Living with Psoriasis

I was four years old when it happened. My older sister was running across the street.

I was chasing after her when I accidentally tripped and scrapped my knee. It was a new subdivision, so the tar was recently placed on the ground. This could have been a contributing factor to what would follow. As the large cut on my knee began to heel, something else started to appear. Scaly white patches built on top of the new skin, and I was diagnosed with the skin disorder called Psoriasis.

To put it simply, Psoriasis is an overproduction of skin cells. With this disorder, the skin cells grow up to 10 times faster and pile on top of one another causing red or scaly white patches. Psoriasis can be very severe. However, mine was treated early and is mild. Even though it is mild, certain things will cause it to break out. For example, the chemicals in the products I used to straighten my hair made my neck dry with scaly white patches.

When I talked to my dermatologist, he advised me not to use any chemicals in my hair. These chemicals came from my perm as well as everyday products like hair dressing, oils, and so on. KeraCare products were the ones he suggested I use on my hair. While these were excellent for protecting my skin, they were a bit pricey for me, and I had to move on to other products.

Throughout the years my Psoriasis became a little hard to manage because I had so many allergies. I cut back on some of my favorite foods and beverages because I was allergic to them. For instance, orange juice caused my skin to break out along with many other citrus fruits. I didn’t use ketchup, dairy products, and syrups. The only fruits I was advised to eat were apples and bananas.

Extreme temperatures were not good for my skin either. Even inside buildings, I could not be too hot nor too cold. Pet fur, cat liter, and even freshly cut grass affected my skin. Laundry detergents could not contain fragrances and in fact, I’m allergic to all fragrances.

The reason I wrote this article was to tell my story and to help others like me. I realized that not everyone can get treatment. Even though I took medication for my Psoriasis, what helped me the most was changing my diet and making a few adjustments. I also wrote this to say I did not allow my Psoriasis to bring me down. Yes, there were foods and drinks that I had to avoid, and some of my favorite fragrances I could not wear. No, it was not fun when people would stare at my skin. Yes, I have grown out of some of those allergies, but many are still the same. Regardless, anyone can get through Psoriasis by doing their research and by making the necessary changes to take good care of themselves.
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