Psoriasis Treatments Have Come a Long Way

I remember seeing a commercial on television when I was a small child that stuck with me. There was a condition called psoriasis that caused many people to feel brokenhearted. "If you suffer from the heartbreak of psoriasis" began the announcer and that's about all that stayed with me. I did learn from the advertisement that it was a chronic skin condition. I cannot recall the product that was being touted as a remedy, however. Little did I know that a few years later I would be well acquainted with psoriasis. I developed some itchy patches on my scalp when I was sixteen years old. I thought it was just a case of simple dandruff. Reluctantly I bought myself some Head and Shoulders shampoo to treat the flaking. So, began the understanding of the meaning of "the heartbreak of psoriasis". I would step into the shower and longingly look at my bottles of Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo. I hated using the odd smelling Head and Shoulders. I missed having my long blond tresses smell like a garden in the springtime. I tiptoed out of the garden and treaded through medicinal shampoo hell. The Head and Shoulders was not cutting it. I stepped up my attack on the growing itchy patches and flaking with (horror of all horrors) Selsun Blue! If I thought Head and Shoulders stunk I was in for a rough ride from this point on. At sixteen a girl's self esteem is more about what is on the outside of her head rather than what is on the inside. I began to feel like I could dress myself up but I just couldn't take myself anywhere. I smelled gross from the neck up and I could no longer where black shirts. I was the poster child for the "heartbreak of psoriasis" only I didn't know it yet.

"You Have Psoriasis My Dear"
Eventually, my mother suggested seeing a dermatologist for my scalp problems. Especially since one of my elbows was getting a little funky too. No one knew yet about the chest and back patches because I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone. It was summertime and knowing I would have to show the doctor all of my patches I used my brains. I showed up for the appointment in a bikini top with a t shirt over it. When it came time to disrobe I just whipped off my top. At least I didn't have to be further humiliated by sitting there in a bra. The kind doctor took a look and within seconds he lowered the boom. 'You have psoriasis my dear". Quickly, my mind flashed back to the commercial and it all began to make sense. I understood where the heartbreak came in as the doctor explained that there is no cure. He handed me a prescription for a salve that the pharmacist would have to compound. I didn't know at the time what that meant but I soon learned. This stuff was made with actual coal tar and it had to be mixed by hand with other ingredients. It was not a ready made in the tube kind of medicine. To add insult to injury the first time I dropped of the prescription I felt the pharmacist glare at me. He told me that the preparation was time consuming and to come back in three days. For a few seconds I thought Mr. Gower had stepped out of, "It's a Wonderful Life" and was going to box my ears. This prescription was not one the pharmacist appreciated. I guess it was a big inconvenience to mix this glop up.

Just Treat It
Three days later as surely as Jesus rose from the dead I felt like I entered his abandoned tomb. I picked up the prescription and was not prepared for what hit my nostrils when I unscrewed the top. The goop stuff was black, thick and smelled like rotted road kill at noon on a dog day in August. Remember, it was summertime and I was sixteen and looked forward to the occasional date now and then. There wasn't anything I could do but just treat it. I was instructed by the doctor to purchase T-Gel Shampoo by Neutrogena and not use the previously tried products. Girls learn at a young age the importance of subtly layering scent as part of our beauty routine. A softly scented lotion should be complemented by the same scent in a light perfume spray in order to hold the fragrance longer. It was no surprise to me that when I did buy the T-Gel it was the same black color as the tar salve and smelled equally disgusting. In order to treat my psoriasis I had to layer myself in tar.

