It’s Time to Expose Psoriasis

You are not alone. Let’s talk about psoriasis and how it may affect you – inside and out.

Psoriasis can occur anywhere, including the knees, elbows, torso, and sensitive places like the face, genitals, and areas where skin touches skin (intertriginous areas).

About Plaque Psoriasis

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a skin disease that commonly appears as raised and scaly red plaques on the skin. It can occur anywhere (yes, anywhere) on the body and may look and feel different depending on location.

Has your psoriasis had a negative impact on your psychological wellbeing and day-to-day life? You’re not alone. Psoriasis impacts around nine million people in the United States. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, with itch as the most troublesome and frequently reported symptom. Psoriasis can also have an impact on emotional wellbeing and quality of life.

Many individuals avoid sharing all of their symptoms with their healthcare provider, such as all of the places where they have psoriasis or how it impacts their emotional health. This is especially true of psoriasis that occurs in areas where skin touches skin, called intertriginous areas (pronounced in-ter-trij-in-us), like the armpits, under the breasts, stomach folds, between the buttocks, and in the groin area. Intertriginous psoriasis, also called inverse psoriasis, might not look like the typical raised, dry, or cracked scales, but instead may appear as moist, smooth and shiny lesions.

Many people afflicted may not even realize what they have in these more private areas is psoriasis, and may avoid showing their doctor out of embarrassment, choosing to suffer quietly instead of seeking readily available treatment.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

About Psoriasis

What is Psoriasis?

Plaque psoriasis, or psoriasis, is a skin disease commonly characterized by raised, itchy scales. It can occur anywhere (yes, anywhere) on the body and may look and feel different depending on location.

Plaque psoriasis is a skin disease that commonly appears as raised and scaly red plaques on the skin. It can occur anywhere (yes, anywhere) on the body and may look and feel different depending on location.

Has your psoriasis had a negative impact on your psychological well-being and day-to-day life? You’re not alone. Psoriasis impacts around nine million people in the US. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, with itch as the most troublesome and frequently reported symptom. Psoriasis can also have an impact on emotional wellbeing and quality of life.

Many individuals avoid sharing all of their symptoms with their healthcare provider, such as all of the places where they have psoriasis or how it impacts their emotional health.

This is especially true of psoriasis that occurs in areas where skin touches skin, called intertriginous areas (pronounced in-ter-trij-in-us), like the armpits, under the breasts, stomach folds, between the buttocks, and in the groin area. Intertriginous psoriasis can also be called inverse psoriasis.

 

Many people afflicted may not even realize what they have in these more private areas is psoriasis, and may avoid showing their doctor out of embarrassment, choosing to suffer quietly instead of seeking readily available treatment.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

HoverClick a question to learn more

How many people have plaque psoriasis?

Around 9M people in the United States alone.

What are the most troublesome symptoms?

Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and include pain, cracking skin, and itching, with itch as the most troublesome and frequently reported symptom.

Can plaque psoriasis really occur anywhere on my body?

Psoriasis can occur anywhere, including the knees, elbows, torso, and sensitive places like the face, genitals, and areas where skin touches skin (intertriginous areas).

Is psoriasis contagious?

Nope! It's related to an overactive immune response and is not contagious.

What are the treatment options for plaque psoriasis?

There are many treatments for plaque psoriasis including topicals, light therapy, oral, and biologic medications.

Exposing psoriasis inside and out.

Is psoriasis keeping you from fully participating in life? Plaque psoriasis can be painful and distracting, which may seriously impact one’s quality of life and self-esteem. Psoriasis in intertriginous areas may be more common than one might think and can have a particularly significant psychosocial impact. If your psoriasis symptoms are getting in the way of how you feel about yourself or interact with others, you should talk to your healthcare provider. The sooner you talk to your healthcare provider about all of your psoriasis symptoms, the sooner you can get back to doing the things you enjoy and spending more time with friends and family.

You got this!

In a 2021 survey that included over 300 people with psoriasis in intertriginous areas, roughly 3 out of 4 reported feelings of embarrassment, depression, and anxiety. This can take a blow on their overall wellbeing.

Get ready to mingle

Several studies have reported on the negative impact of psoriasis on body image, social relationships, and participation in daily activities.

What's up, Doc?

Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body, including hard-to-treat areas like the knees and elbows, and sensitive areas, like the face, intertriginous areas, or genitals. When talking with your doctor about treating your psoriasis, it’s important to discuss the treatment needs of these areas.

Psoriasis and You

Psoriasis won’t stop me

Sabrina helps others with psoriasis live life confidently.

Let’s face it, some topics are difficult to discuss with those closest to you. Psoriasis can have a powerful and unfortunate negative emotional impact on those living with the condition; from avoiding activities, to strategic wardrobe choices to cover those flare-ups, to hindering one’s ability to confidently navigate relationships and physical interactions with others.

Take it from Sabrina

HoverClick to learn more

Tips for talking about psoriasis

Really talk to them

Really talk to your doctor to help you understand psoriasis and figure out a treatment plan tailored to your lifestyle.

The More You Know

The more you can learn about psoriasis and how it affects you personally, the better you can manage it.

Don’t Be Afraid to Talk

Don’t be afraid to talk about all the ways your psoriasis is impacting you – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your loved ones are there to support you, not judge you.

Where to Start

A great conversation starter is simply asking “Do you know what psoriasis is?” Then see where the conversation goes.

Psoriasis Doesn’t Define You

You get to define how you want to live your life, not this chronic disease.

Do you have specific treatment goals? What would help you feel better about your psoriasis?

See what Dr. Tina Bhutani has to say

Talk with Your Doctor

It is important to tell your healthcare provider about all the ways psoriasis impacts you. Your skin might be better, but you are worried about a flare up or a plaque on a specific area of your body. There are a lot of treatment options and resources available to help.”

– Dr. Tina Bhutani, associate professor of dermatology, University of California at San Francisco

Talk with Your Doctor

HoverClick to learn more

Tips for Talking with Your Doctor

For Your Appointment

Great, you’ve made an appointment to see a dermatology specialist! You will have the most success in finding a treatment regimen that works for you if you are open and honest with your healthcare provider about all the ways and areas that psoriasis is affecting your health and life – including any impact the disease may be having on your emotional wellbeing.

Not All Treatments are the Same

Not everyone will react the same to every treatment. Even personal preference, like frequency of treatment or how the treatment is applied, can improve or impede the success of a treatment. People should be encouraged to discuss all treatment options with their healthcare provider to land at the intersection of effectiveness, safety, and convenience.

Emotional Wellbeing is Important

We need to do a better job at addressing how a skin disease like psoriasis may impact a person’s emotional wellbeing. It’s important to share feelings of embarrassment, depression, etc., with your provider. Providing a full picture allows your healthcare provider to determine how to best help you and connect you with the resources that you may need to manage the emotional impact of the disease.

Psoriasis Can Occur Anywhere

Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body; in visible places like the face, elbows and knees, as well as those not so visible places such as the stomach, arm pits, genitals, and, groin. It can be uncomfortable or embarrassing to show your healthcare provider psoriasis in these areas. But it’s actually quite common, and there is no need for embarrassment. It’s your doctor’s job to look at all parts of the skin, so that they can better understand disease impact and how to best help you.

Treatment Options

Seeking relief with treatment options

There are multiple treatment options available to you, the most common being topical treatments. When you talk to your doctor be open and honest about your symptoms and where they are occurring to find the right treatment for you; to not only help clear up plaques, but reduce itch across all areas affected.

There is a new topical treatment recently approved by the FDA.

Find out more