Despite the physical and mental burdens that skin afflictions present, we push onward.
We choose life and self-care over suffering, even when it feels impossible.
Scroll to find five stories that prove exactly that.
Before then, she had been the textbook definition of good health.
Naturally, the diagnosis came as a huge shock.
“I found out I had guttate psoriasis in 2016,” she says.
Courtesy of subject.
Tran reflects on how hard the visual element of psoriasis was for her initially.
At the beginning stages, I felt really focused on how it looked.
I was a power lifter and had always been really proud of my body."
Courtesy of subject.
Tran adds that social media didn’t help matters.
“I’d go on Instagram and wonder, Why does no one else look like this?
A turning point occurred when Tran started looking inward and put hermental healthfirst.
Courtesy of subject.
She began practicingmeditation, going totherapy, and facing her traumas from childhood.
“It’s been the most powerful thing I’ve ever gone through.
By 19, the skin condition activist was told she also had its sister disease: psoriatic arthritis.
Courtesy of subject.
From that point Chopra went on a biologic drug that helped her condition considerably.
Since then she’s been on a mission to help others living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
“We connect and have several workshops every week.
Courtesy of subject.
I feel like I trust myself.
I feel likeIknow what’s best.
I felt dry.”
“I take pride in self-care,” he says.
“It makes me feel confident and on top of the world when I do my skin care.
As for my hair, it’s my statement piece.
To his fellow psoriasis warriors, Cherry stresses the importance of having self-compassion during hard times and flare-ups.
“Love yourself,” he says.
Think of your relationship with yourself as if it was your child.
Would you inflict negative words or feelings onto them?
So go easy on yourself.
Everyone has flaws; it takes the brave to voice theirs.”
“I was horrified and embarrassed.
I used to hide behind hoodies and headbands, regardless of the weather.
And I spent several days a week undergoing UV treatments and using topical ointments.”
Shortly after deciding to go natural, she startedThe Mane Objectiveblog to chronicle her journey, and that changedeverything.
“I shared my frustrations, solutions I’ve tried, and tips that help.
I still get emails and DMs about articles I wrote five or six years ago.
As an adult, Patrice’s attitude towards psoriasis has dramatically shifted.
“Annoyed, yes.
“It was so minor compared to the majority of my skin it’s taken over now.”
She remembers how it took a few years to get an official diagnosis.
“Doctors told me it was dandruff, dry skin, and even ringworm.
Getting that diagnosis was brilliant!
It felt like such a relief to finally understand what was happening with my skin.”
Over the years, Lee has learned to embrace herskin conditionmore and more.
She hasn’t always had the best relationship with makeup, but she’s come a long way.
“I look back on that and cringe because I’ve definitely grown in the way I use makeup.
But when I do feel confident enough, I love to flaunt my skin and go foundation-free.
It’s all about personal choice.
Discovering the online psoriasis community was a pivotal point for Lee.
“From there I found this wonderful community that celebrates our condition.
Everyone within theInstagram communityis so supportive.
We all lean on each other and help others get through the good and bad days.”
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