Experiencing skin issues may be embarrassing, feel uncomfortable, and play a significant role in your mental state. However, there’s no need to feel discouraged. Through the proper doctor, treatment, and skin care knowledge, Black people with psoriasis can take care of their psoriasis condition in an effective manner.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that makes your body inflamed, which results in thick, itchy, and scaly patches, growing on your skin. On dark skin, the patches, or plaques, can appear as the colors purple or brown with gray scales, and they can also show up thicker than they do on light skin.
1. Assessing a psoriasis doctor and treatment that works for you
To guarantee you’re receiving the best treatment, be on the lookout for a dermatologist with experience managing psoriasis in skin of color, and consider getting in touch with an ethnic skin center in your area.
There is so much to learn about handling psoriasis with care, and many routes for treatment are at your disposal. Despite this, Black people with psoriasis may go through extraordinary barriers to treating their condition properly.
Because of healthcare inequities stemming from systemic racism, Black people have a lower likelihood versus white people to have accessibility to dermatologists, who have the expertise required to prescribe appropriate psoriasis treatments. Not only that, doctors are also less prone to giving prescriptions for stronger medicines, such as biologic therapies, to Black individuals, even with the undeniable fact that their psoriasis may be more severe and cover more skin compared to Caucasian people.
2. Bask in the Sun with Utmost Protection and Fun
For victims of psoriasis, any unnecessary skin irritation, like sunburn, is excruciating. People with more melanated skin may have a smaller probability of sunburn than people with fairer skin, but it is still crucial to give your skin the protection it needs from the sun.
To prevent sunburn, liberally apply sunscreen. The National Psoriasis Foundation as well as the American Academy of Dermatology Association suggest picking sunscreen with the following qualities:
- A special formula specifically made for sensitive skin.
- An SPF of 30 or higher.
- Broad-spectrum protection, offering protection for your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
RELATED: 9 Surprising Places Psoriasis Can Appear on Black Skin
3. Take Preventative Measures to Avoid Psoriasis Flare-ups
Stress is also a normal trigger for flare-ups, so keeping your stress levels to a minimum through journaling, breathing techniques, or delegating work to others, among other coping mechanisms, can make psoriasis management a whole lot smoother.
Psoriasis flares can take place and be caused by a handful of triggers, and it looks different for everyone. Monitoring your