cuddles in public.

The little girl was diagnosed with psoriasis at four-months-old after the small red dots that appeared all over her skin, developed into large welts that would peel and flake-off.

The disease that affects more than 125 million people worldwide appears in flares and is often brought on by stress, illness and food intolerances.

Parents Ashley and Andrew, 32, from Queen Creek in Arizona, USA, have been accused by strangers of letting their daughter get 'severely sunburnt' and others drag their children away fearing she is 'contagious'.

To combat this, the mum-of-two smothers Charlie in kisses whenever anyone stares or reacts unusually to her in a bid to raise positive awareness of the disease.

Ashley, a real estate agent, said: "Psoriasis flare-ups happen sporadically, she'll be completely free and then in a matter of hours her skin will be covered from head to toe.

"They start off as wide, raised, red spots that then look like little whiteheads, after that they dry up to flake, crack and peel from her body.

"Strangers can be very cruel about it, when we've taken her to the playground the parents of other children have dragged their kids away thinking she's contagious.

"Most people move away, afraid they are going to catch whatever she has or move their kids away so she can't get to close or play with them.

"My response is normally to pick Charlie up and kiss her so that people can see she is not contagious and being near her isn't going to hurt anyone.

"A few people have made comments, some ladies said that I was a bad parent and couldn't believe I let her get so sunburned.

"Others have said they can't believe we have her out in public, but these are just very ignorant people so we ignore them.

"If I'm pushing her around in a stroller and see people staring at her, looking at her in pity or trying to move their children away I'll lightly touch her face and kiss her on the cheek.

"I want people to see that even though she has psoriasis they don't need to be afraid to touch and love her, I hope they see she's not contagious and are more compassionate.

"I don't put her in turtlenecks or hide her, I have her in shorts and am not ashamed of who she is and walk with pride, I know she's beautiful.

"While she has psoriasis, it doesn't define her because she has such a great personality - she's bubbly, funny, very sweet and at times she's freaking hilarious."

Charlie was two-months old when she had her first psoriasis flare-up, it started off as small reddish bumps that develop into larger patches.

Doctors believe she is one of the youngest patients to have such a severe case.

Ashley said: "The rash on her stomach looked like tiny little dots and despite getting antibiotics and more it didn't seem to clear, only getting worse.

"We were told she was one of the youngest patients with psoriasis that the dermatologist had ever seen

"Flare-ups can be caused by food, stress, skin trauma to many different things, even teething and toothache has caused her whole body to flare-up."

Due to the rarity of little Charlie having such an extreme form of psoriasis at such a young age, her parents nickname her their 'unicorn baby'.

They hope their cute phrasing will help to rebrand the disease and show to others that it's not something to fear.

Ashley said: "While we were in hospital, doctors, volunteers and nurses kept running in and out to observe her, because it was so rare to have psoriasis at her age.

"I decided to name her my 'unicorn baby' and referred to the skin problems as 'unicorn spots' because she's so rare and special.

"I chose to compare it to a unicorn as I thought it was something positive and less intimidating, as she gets older I'm sure it will help her see that her skin is beautiful."

Her parents combat the itchy and painful flare-ups that cover her head to toe with a specialist two-hour bathing routine.

In addition to putting her on a gluten and dairy-free diet, with a daily cod liver oil and aloe smoothie, which has stopped her from needing oral medication.

Ashley said: "Our nightly routine is bathing her in essential oils, occasionally we use bleach or oatmeal, then a specialist psoriasis shampoo.

"Then we lotion her right away so her skin doesn't crack with organic butter bees wax, that has essential oils and other ingredients.

"From there, we put her in an oversized cotton t-shirt so that the ingredients can soak into her skin and prevent flare-ups from friction that can be caused when her clothing is too tight."

The parents are now trying to raise awareness of their daughter's condition by educating others and dispelling the myth that psoriasis is a 'contagious disease'.

Ashley said: "I had to become as expert as possible on this disease, my daughter's my world and I won't shut down or give people attitude, I just want to educate them.

"I take it upon myself to fight for her until she can speak for herself, I've learned as much as I can about the disease and even created an awareness raising page."

Ashley is fundraising to help cover her Charlie's medical bills, check-ups and treatment, as well as donating to the Phoenix Children's Hospital who treated her during a bad flare-up.

