Interview With Victoria, Psoriasis Advocate

When it comes to your health, you can be one of your best advocates. But when you are in pain and coping with the emotional toll of psoriasis, it is not always easy to advocate for your own needs.

We had the opportunity to interview psoriasis advocate and influencer, Victoria. We asked her to share about her psoriasis journey and the confidence she radiates on her Instagram page (@flyforaginger).

Meet Victoria

Victoria is a plus-size lifestyle blogger and psoriasis advocate living in sunny San Diego, California. She often talks about her health journey with psoriasis and the realities of living with an autoimmune disease.

How long have you been living with psoriasis? When did you first notice psoriasis on your skin?

It started in middle school (around 2005) with a dry crack in my scalp right where my skin folds in the back of my head. It wasn't diagnosed as psoriasis at that time, but I know now that's what it was. My official diagnosis was in 2010, when it was all over my scalp and coming down on my forehead.

Have you always been this confident posting about your psoriasis skin?

Definitely not, and it still scares me to post. For me, it's more about being an advocate for others who are struggling with it as well. Also, I used to have a majority of my face covered at one point, so I am actually in a good place with my skin right now.

How do you cope physically and emotionally when going through a flare?

I tend to scratch and bleed a lot as well as have a lot of skin flakes around. There's definitely some shame involved, but I remind myself it's not something I can control and I am doing everything that I can. Also, no one else seems to care as much about it as I do, anyway, so what do I care?

What is one thing you want others reading this to know about psoriasis?

Psoriasis may just look like nothing but a dry patch of skin, but it can affect SO much of a person's life. Be kind and don't ask a stranger what's wrong with their skin. You don't know what they are going through. (Yes, I have had this happen to me. A lady asked if I had a disease.)

Many of our community members have had similar experiences to Victoria's, in which strangers would share rude comments about their psoriasis. Let these comments serve as a reminder about the importance of advocacy and raising awareness to slay the psoriasis stigma.