Aging Gracefully With Psoriasis

I have had psoriasis for over 50 years. One of the constant things I have done every day of my life is to moisturize. My parents used to put lard on me because we couldn’t afford the store brought products. It would stop my skin from cracking and bleeding.

Having a skincare routine

My aging journey has been one of loving the skin when my psoriasis is not around. Even though my face has weathered over 50 years of plaque psoriasis coming and going; my skin is aging gracefully. I have been asked for years, “what do you used on your skin, it’s very pretty?” I always say good old Vaseline.

When I turned 60; I started thinking about collagen and psoriasis skincare. I want to keep this smooth even skin, no wrinkles, and no puffiness. I researched the ingredients to see what is in it and what helps my skin.

Trying to maintain youthful skin

Do we know what collagen does? It is an age control cream that comes from a plant and has phenomenon plumping effects. Anybody knows if you have psoriasis there is a level of our skin that is very dry and needs to be moisturized often. We need something to replenish moisture that has been robbed due to our condition. We need something that will keep our skin firm and tight. I want that beautiful skin with or without psoriasis.

Finding skincare products that work for your skin

I spent years of my skin feeling like sandpaper. It was always cracking, bleeding and very dry. As I got older, I would invest in expensive products that would hold in moisture and keep pollutants out. Using natural skincare is a plus if you have psoriasis. I remember using different creams that cost a lot of money but it was like putting water on my face. My journey of skin protection has been one of trials and error. I had to test this cream and that cream, but I'm happy to say that some collagen gives me satisfaction and is not a harsh moisturizer. It works for me.

Dealing with chronic itchy skin

For those of us with skin issues, we know itching and scratching on a different level. We can have severe itching or not so bad of an itch at all. I know there have been times when I have scratched holes in my skin and just using a good cream can calm me down. I get asked all the time why I am using so much stuff on my face. They don’t understand how scratchy and itchy we can get.

The burden of psoriasis

There are times I feel like I am losing my sanity. You will not understand this unless you have experienced it. I have used every cream, lotion, and steroid on the market. I’ve had skin infections that almost crippled me and I had to be seen by a doctor. When I was younger my face was always covered in psoriasis. I don’t have any pictures of me growing up because I tore them all up. I soon grew a little tougher and I didn't let people who pointed and stared at me make me cry anymore.

We lived in a world now where you don’t know who is real or fake on social media. We have so many different filters, and everyone has perfect unblemished skin. This makes it hard for those of us with not so great skin to feel normal or even like themselves.

Importance of keeping skin moisturized

Psoriasis is real and if your skin is not moisturized it will show. This taught me a valuable lesson, always keep some type of moisturizer cream with me. The heat also dries my psoriasis skin out. Moisture is important. Find one that works for your skin. Test it and make sure it is good for you. Every product doesn’t work the same for everybody.

I have found what works for me. I desire to have great skin up into my senior years by being vigilant about how I take care of it now. When people ask my age and I tell them, they are in awe and tell me your skin looks so youthful. I smile and say, I love the skin I'm in and just because I have psoriasis for years, doesn’t mean I have to neglect my skincare.