She said: "Doctors told us they have treated babies with psoriasis but never this bad or for someone so young.

"It was really hard to get our insurance to cover her full medical bills as they have not experienced such a young case before and so have no other cases to compare her to."

You can donate at gofundme.com/help-charlie-fight-infant-psoriasis

Read more:
Mum determined to let strangers know daughter with severe psoriasis that leaves her covered in welts isn't contagious - Mirror.co.uk

Lexington Herald Leader

Psoriasis can't be cured, but there are ways to treat it. Here's how. Lexington Herald Leader Nearly 7.5 million Americans suffer from psoriasis, a chronic skin condition that causes dry, scaly and painful patches of skin. This uncomfortable condition most commonly affects the joints, face and neck, torso, arms and legs, hands and feet, and ... and more »

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Psoriasis can't be cured, but there are ways to treat it. Here's how. - Lexington Herald Leader

Possible barriers to rapid uptake will come in the form of differentiation from the existing biologics, namely Janssen's own Stelara, as well as from the IL-17 inhibitors, Novartis' Cosentyx and Lilly's Taltz. In response to Tremfya's launch, one respondent questioned, "What contribution does Tremfya provide in a sea of psoriasis options?" While close to half of the respondents feel that Tremfya is a significant advance over the TNF inhibitors and Celgene's Otezla, only one in five believe it is a significant advance over the IL-17 inhibitors or Stelara.

Additionally, a number of respondents note a general lack of knowledge and voiced some confusion regarding Tremfya's mechanism of action. Others appear to be under the impression that the biologic was an IL-17 inhibitor and several noted that Tremfya is associated with a suicide risk; implying a potential confusion between Tremfya and Siliq, Valeant's recently approved IL-17 inhibitor that carries a black box warning for suicidal ideation. The lack of knowledge can partially be explained by low sales representative contact rates, with only one-third of the sampled dermatologists reporting contact to date. As Tremfya penetrates the market and representative contact rates increase it can be assumed that this confusion will dissipate.

The third quarter update of RealTime Dynamix: Psoriasis, which will field at the end of August, will include an in depth analysis and tracking of Tremfya's launch and will also highlight benchmark launch comparisons to Taltz, Lily's IL-17 inhibitor which was approved in 2016. At one month post-launch, 86% of dermatologists were aware of Taltz's approval, one-third reported use of the IL-17 inhibitor, and two-thirds had been briefed by a sales representative all metrics Tremfya needs to match or exceed for successful entry into this increasingly competitive market.

RealTime Dynamix: Psoriasis is an independent report series published on a quarterly basis. The series tracks the evolution of the PsO market, provides a deep dive on launch effectiveness, and highlights opportunities for pipeline agents.

About Spherix Global Insights Spherix Global Insights is a business intelligence and market research company specializing in renal, autoimmune, neurologic and rare disease markets. We provide clients with strategic insights leveraged from our independent studies conducted with healthcare providers and other stakeholders.

All company, brand or product names in this document are trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information contact: Lynn Price, Immunology Franchise Head Email: info@spherixglobalinsights.com

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/janssens-tremfya-guselkumab-makes-its-debut-in-the-psoriasis-market-and-early-dermatologist-feedback-reveals-that-distinction-from-stelara-and-the-il-17-inhibitors-will-be-key-to-success-300502261.html

SOURCE Spherix Global Insights

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Janssen's Tremfya (guselkumab) Makes its Debut in the Psoriasis Market and Early Dermatologist Feedback Reveals ... - PR Newswire (press release)

PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwired - August 09, 2017) - A new Health Union national survey of more than 1,000 individuals diagnosed with psoriasis reveals that each person's symptoms and treatment journey is different and some patients' paths are more circuitous than others.

Psoriasis In America 2017 was conducted online between April 4, 2017 - May 26, 2017 and released through Health Union's online community, PlaquePsoriasis.com. Survey respondents reported being frustrated with their psoriasis symptoms on a daily basis, with 70 percent reporting flaking skin, 62 percent itchy skin, and 44 percent cracked skin for all seven days during the past week.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation of skin and other parts of the body. In the United States, there are an estimated 7.5 million adults with psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis, representing about 80 percent of cases. Psoriasis symptoms have different levels of severity -- from mild to severe -- which are medically characterized by the percent of the body surface affected by skin lesions.

