Do you have a rash? - No, I got psoriasis…
“Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales,” the NHS says. The skin condition comes in many forms, fx scalp psoriasis or guttate psoriasis. It is caused by many things. My main trigger is stress.
My classmate next to me stares at my wrist. I quickly put my hands under the table, while flushing a bit. “Wow. That’s some rash you got there,” she says to me. My head turns even more red. “Well, it’s not actually a rash. It’s a skin condition, psoriasis,” I reply. Her brows wrinkle. She thinks it is contagious, I can tell. “It’s genetic,” I tell her. “It’s not contagious,” I explain. She nods and I turn my attention back to my assignment, while she continues glaring at my damn wrist.
I have tried the above situation a thousand times in various forms. It is a reminder of my psoriasis. The skin condition is characterized by flares of red, flaky, crusty patches of skin. Many people I know have the condition in various degree, most of them on their elbows or knees. However, psoriasis can occur in more severe cases, which can affect your self-esteem and your quality of life, like it did to me.
Psoriasis hits people all over the world, both women and men equally, according to the WHO. On global scale, the lowest affected country is Tanzania with 0,09% of the population who have the condition, while Norway is in the top with 11,4%, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) from 2016 says. In my home country, Denmark, 3,7% of the population have psoriasis, while in the UK, approximately 2% of the population (ca. 1,3 million Britons*) have the condition, according to the NHS.
Machinegun psoriasis
The first time the psoriasis got to me, it looked like I had been shot by a machinegun. Red, flaky and itchy dots occurred all over my body. I was a seventeen years old teenager, insecure and with pimples across my cheeks, and now it looked like my whole body was covered with pimples. I was terrified and itchy at the same time. The medical term for my psoriasis is Guttate psoriasis also known as ‘tear drop’ or ‘rain drop’ psoriasis, but the condition comes in different forms, for example scalp psoriasis or plaque psoriasis.
Stress related
Psoriasis flares are caused by a variety of things; genetics, the environment, alcohol and/or smoking etc. My grandfather also had the condition, so I was genetically predisposed. But my main trigger is stress. The first time I got the condition, I had just started in a new school, which stressed me out. I had high blood pressure, no energy and was constantly aggressive. My parents had a ball!
In general, Psoriasis occurs when skin cells replace each other more quickly than usual. Exactly why this happens is not known, but research suggests it's caused by a problem with the immune system, according to the NHS. There are few experimental studies on the correlation between psoriasis and stress. However, most studies suggest that there is a link. According to Dr. John Koo, professor of clinical dermatology at the University of California in San Francisco, when you get a scar or even an infection your immune system sends out chemicals to heal the wound. People with psoriasis’ immune systems just send out too many chemicals, which causes the red flares. Our immune systems respond the same way to stress, argues Dr. Koo. Stress therefore becomes a trigger for flares for people who are predisposed to psoriasis, which is what I think happened to me.
How I got treated
When I was diagnosed with psoriasis, I was treated with UV-solar (like a concentrated super-solarium) and steroid cream. Treatment did not really work for me and my red and flaky flares remained red and flaky. What did work for me was exercise and rest. I signed up for a gym and took daily naps. Those two combined gave me a higher level of energy, which helped me lower and manage my stress level. However, Psoriasis treatment that works for one person does not necessarily work for another. The conditions occur in different forms and degrees and are therefore treated differently, with for instance emollients (moisturizing treatment), vitamin D, Coal tar, etc. Some even suggest mediation and mindfulness exercises. But ask your doctor or dermatologist, she/he probably knows best.
I still have psoriasis today, but not as severely as I used to. It still pops up when I am stressed out, especially during exam periods. I do not enjoy the skin condition, but I have learned to think of it as a stress indicator - my own stress-o-meter. Whenever small dots appear on my wrists, belly, angles etc., I know it is time to slow down. So, when people ask if I got a rash, I know I should take a jog and a nap afterwards.
*UK’s population was in 2016 65,5 million, according to the Office for National Statistics
