This post was sponsored by Happify as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
When I was an elementary school student, there was a boy in my class with large, scaly patches on his head and arms. I remember asking him what was wrong with him. The look on his face when I asked him haunts me to this day.
What I know now is that he had psoriasis. Something I would later learn my mom suffered from and I would eventually join the ranks of those with this disease as an adult.
I didn’t realize my mom had Psoriasis because she was always able to cover it up with long hair. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized how much she suffered. When my sister was diagnosed, followed by my own diagnosis shortly thereafter, one of the biggest things that helped was having people who knew what I was going through. It helped to have people who understood the angst of nails that flaked apart and the pain.
Psoriasis is a condition we don’t talk much about even though it affects more than 125 million people in the world. The silence on the subject can make an already embarrassing condition feel more embarrassing. My goal in talking about what helps me with my psoriasis is to help more people realize that they are not alone and help them learn to connect with other people facing the same things through the Kopa for Psoriasis App.
Kopa for Psoriasis is an online community where people living with psoriasis can go for open discussion and to share tips and advice with other members and learn from healthcare professionals. It is a place for people to find information to relieve their suffering, and to talk to others who know how it feels to face this chronic condition. It’s a judgment-free platform for people with psoriasis to support each other, share advice, learn from experts, and cope better, together.
Here are some of my favorite tips for dealing with psoriasis that I am sharing on the Kopa app with other people just like me.
Understand your psoriasis
Finding good information about your psoriasis can help you know how to treat it. Consult a doctor to figure out what kind of psoriasis you have (plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular, or erythrodermic) so you can figure out the best way to treat your case.
- Plaque. Most people diagnosed with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis. The plaques present as thick red patches with silver or white scales on top. These plaques most commonly appear on the elbows, knees, and scalp.
- Guttate. Guttate is characterized by small teardrop-shaped red spots usually on the limbs or stomach.
- Inverse. Inverse is psoriasis found in the folds of skin, such as in armpits.
- Pustular. This is characterized by many white pustules on top of red skin.
- Erythrodermic. This type of psoriasis looks like burns on the body and is very red and scaly.
The information above may help you know what to talk to your doctor about, but an official diagnosis will help you the most.
Stay hydrated
Stay hydrated Drink water—lots of it! Everyone needs water, but I have personally found that I have fewer flares and problems if I can keep up with my water intake. If you have trouble drinking water, try out a few of my favorite infused waters.
- Raspberry and Lime Water. 1 sliced lime and a handful of raspberries.
- Cucumber and Mint. Half a cucumber, sliced, and 4 or 5 mint sprigs.
- Pineapple, Mango and Strawberries. A handful of sliced mango and pineapple with 3 or 4 hulled strawberries.
- Lemon, Lime and Mint. 1 Lime sliced, half of a lemon sliced and 4 or 5 mint sprigs.
Wear psoriasis-friendly clothes
Wearing clothes that rub against areas where you tend to have plaques can cause a flair. Wearing loose-fitting clothing or apparel made from non-irritating fabrics is always a big help for me. I don’t find I have struggles with day-to-day wear but the combination of spandex athletic wear and a workout is never great for my skin.
Avoid foods that cause flares
Foods that tend to cause flares can vary for different people but generally, people with psoriasis are told to avoid gluten, refined sugars, eggs, and caffeine. There is a lot of debate about whether cutting out gluten helps psoriasis, but my personal philosophy is to try each suggestion out and see if it helps me.
Stay moisturized
One of the best ways to stay moisturized is to moisturize right after the shower. Don’t towel off. Rather, add moisturizer straight to your damp skin to lock the moisture in.
Meditation and gratitude
Stress is a huge trigger for me and for many people. One of the ways I combat stress is meditation and keeping a gratitude journal to help keep my head in a good space.
Talk to people who understand
Support has been absolutely key for me in managing my psoriasis. I can’t imagine going through this without my support system. Everyone needs a support system when going through major conditions and Kopa for Psoriasis by Happify Health is an amazing network to help people feel like their condition is manageable instead of a sentence. Some of the topics you can find help for on the app include:
- Managing Symptoms & Flare-Ups
- Treatment Options
- Lifestyle: How Psoriasis Affects Work & Relationships
- Diet, Exercise, and Sleep
- Psoriasis and Mental Health
Psoriasis impacts more than your skin; it can affect your mental health and your social well being. Kopa provides an open forum for people to discuss real-life solutions to these issues and everyone benefits from sharing.
Spend time in the sun
Obviously a lot of time in the sun can cause bigger health problems, but spending a small amount of time in the sun can help slow the cell production and tame your psoriasis.
Find the silver lining
You may think there can’t possibly be a silver lining in having a condition like this, but you would be surprised. For me, one of the biggest areas affected is my nails. They flake and break apart and are quite painful, but I have found if I keep my nails done, they don’t break! So I get pretty nails and suffer less pain. How many people can say they get their nails done for their health? Definitely a silver lining.
Ice down
When flares get particularly bad, I like to use an ice pack to soothe the itch. Another great way to do this is to keep a bottle of lotion in the fridge.
Psoriasis can be a painful and difficult journey but it is one you don’t have to take alone! Put questions in the comments and download the Kopa app to connect with our wonderful community.
Psoriasis can be a painful and difficult journey but it is one you don’t have to take alone! Put questions in the comments and download the Kopa app to connect with our wonderful community.
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