For many people, their psoriasis journey reveals signs of autoimmune disease that go beyond their skin. Among current symptoms reported by survey respondents, 58 percent are affected by pain and 66 percent are affected by fatigue. In addition, 45 percent report that their nails are currently affected, which is considered an early warning sign of psoriatic arthritis.

Because psoriasis is a chronic condition with no cure, many people can become discouraged with the available treatment options. Six out of 10 survey participants reported having never gone into remission from their psoriasis symptoms. Still, for some people, remission is possible. With treatment, many patients can have longer periods of remission and relief from skin symptoms.

Chris Petit, PlaquePsoriasis.com patient advocate agreed.

"Even when your skin is clear, the fear of it coming back is always there. You're never 100-percent done with it until they find a cure," he explained.

Almost half of survey respondents started on a prescription medication to treat their psoriasis within a month of diagnosis. Even with treatment, patients continue to deal with skin symptoms which may worsen before they get better. This stress and anxiety can cause further skin flares, adding to the frustration.

"Writing about my psoriasis journey on PlaquePsoriasis.com has been a great way to help others," Petit added. "In the beginning it was rough. Over the years I've learned to embrace it. You can't let the disease run your life -- you have to take control. It doesn't define who you are."

In fact, 73 percent of survey respondents report turning to a psoriasis-specific website to learn more about managing their condition.

"The results of this survey highlight the complex journey facing people who live with psoriasis," said Tim Armand, president and co-founder of Health Union. "People come to PlaquePsoriasis.com when they experience judgment and isolation and don't know where else to turn. We are proud to be able to provide this much needed resource for support and information."

A summary infographic of the survey results is also available. More details about the survey are available upon request.

About Health Union, LLC and PlaquePsoriasis.comHealth Union inspires people to live better with challenging health conditions -- combining new, original content every day with digital, social and mobile technologies to cultivate active online health communities. Health Union platforms are unique ecosystems dedicated to illuminating the voices and experiences of people with type migraine, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and more. Its services and offerings foster open and honest interactions about these health conditions between and among patients, caregivers, professionals, providers and industry partners to help all stakeholders make more informed decisions about healthcare. PlaquePsoriasis.com is Health Union's online community dedicated to people living with psoriasis, where patients and supporters of people living with this condition can connect, share experiences, and learn about managing the condition.

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Survey Reveals Psoriasis Patients' Journeys Take Different Paths - Markets Insider

August is Psoriasis Awareness Month, and although the autoimmune conditionaffects 7.5 million people in the United States, those who live with itoften feel isolated and alone. Celebrities with the chronic skin condition are in thepublic eyemore than most, but that spotlight also helps them show that many people, even the rich and famous, strugglewith the emotional and physical pain that comes with psoriasis.

According to Psoriasis Speaks, the condition is a chronic immune system disease that causes a number of skin problems such as red, thick, and itchy patches. The condition can also affect the nails, genitals, inside of the mouth, and the joints, the American Academy of Dermatology reported. Here are four celebrities who have been open abouttheir struggle.

Kim Kardashian is one of the most well-known celebrities to be vocal about herpsoriasis. Not only has the starlet documented her struggle on her reality TV show "Keeping Up With The Kardashians,"but she also shares photos of her outbreaks on social media.

Read: Natural Psoriasis Treatments: Which Alternative Therapies Do And Don't Work

I don't even really try to cover it that much anymore,"she wrote on her app KimKardashianWest.com. Sometimes I just feel like it's my big flaw and everyone knows about it, so why cover it?

Model-turned-actress Cara Delevingne has also spoken about her struggles with psoriasis, and how the condition has affectedher professional life.

I have been able to meet a lot of people who have it, which is good, explained Delevingne, PerezHilton.com reported. People dont talk about it, because its a weird and embarrassing thing, but it can really screw you up for life if you dont deal with it properly. The side effects of dealing with it are not pretty."

In recent years,Girls Just Wanna Have Fun singer Cyndi Lauper has teamed up with The National Psoriasis Foundation to speak out aboutherphysical, emotional, and social struggles with the skin condition.

