Psoriasis and Premature Aging

There comes a point in everyone’s life when we must make a commitment to something. This starts as early as going to school to get an education. When we choose not to commit we are basically saying this has no concern to me. I have had psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis for over 50 years and I have made a personal commitment to myself to do what it takes to continue to not let this disease take over my life.

Commitment to self

First and foremost, my commitment means I am the one with this disease and I have accepted my diagnosis. I’m not in denial about my disease, the symptoms or anything that pertains to it. This was not always the case. I used to be in denial. My commitment to myself has always allowed me to have a have a good doctor and good insurance. It is my responsibility to have these things in place for my wellbeing. My expectations for myself include taking actions for what is necessary for my health. After doing all this I often wonder to myself; does psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis cause premature aging?

What is premature aging?

For me the signs of premature aging are when you begin to see crow’s lines around your eyes and develop that fat under the chin-I like to call that turkey gobble. For me, this also includes the fine lines around the lips and forehead. I must say these are definitely the signs of aging. I know I don’t want to look any older than how I already look. I know for men, and women as well, that the hair begins to thin out. Sometimes this can be another indication of premature aging.

I began digging and really looking into this and I found some culprits of premature aging. One of them was too much sunlight and drinking alcohol. The collagen in our skin thins as we get older, which produces signs of aging. The loss of this collagen makes the skin wrinkle, which eventually leads to wrinkling. Another thing I worry about with having psoriasis is dry skin as the skin glands decrease. This is part of the normal aging process even for people without psoriasis. All of this researching made me think about caring for my skin. Having psoriasis for 50 years I had to examine myself and look in the mirror and see whether I had any of the signs of premature aging.

Aging and treatment

You may find that your doctor changes the strength of some of your medications as you get older. For example, they may reduce the strength of topical steroid creams as your skin would react badly to the more potent versions that you had when you were younger. (I know some creams are stronger than others.) Your psoriasis may take longer to go into remission than it did when you were younger. As I age, what worked for me when I was younger is not doing such a great job now. What does this mean? It means my skin has changed and needs a little more protecting. My collagen has lost it elasticity and the aging process has begun. My mature skin has increased in dryness.

Aging and psoriatic arthritis

Now with psoriatic arthritis premature aging may present with bone spurs, which are bones rubbing against each other. Some of the friction of aging bones brings a lot of pain. I know with psoriatic arthritis you have inflammation of both skin and joints. As we age there is so much wear and tear on the body. One thing I know is that nothing stays the same. We must all get older and age, I'm just not trying to get old before my time.

Skin care as we age

It is very important that you care for your skin. Examine it carefully on a regular basis to make sure there are no areas where possible infection could occur. Moisturize regularly and maintain a healthy diet to keep your skin as healthy as possible. I’m doing everything to stay young and look healthy.

When you're diagnosed with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, it’s already a disadvantage to our aging. As the general population ages and more and more of us become elderly, we will require psoriasis management. We need to educate ourselves to help the elderly in a way that pays attention to their quality of life issues. If you have any questions about your psoriasis as you get older, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider.

For me- I’m looking good, loving life and loving the skin I’m in no matter my age or diagnoses.