The Whole Emotional Picture
I was sixteen and I smelled like a cat on a hot tar roof. I could no longer wear black shirts or even any dark colored shirts anymore. If I did it looked like I had walked through a snow flurry in the summertime. I forced myself to go to the beach because the doctor said that moderate sunshine would be helpful. I had to be careful though because the patches of psoriasis was like newborn baby skin. It would burn very easily. Psoriasis is a problem with the accelerated production of new skin cells. There is no known reason why this happens. It is thought to be autoimmune in nature. My body produces new skin cells before my skin needs them and so they pile up on each other creating the plaques or patches. This in turn causes a condition whereby the patches are always new skin and can be injured quite easily compared to normal skin. It's not pretty and it can be emotionally scarring as well for a young person. I couldn't wait for Autumn to arrive so I could cover up with clothing inconspicuously. I had taken to wearing three quarter sleeves in the summer and I am sure I looked odd. Thankfully, "What Not To Wear" was not airing yet on television and I was not accosted on the street.

Learning To Live With It
Eventually, as with any new life experience I learned to live with it. I began alternating my nice smelling shampoo with the T-Gel. Also, I discovered that a wee bit of the tar goop would go a long way. I dabbed the tiniest amount possible on each plaque and then used nice smelling lotion on all areas of normal skin. I once made a jar of tar last over one year and that's getting a lot of mileage out of a little road tar! When I entered my twenties it occurred to me that whenever I injured myself shaving the sore would heal but then turn into a plaque. It is common for skin injuries in otherwise normal areas to develop a psoriasis patch after healing. I grew more careful and bought good razors and stopped using disposables. When my fingernails developed psoriasis underneath them I returned to the doctor. There isn't much you can do about this problem. Nothing can penetrate the nail bed. I did try a foam prescription steroid called Olux hoping it would sink in but it didn't. I couldn't use that on my skin because it burns like crazy.

Lady Clairol
Once I hit my thirties my blond hair showed more gray than I cared for so I began to color it. The first few times I thought I would jump right out of the salon chair. My scalp was on fire if I had inflamed psoriatic areas when the chemicals hit. After a minute or so the burning stopped and I could get through it. My experience with hair coloring even though I have psoriasis has been a good one. For me, the chemicals seem to calm down the flare ups on my scalp. It is not a tried and true method by any means for anyone else. I just find that getting my hair done has an up side in more ways than one.I only seem to need the T-Gel in the winter months now. I still can't wear black but I'm over it. The gross tar goop has been mercifully replaced with Dovonex cream. It is a prescription cream that is quite pricey but well worth it. It is a white creamy, light preparation that has no odor whatsoever. I can once again smell like a spring garden with my blond mane bouncing in the wind. I am no longer a walking olfactory offense.

Getting Back to Nature
I now have thirty three years of living with psoriasis under my belt. Treatment has come a long way and it is much more effective than when I first started out. I have not tried any of the systemic medicines such as Enbrel or Humira. The side effects can be off putting. Although the chances of developing a lymphoma is very slight I am not in a hurry to test it out. I have already had thyroid cancer so I think I will pass on those treatments personally. Way back when I was a teenager and the doctor told me that the sun was good for my skin my mother added something to that advice. She said, "Yvette, while you are at the beach go into the salt water it is good for your skin". I didn't think she knew more than the doctor but she did have a knack for natural remedies. She was absolutely right. After spending our first summer on Martha's Vineyard I noticed my skin was looking pretty good. Salt water is a natural healing source for skin and it's many problems. Even wounds heal faster if you take a dip in the ocean. She also told me to try dabbing some cider vinegar on my head patches with a cotton ball. That helped quite a bit too when I was younger. When winter rolled around she would tell me to substitute baking soda in the bath water in lieu of sea water. Doctor mom knew how hard it was for me to deal with psoriasis and she always helped me find ways to cope naturally because she knew I hated stinking like tar. Before Aveeno came out with oatmeal bath soak my mom tied up Quaker Oats in a bit of cheesecloth and ran it in the bath water for me. What a delightful and soothing homemade moisturizing bath treatment. I still make those oatmeal bath tea bags to this day. It is very economical and it works just as well as Aveeno. Psoriasis can be a challenge but with a little ingenuity and the right support system anyone can adjust. Having a mom that took the time to find ways to ease my discomfort when I was newly diagnosed was such a blessing to me. She would always remind me that beauty was skin deep. I knew she was right I just wanted my beauty to be packaged in something that didn't resemble filo dough.