"I'm not talking about it because I feel sorry for myself. I'm talking about it because no one talks about it. I didn't understand until I met people from The National Psoriasis Foundation and they brought two other people who had suffered their whole life with it, said Lauper, The National Psoriasis Foundation reported. And what they told me was really kind of moving, that nobody really talks about it and a lot of times you feel alone. I know I felt alone"

Country singer LeAnn Rimes was diagnosed with psoriasis at age 2, and at one point the condition covered 80 percent of her body, Healthline reported. She strives to manage the condition with diet, exercise, and advice from her dermatologist.

People always used to compliment me on my skin, how beautiful it was, and I'd think, if you only knew what was underneath my shirt or my long dress! she told Everyday Health in an interview. As a little girl, it was like, Im not pretty, Im not normal. But you learn very quickly where beauty comes from.

There is no cure forpsoriasis, but there are diets and treatments that can help keep flare-ups to a minimum. For example, making sure you keep skin moisturized and wrapped up during a flare-up can help to minimize its severity. For more psoriasis tips click here.

See Also:

Psoriasis Treatment: 5 Natural Ways To Alleviate The Skin Disorder At Home

Psoriasis Facts And Myths: 5 Things To Know About Misunderstood Immune Disease

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Kim Kardashian's Psoriasis, And 3 Other Celebrities With Chronic Skin Condition - Medical Daily

Anchoring is defined as having the tendency to make subsequent judgements based on the first piece of information received. A group of researchers determined that anchoring improves patient adherence to injections for psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease which is managed with several different medications. Among these medications, biological therapy has been proven to be effective; however, adherence can be difficult because of the fear associated with injections.

A research letter published in JAMAdescribes the results of a study conducted to determine if anchoring patients diagnosed with psoriasis before initiation of treatment would improve treatment compliance. Anchoring is defined as having the tendency to make subsequent judgements based on the first piece of information received. In this study, the researchers assessed if patients offered with monthly injections for psoriasis would adhere to the injection if they were initially presented with a once-daily injection. A total of 100 patients diagnosed with psoriasis, aged 18 years and older and not previously prescribed injectable medications were included in the study. Participants were randomized to two groups. One group was initially anchored by assessing their willingness to have once-daily injections for their treatment before determining their willingness to have monthly injections. The other group was only asked about their willingness to start a monthly injection.

The results of the study show that the group who received anchoring with a once-daily injection were more willing to start a monthly injection compared to the other. Anchoring has been studied in other areas such as psychology and behavioral economics, but its applications in the practice of medicine have yet to be proven. One of the issues encountered is the manipulation of the patient perception with regards to their decision making. The clinician is faced with the ethical dilemma of what to use as an acceptable anchor when offering procedures or treatments to patients.

Resource:

Oussedik, E., et al. (2017). An anchoring based intervention to increase patient willingness to use injectable medication in psoriasis. JAMA Dermatology. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.1271

Written byKarla Sevilla

Read more:
Anchoring Improves Compliance of Injections for Psoriasis - Medical News Bulletin

In a large study in Taiwan, investigators looked at the pattern of incidence of uveitis (eye inflammation) in people with psoriasis. They found that as the severity of psoriasis increased patients had an increasing risk of uveitis compared to people without psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory condition of the skin. While its cause is still unclear, it is thought to be an autoimmune diseasewhere they bodys own defense system reacts abnormally to healthy cells. Although psoriasis mainly affects the skin and nails, in some cases sufferers may develop several other associated inflammatory conditions including arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis can lead to joint destruction and disability. (For more information on psoriasis click here)

Uveitis is an inflammation of part of the eye called the uveal tract this includes the iris, ciliary body and choroid tissue.Symptoms include a painful red eye, light sensitivity and blurred vision. One or both eyes may be affected. Uveitis can have several different causes, but it has alsobeen linked topsoriasis although the relationship is not well defined. In order examinethis further, researchers in Taiwan reviewed a large group of patients with psoriasis and looked at the pattern of incidence of uveitis in these patients compared to people without psoriasis. The findings were recently reported in JAMA Ophthalmology.

