A psoriasis diagnosis can be overwhelming.
Suddenly youre told you have a chronicskin conditionwith no cureand thats a lot to take in.
So its totally understandable if go through the rest of your doctor appointment in a daze.
Amanda K Bailey
Once you come out of it and process this information, you probably have questions.
Like,a lotof questions.
Can psoriasis affect my health beyond my skin?
Everyone suffers from psoriasis differently, she tells SELF.
I had it on my elbows and ankles and I was like, Nobody notices those things.
Ill live with it.
Nobody ever asked me if I had joint pain.
What do I need to know about my jot down of psoriasis?
Sarah Boutwell was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was 12 and psoriatic arthritis when she was 23.
I have red spots on 85% of my body most of the time, Boutwell says.
My skin deserves to see the sun without being judged for my spots.
Are there other medications that might work better for me?
But the patches on her skin didnt get better with the mild treatments she used.
Generally doctors dont prescribe strong medications for that throw in of condition, she says.
That was so helpful, Scholl says.
Are there any topical medications that actually help?
Scholl didnt get complete relief from her biologic medication, which is why she asked about other options.
Thats worked really well for me and is just topical, she says.
She also started using medicated tape over her patches.
It was the only thing that worked, she says.
It would hold the medication on my skin and would provide relief from the itchiness.
Unfortunately the tape was discontinued, so she had to get creative with her doctors guidance.
I started using cortisone cream and wrapping it, Scholl says.
Thats been helpful for some specific spots.
What skin-care products should I use and avoid?
Linda Tran, 33, was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was 20 years old.
Tran says her doctor also suggested using a gentle soap without fragrance or exfoliating beads.
Those can affect my skin when Im scrubbing myself, she explains.
Is this medication safe to use while pregnant and breastfeeding?
That doesnt necessarily mean you must avoid biologics while pregnant.
It ultimately depends on the specific medication in question and how necessary it is for your health and well-being.
Some biologics have been shown to cross the placental barrier, which means the medication may reach the fetus.
In some instances this has been connected to birth defects; in other cases the risk is unclear.
But most doctors recommend erring on the side of caution.
Can the kind of clothing I wear help my symptoms?
