Psoriasis And 2021: My Skin Goals For The New Year

2020 has been a rollercoaster year. In the UK, we have had to deal with coronavirus, Britain’s exit from the EU as well as the deaths of many legendary stars, including Barbara Windsor. It has not been the easiest of the years.

But there is no saying that 2021 will be any better or easier. Coronavirus is still with us and even though there is a vaccine now it may be several months before it reaches most of the population.

That being said, when it comes to my psoriasis, I do have a few goals that I would like to achieve in terms of my treatment and day-to-day living.

Setting the first goal

My first goal is to change biologics. I am currently on Cosentyx and although the jabs have been good for more than a year now, its effects are starting to wear off. I am noticing small psoriasis patches on different parts of my body and that is causing me some distress.

It is starting to feel a bit like the old days with lots of scratching and itching, and some of the patches are starting to bleed. Yet, I do feel in a much better place mentally, so dealing with this latest breakout should be easier in that way.

Sticking to it!

If it comes to it and I am not able to change biologics, I will either ask for my current biologic dose to be increased or I will try and combine it with more topical treatments. I am currently using a moisturiser which is proving very effective at keeping the flakes away and it has also considerably reduced the number of times I am itching and scratching.

Yet, it is not completely effective. This is because it is failing to keep the redness away and it also must be applied several times a day which is difficult when you must go to work. But if it comes to it and this is the best strategy, I will ask for more topical treatments and try different ones to see if the combination of biologic treatment and topical treatment works.

Onto the second goal

My second goal is to continue working on my mental health relationship with my psoriasis. The relationship between my mental health and psoriasis has greatly improved this year. This has been one of the pluses for 2020.

But it still requires work. The anxious feelings I get with my skin still sometimes happen, but these have been greatly reduced. I also have down days sometimes, but not to the depression I have previously experienced.

Keeping the pressure off

Looking after my mental health has been one of my priorities this year and it remains so next year. Having suffered bouts of poor mental health has made me realize how important is it to keep well and to not put so much pressure on myself.

It is fine to have up and down days but when this continues it is important to seek help and make sure you are looking after yourself.

The third and final goal

My final goal is to be more open about my condition. Again, like with my mental health, I have worked on this tremendously over the past year and throughout 2019. Becoming an advocate for PlaquePsoriasis.com was one of the steps I wanted to take to improve my relationship with my condition and it has worked.

But I want to work on this further for 2021. Talking more about the effects of psoriasis and how it impacts my day-to-day life.

So, there you have it: my skin goals for 2021. What are yours? Comment below with suggestions.