The National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan contains comprehensive health data on the Taiwanese population and is a useful resource for studying the pattern of diseases. The researchers reviewed all those in the database who had psoriasis between 2000-2011. They divided these patients into four subgroups according to the severity of their psoriasis and whether or not they had associated psoriatic arthritis. The four groups were: mild psoriasis without arthritis, severe psoriasis without arthritis, mild psoriasis with arthritis, severe psoriasis with arthritis. Over 147,000 psoriasis patients were included and compared with the same number of people without psoriasis (control group).The researchers looked at the occurrence of uveitis in all of these subjects and compared the relative risk between the psoriasis groups and controls.

Patients with severe psoriasis and arthritis had the greatest risk of developing uveitis, followed by those with severe psoriasis but no arthritis, and mild psoriasis with arthritis. There was no significant increase in the risk of uveitis in the mild psoriasis with no arthritis group compared to the control group.

The researchers concluded that the incidence of uveitis differs according to the severity of psoriasis. There greatest risk is in patients with severe psoriasis andarthritis. They suggest that doctors should be aware of these varying risk levels and should educate psoriasis patients about the signs and symptoms of uveitis so that they can seek medical attention if necessary.

Written By:Julie McShane, Medical Writer

Reference

Chi CC, Tung TH, Wang J, et al. Risk of uveitis among people with psoriasis. A Nationwide cohort study. JAMA Ophthalmology. Published online April 13, 2017.

Original post:
Psoriasis severity linked to increased risk of uveitis - Medical News Bulletin

PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwired - August 09, 2017) - A new Health Union national survey of more than 1,000 individuals diagnosed with psoriasis reveals that each person's symptoms and treatment journey is different and some patients' paths are more circuitous than others.

Psoriasis In America 2017 was conducted online between April 4, 2017 - May 26, 2017 and released through Health Union's online community, PlaquePsoriasis.com. Survey respondents reported being frustrated with their psoriasis symptoms on a daily basis, with 70 percent reporting flaking skin, 62 percent itchy skin, and 44 percent cracked skin for all seven days during the past week.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation of skin and other parts of the body. In the United States, there are an estimated 7.5 million adults with psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis, representing about 80 percent of cases. Psoriasis symptoms have different levels of severity -- from mild to severe -- which are medically characterized by the percent of the body surface affected by skin lesions.

For many people, their psoriasis journey reveals signs of autoimmune disease that go beyond their skin. Among current symptoms reported by survey respondents, 58 percent are affected by pain and 66 percent are affected by fatigue. In addition, 45 percent report that their nails are currently affected, which is considered an early warning sign of psoriatic arthritis.

Because psoriasis is a chronic condition with no cure, many people can become discouraged with the available treatment options. Six out of 10 survey participants reported having never gone into remission from their psoriasis symptoms. Still, for some people, remission is possible. With treatment, many patients can have longer periods of remission and relief from skin symptoms.

Chris Petit, PlaquePsoriasis.com patient advocate agreed.

"Even when your skin is clear, the fear of it coming back is always there. You're never 100-percent done with it until they find a cure," he explained.

Almost half of survey respondents started on a prescription medication to treat their psoriasis within a month of diagnosis. Even with treatment, patients continue to deal with skin symptoms which may worsen before they get better. This stress and anxiety can cause further skin flares, adding to the frustration.

"Writing about my psoriasis journey on PlaquePsoriasis.com has been a great way to help others," Petit added. "In the beginning it was rough. Over the years I've learned to embrace it. You can't let the disease run your life -- you have to take control. It doesn't define who you are."

In fact, 73 percent of survey respondents report turning to a psoriasis-specific website to learn more about managing their condition.

"The results of this survey highlight the complex journey facing people who live with psoriasis," said Tim Armand, president and co-founder of Health Union. "People come to PlaquePsoriasis.com when they experience judgment and isolation and don't know where else to turn. We are proud to be able to provide this much needed resource for support and information."

A summary infographic of the survey results is also available. More details about the survey are available upon request.

About Health Union, LLC and PlaquePsoriasis.comHealth Union inspires people to live better with challenging health conditions -- combining new, original content every day with digital, social and mobile technologies to cultivate active online health communities. Health Union platforms are unique ecosystems dedicated to illuminating the voices and experiences of people with type migraine, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and more. Its services and offerings foster open and honest interactions about these health conditions between and among patients, caregivers, professionals, providers and industry partners to help all stakeholders make more informed decisions about healthcare. PlaquePsoriasis.com is Health Union's online community dedicated to people living with psoriasis, where patients and supporters of people living with this condition can connect, share experiences, and learn about managing the condition.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/8/9/11G143939/Images/Psoriasis_In_America_2017_Infographic-57743bfbe435a804806e8c541dbe67e9.jpg

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Survey Reveals Psoriasis Patients' Journeys Take Different Paths - Benzinga

There's a lot to do (hey, no-one said it would be easy) but it works.

