5 Resources If You're Newly Diagnosed With Psoriasis

When I first started seeing psoriasis on my body a few years ago, I was deeply immersed in managing my chronic inflammatory disease, ankylosing spondylitis (which is a sort of "sister disease" to psoriatic arthritis). I could tell you a lot about arthritis and spinal fusion, and chronic joint pain, but skin? Not so much.

I knew it was all inflammatory, but I didn't know about triggers or medications or ways to clean and manage the skin properly.

Where to turn if you want to learn more about psoriasis

If you're newly diagnosed or swimming in autoimmunity issues, here are five key resources that I have turned to that may help you find properly research the condition, tap into community and support, learn about your condition, and keep up with the latest medical news. Add them to your saved tabs.

The National Psoriasis Foundation

This is the place to go for learning about psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis, connecting with the community and support groups, finding out about treatments, signing up for clinical trials, and so much more.

Plus, the NPF's Patient Navigation Center is set up to help you find a specialist, manage any insurance issues, and more. I think it's smart to peruse the site every once in a while for updates.

PubMed

My top source for clinical journal content — direct from the journals. PubMed, “comprises more than 35 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher websites.”

If you’re curious about updates in psoriasis research, use this to search for psoriasis studies and reviews. If you have specific questions — like about a certain drug or lifestyle motivation (like diet or exercise) and psoriasis, this is the place. Just search keywords in the search bar.

While some of the language may be tough to understand and very science jargon-y, you can usually find a summary at the bottom of each study or article.

YouTube

One of the best sources of information. It’s got plenty of YouTubers living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and videos from doctors and organizations explaining how to care for psoriasis or what it’s like to get diagnosed or start a treatment journey.

Need help with starting the injection process or skincare for plaques? Want some insight into the emotional aspects of the condition? There are plenty of videos. Just make sure you’re always checking your sources. Not everyone online has the right data.

The American Academy of Dermatology

Sure, it may sound stuffier than a TikTok rabbit hole, but it’s got content straight from the experts. More than that, it’s got information on patient advocacy (like drug prices and support resources) and ways to search for a dermatologist.

Reddit

A great space for community, resource sharing, patient anecdotes, inspiration, suggestions, and more. I know Reddit seems like it can be a weird place (and it absolutely is), but I’ve had a lot of success finding really helpful tips and information here.