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- Psoriasis is a common, life-long, inflammatory skin condition.
- Three women who noticed the first signs of psoriasis in their teens share how the condition has made their lives more challenging and how they continue.
- The impact of psoriasis is more than cosmetic and the women hope that medical aids will begin to see that the condition is associated with depression and daily pain and start providing much needed cover for the condition.
- The women also hope that sharing their stories will help others who are dealing with the condition.
Gloria Mokoana
Gloria grew up in Motsephiri village in Limpopo. When she was 14 years old, she noticed a spot on her leg. She thought nothing of it. But the spot became itchy and multiplied, spreading all over her arms, back, breasts and feet. When the seasons change, her skin flares up.
In winter, her skin gets so dry it flakes off and becomes painful inside. The other symptoms are invisible: plummeting self-esteem, stress, having to wear sleeves and long skirts no matter how hot it is. And often nobody sits next to her, afraid her condition is contagious.
Gloria took herbs. She tried creams. She even had her tonsils removed. In a hospital in Johannesburg, she was finally diagnosed with psoriasis. Every month, she’d take three days off school to travel between Limpopo and Gauteng to collect medication. Medical aid does not cover the treatment: they classify some creams as cosmetic and define her condition as a skin disorder.
But Gloria has been living with psoriasis for 32 years now. It’s not going away. It affects more than her skin. It affects her entire body from the inside out.
READ MORE | Expert shares tips for psoriasis skincare
Natasha De Villers
After 12 years on her own, Natasha hopes to meet someone special. Psoriasis has made this impossible. She was 15 years old when she first developed a few spots. These got bigger and bigger. She consulted various dermatologists but was told the disease is incurable. The complications are more than skin deep: Natasha has consistent pain in her joints, and had to have surgery for the pain on the right side of her back.
Natasha feels heartbroken when she sees new spots. The treatment is unaffordable and at times she can’t even look at herself in the mirror. She has been hospitalised for major depression. Natasha dreams of a life where people won’t stare at her or ask about her skin, where she will look and feel like everyone else, where she’ll find the courage to try dating again.
After 23 years, she knows that the impact of psoriasis is more than cosmetic. Natashua hopes that medical aids will begin to see that psoriasis affects her whole body from the inside and that the associated conditions of depression and daily pain should be taken more seriously. Only then will patients like Natasha get access to the treatment they sorely need.
READ MORE | Discover skincare that understands dry skin
Lydia Felton
Lydia’s first spots appeared when she was pregnant with her first son. Like a snowstorm, the spots spread and by the time she turned 20, most of her body was covered with psoriasis. 3 years later, the disease spread beyond the skin — causing such pain in her joints she could barely move or walk.
As a mother of a 3-year old and a tiny baby, this put immense strain on Lydia and her family. She was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, but the name did not remove the agony.
There were social challenges too. At times, Lydia was unable to wear shoes because of swelling caused by fluid build-up in her joints. She also remembers going to the hairdresser and having to endure their disgust.
But Lydia’s story has a happy ending. In February of this year, after a long wait, her medical aid finally agreed to pay for her biologic treatment. Within 5 months, her condition improved. Now Lydia is able to enjoy more time spent, out with her children. She goes to gym every morning. She’s comfortable, she’s mobile and she’s happy to be in her own skin.
Treatment of psoriasis is centred around anti-inflammatory prescription medication. Depending on the severity of the condition, prescriptions include topical creams, light therapy, oral, and injectable medications.
Skincare tips for people with psoriasis
The fact that psoriasis affects the skin barrier means that good basic skincare practices are essential in conjunction with medical treatment. This can help to relieve dryness, itchiness, and strengthen the skin barrier function, which can improve the overall quality of life.
1. Cleanse your skin gently
It's important to use gentle pH-balanced cleansers which can protect from further disruption of the fragile skin barrier.
2. Choose the ideal moisturiser
Moisturisers can help to reduce the dryness, scaling, and roughness of psoriasis-affected skin. A good moisturiser usually contains a combination of ingredients, namely emollients (e.g. dimethicone), humectants (e.g. glycerine) and occlusives (e.g. petroleum jelly). Ceramides are useful to seek out as they form the predominant component of the skin barrier and offer excellent barrier repair activity.
More information issued on behalf of Janssen pharmaceutical by G&G Digital