Today were talking about psoriasis, otherwise known as Winters Devil, or my personal favourite The Flaky Snake.

Im lucky enough to follow in Kimmy Ks footsteps and suffer this chronic skin condition in which persistent, red and dry patches arise on the face, scalp and hairline. Doesnt it sound fun?

Well, surprise, surprise, its not actually that much of a party time. My makeup gets stuck in it and it hurts (gross, but true).

There are three types of psoriasis:

Its not contagious and can arise for a multitude of reasons. I have scalp psoriasis and sebo-psoriasis thanks to my completely f-d-up auto-immune system and this is the only doctor-approved routine that has left my skin sans red patches, sans scales and sans pain. Hey, the more you know...

1. Elocon lotion

Applied topically in the areas of the scalp that are affected, this prescription, potent lotion is like magic at clearing flaky skin. The active ingredient is mometasone furoate, known for reducing inflammation of the skin. Be aware that it looks oily, so you probably dont want to use it the day before a big event or interview.

I usually use this the day before and the morning of the day that I wash my hair leaving one or two days of clean-looking hair. This seems to be often enough to keep the psoriasis at bay.

2. Nizoral 2% shampoo

This over-the-counter medical shampoo also works for my scalp psoriasis. The active ingredient is 2% of ketoconazole, a synthetic antifungal drug. While psoriasis isnt a fungal disease, antifungal medication seems to help calm it down effectively.

The shampoo does leave your hair looking clean but its really all about the anti-psoriasis effect. No yummy fragrance or amazing hair care here. But, seen as it makes your scalp look like its never been dry or patchy once in your whole life, all that unimportant stuff goes down the drain, literally.

3. Siguent Hycor eye ointment

Containing the active ingredient hydrocortisone acetate (known for reducing swelling and redness), this prescription eye ointment was the reason I went to the doctor in the first place.

Having first been told the flaky, painful skin around my eyes was likely a staph infection and then finding out that it (and every other dry patch on my face) was psoriasis was an interesting discovery. This ointment helped to moisturise my eye area (which was beginning to wrinkle and make me look years older) in a flash.

I just apply the ointment after cleansing and moisturising my skin at night and leave it to sink in as I sleep.

4. Hydrozole ointment

This ointment mixes anti-inflammatory hydrocortisone with anti-fungal clotrimazole which again helps to calm the redness and pain of psoriasis.

This ointment is used anywhere on the face (except the eyes, hence the eye ointment). I use it around the sides of my nose (nasolabial folds) and eyebrows. Literally all the redness and flakiness has vanished and I can now wear makeup on nights out without it getting stuck in the scaly skin. Yay!

5. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

When I was recommended Cetaphil by my doctor I was more than a little confused. Being a beauty writer Ive tried all sorts of fabulous (and expensive) cleansers which kept my skin looking lovely (despite the perennial dry patches).

But, it seems you cant go past good ol Cetaphil. The non-soap cleanser is pH-balanced, fragrance-free, lanolin-free, non-comedogenic (wont block pores) and dermatologist recommended.

So thats it really. Cetaphil to cleanse, Hydrozole on the nose and eyebrows, Siguent Hycor on the eye area, Elocon for the scalp and Nizoral to shampoo. Everything else stays as normal.

Of course, Im not saying this will 100% work for you. And two of the products are prescription only, so youll need to go to a GP anyway to get the regime up and running.

But, we all gotta help each other out, and if something works for me, it might just work for you. Its at least worth giving a go.

Goodbye dry and scaly skin. I wont miss you at all.

Please note: this is the recommendation of one qualified GP that happened to work for me. Please visit your doctor and heed their advice as it will be specific to your skin type and pre-existing conditions.

Melanie Grant is Australias top facialist, and her tips for getting flawless skin are surprisingly cheap and easy!

More here:
This psoriasis routine changed my life - and skin - Body and Soul