Psoriasis Awareness Week 2015

Firstly I want to say a big thank you to everybody who has viewed, shared, tweeted, liked and responded to my recent contagious post for UK Psoriasis Awareness Week - I've had such amazing feedback already and am so proud that I could be part of something so special.

There's a lot of us out there battling with similar things, which is why it is so important for us to talk about it in order to realise that we're not alone and that we have nothing to be ashamed of. I wish I'd have found this support and spoke out about it at a much younger age, as looking back I do regret that I let it stop me from doing some of the things I really wanted to do. Would it stop me now? Hell no! Watch me go.

I've just received another video from our day of filming with @PhilipsBlueLED and Schuco. It's similar to the last but this also features two fantastic experts in the field of dermatology - Dr Anjali Mahto and Dr. Adam Friedmann of Harley Street, London.

If you haven't been diagnosed with psoriasis but you think you have it, then my first piece of advice would be to visit your GP and once it's confirmed ask to be referred to a dermatologist. GP's can only treat your condition so much, they're not experts in skin and tend to give very generic treatments that aren't always best suited to you. You might have to wait for six months or so for your appointment, but it'll be worth it in the long run.

Dermatologists are invaluable for psoriasis patients as they are medical experts who are specifically focused on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the skin, hair and nails - they've seen psoriasis of all shapes and sizes and are your best port of call for prescribing treatments.

So if you don't have one - get one.

Psoriasis is NOT contagious!

When I was 13 I took my little sister swimming at the local pool. After about ten minutes of splashing around in the shallow water I was asked to come out of the pool to have a chat with the lifeguard, where I was asked to leave the poolside immediately as there had been complaints from other swimmers that I was contagious. I stood at the side of the pool, as a self-conscious teenager angry and upset trying to explain that it was only psoriasis, it wasn't contagious and that I wasn't causing any harm to anybody. The lifeguard (who in hindsight was very poorly trained to deal with this situation) failed to listen and put the concerns of others over mine, insisting that I must leave straightaway and take this up with the manager once I was dressed and away from the concerned onlookers. 

This wasn't the first time that somebody had asked if I was contagious, but it was one of my earliest memories of somebody showing zero understanding of the condition or compassion towards the sufferer, stood in front of them crying with frustration and embarrassment. 

It was because of this early memory and my internal fury when asked if I am contagious that when contacted by @PhilipsBlueLED and Schuco, I jumped at the opportunity to get involved with a video that aimed to raise the awareness of psoriasis and dispel the contagious myth for UK Psoriasis Awareness Week 2015 (1-8 Nov).

I have to confess that I am not the biggest fan of being filmed, so I was a little nervous with the idea of having to tell my story and show my psoriasis in front of the camera. However, after arriving at the venue and meeting Bryony and Lee (fellow psoriasis sufferers) I felt so inspired by their bravery and enthusiasm to also help raise awareness that all nerves were turned to excitement and we had so much fun! 

And here it is, the first of our videos...

If you are affected by psoriasis, we'd love to hear from you! Get involved with UK Psoriasis Awareness Week 2015 by sharing your experience, help to spread our message on social media using #psoriasisawarenessweek and talk about it with friends and family. 

If you have any questions for me, I can be reached on liannespsoriasis@gmail.com or on twitter @fixmypsoriasis