Gabby – psoriasis treatment

We know psoriasis affects a lot of you, and this is Gabby’s process for managing her autoimmune condition.

Hi, I’m Gabby. Flakey skin? Oh, a lotion can get rid of that right? Wrong! For many people, it’s not simply some dry skin over winter. It’s an ever-changing, frustrating, and difficult battle between your body and your skin.

In Australia, approximately 2.5% of the population is affected by psoriasis. It’s categorised as an auto-immune disease that is triggered by the immune system and manifests on the skin as red, scaly, and itchy patches.

I first noticed small patches on my elbows when I was 15 years old. It was a really confusing time for me as I never knew what psoriasis was or how to treat it. When I noticed it come up on my knees I went to the dermatologist and they gave me the rundown.

Nowadays, nearly 13 years on, dealing with psoriasis is a healthy three-pronged approach with finding the right products, diet, and taking time to focus on my mental health.

“Finding the right products has been a tricky process as I have been given countless scripts and recommendations for creams to slow down my over-productive, inflamed skin“

Medicines:

I’ve gone through the process of UVB therapy treatment for many years, then I took biologics for 6 weeks, and now I’m taking an oral medication called Otezla twice a day. Its main function is to lightly suppress the immune system, which in turn, slows down the reproductive skin cells making my psoriasis calmer. It’s also a lot less harsh than biologics.

Diet:

I also eat an anti-inflammatory diet that includes lemon, turmeric, ginger, leafy greens, nuts, and fish. I avoid dairy, gluten, and eating high amounts of sugar. Not only does this way of eating boost your immune system, but it also improves overall skin, hair, and nail health.

Topical Creams:

I now stick to 1-2 gentle creams so I don’t feel overwhelmed as I used to try around 8 different products a day! Yours Only CLEAN and COAT have been an amazing base to nourish my skin. I use CLEAN as a body wash and COAT as my daily moisturiser. Made with ingredients to nourish and protect sensitive skin, with no added nasties like salicylates, allergy trigger foods, parabens, silicons and many more. It’s also Australian made, dermatologically tested and not tested on animals, win win win!

I hope my story has been a source of comfort and education to anyone feeling overwhelmed by the disease. Find your balance and approach your skin treatment with what works best for you.

Much love, Gabby

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