How I Healed My Psoriasis

This began my wellness journey, and I am here to share! I want to clarify that I am not a skin doctor or trying to give clinical advice. I’m speaking about what works for me and my experience in healing my skin, and maybe it can resonate with some of you. I was diagnosed with psoriasis when I was 15 during high school. Looking back, I can clearly say that I was not a healthy child mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Mental Health

Like any other millennial that immigrant parents raised, I am, of course, traumatized. My emotional instability was incredibly unpredictable in high school and showed in my body. I also dealt with much physical abuse growing up, which I am still rewiring in my brain in the present. I bring this up because your mind will manifest in your body. Whether storing your weight in your gut or breaking out from stress, your body reflects your inner world and the world that has shaped you. This is why I started having so much difficulty maintaining healthy skin.  

First, it started with breakouts (I’m lucky that they were minor and looking at me at first glance, you would never know I had skin problems). It slowly developed into dry skin when I went outside, and I would bleed from the cold. Then I finally developed severe psoriasis. My body was covered in it, mainly between my joints and scalp. At first, it was scary then I felt embarrassed by it. For those that don’t know, psoriasis is much more intense than eczema, there are internal dips that may or may not carry clear fluid, and when you itch, it only worsens it.

Healing

I was given topical steroids, and for years that seemed to help me get rid of the majority of it. However, I noticed it would flare up again in the winter or during seasonal changes. It took me about two years of using topical steroids to eliminate most of my psoriasis. However, I always and still do struggle with my scalp psoriasis. Although the topical steroids helped, I needed an intense self-care regime to ensure my skin was adequately cared for because I constantly prevented a flare-up.

Once most of it was cleared, I started deep diving into alternative health. I began to notice that my body didn’t feel as good as it used to. I got tired more efficiently and wasn’t comfortable with my appearance. I started going to the gym, which seemed to help, but my diet was the most significant change that helped me. Although, my knowledge never reflected in my lifestyle because I was in school full time, working almost full-time hours, and maintaining a social life (an unhealthy one at that).

Veganism

I went vegan because I didn’t feel good and was sick of my body. Not to mention, I’ve always had a toxic relationship with food. In high school, I never ate for the first half of my time there, and in the last half, I was starving while binge eating. Frustrating is an understatement when it comes to building my relationship with food. I became addicted to finding out what worked for me. I had an appetite for gluttony, but with equal weight, I valued nutrition.

I chose veganism because I started researching how things are produced, what motivates the industry for changes, and why food choices matter. On top of it, there were some philosophical and moral questions that I couldn’t find myself rationalizing. The fact that I had the freedom to make these choices is something that I felt was a sign that I should make these changes. My skin is the most significant difference from my dietary shift.

 Positive Changes

“Skincare comes from the inside” is always tossed around, and I couldn’t agree more when I reflect on my skin journey. Several studies show that your gut is your second brain, and creating a healthy gut is the key to maintaining mental, physical, and emotional health. I think removing dairy and avoiding products that are not adequately regulated has reversed my skin in ways that no other product could have. I leaned on many processed vegan alternatives at the beginning of my transition. However, the goal is to eat food that is directly from nature. Currently, I feel that I am closer to that goal and have never felt and looked better.

Conclusion

It’s not about the products you use but the lifestyle you choose to make, no one is perfect, and circumstances make it challenging to be wholesome. How you decide to show up for yourself is reflected in how you look. This is why how someone looks is constantly changing and different; it will remember their choices in their present moment. Feeling good is truly looking good because valuing mental, emotional, and physical health is essential.