Anyone around to come and talk to me about psoriasis?

[used2bthin]

Have I spelled it wrong? DD been diagnosed with it today. I am a bit sad for her as she has a lot of health issues including a genetic condition which is quite serious so it seems a bit unfair as the consultant said psoriasis is genetic too?? Does it come and go? Its quite rare in children I think? She's got stuff on her face covering most of her cheeks which the consultant was reluctant to call psoriasis as its not usual to get it there so young. She definately has it on her elbows though and a small patch on her thigh. The face was originally treated as excema but after trying all the usual stuff including strong steroids and pro topic the consultant just said lets try some other similar things and not label it as anything. It seems the best we can hope for is to keep it under control, I am worried about scarring though because even when her cheeks are smooth the skin is redder there compare to the rest of her face, I hope it goes away one day she's got enough to deal with

How old is she ? I have psoriasis on elbows and knees. When I am pg it goes away and leaves no scars at all. Is she freckly as I get more freckles around that area.

I got it at 12 and had it all over my cheeks, but after a short ultr violet treatment it all went, and again no scar.

It is 50% genetic and 50% bad luck. There is nobody in my family with it so just bad luck on my part.

Hi there,

I've had psoriasis since I was 16. Mine is relatively mild, I think, but I have patches over my torso, tops of legs, arms, scalp and very occasionally tiny patches on my face. I can at times look a bit like a red dalmatian.

My dad has it, though his is the classic elbows and knees large patches (which are known as plaques).

I think it is unusual in children. It's a funny thing, and can just go away of its own accord. The skin, when treated, can be a bit red, but that does disappear as the plaque disappears. Mine responds very well to sunlight, so if I want to treat it then I go out in the sunshine (with usual UV protection). I've had hospital UV treatment once or twice, which was great, but I didn't do it until I was in my late 20s. I've never had any scarring at all - the plaques can bleed if you scratch them, simply because they don't build up a protective layer - it's not like normal skin bleeding.

I know that you must be worried, but it can be mild and easy to live with. It's so much a part of who I am now that I think I'd be sad if I woke up and it was gone, strange to say. I hope you find something that helps you and dd keep on top of it. The Psoriasis Association may be able to help.

Oh thanks for your replies. She is 20months bless her very young. What is the ultra violet thing? DD's do bleed too sometimes. The skin on her face is much better after various things but does flare up and down.

Ps thanks for the link, I do know what you mean about it being part of you. My DD's genetic condition is very hard to live with at times and requires a lot careful management as well as nasty hospital procedures at times but I really can't imagine her not having it, it is part of her and the management of it is part of my experience of being a mum. I just worry really that she is going to feel different as it is because of that and to have soemthing like psoriasis too will be hard.

20 months! Poor lamb. That said, psoriasis tends not to be terribly itchy - can itch a bit, but not in a drive-you-mad sort of way. Keeping it well moisturised with something like Doublebase stops it getting too flaky/itchy for me - it's only scratching/picking at it that makes mine bleed.
UV treatment is where you have sessions in hospital in a kind of medical "tanning booth". I'm pretty sure they wouldn't do this with a child - it's strong stuff, and in hindsight I didn't really need it - wouldn't bother again.

Oh I see yes too young for that but the doctor did say it may clear up in the sun. She's had the stuff on her cheeks since three months! It started with one tiny patch where her skin had been rubbed by her jacket and just got worse then spread to both cheeks. The stuff on her elbows has only appeared recently though. She doesn't seem bothered by it so thats good. We've been prescribed dactacort, elidel and something else I can't work it out because the consultants handwriting is so bad but its a tar based thing that apparently is out of stock but will be in in a few months??? We use aqueous in the bath and epaderm as a moisturiser. Any thing you'd recommend as a suncream because the one I've been using on her seems to hurt?

Ps yes its good that it doesnt seem to bother her much, even the stuff on her face which they are still saying is possibly excema never seems to itch.

Ooh - don't know about suncream. If you get her elbow patches a bit softer with a plain moisturiser then the suncream may not go in the cracks so much. I've used tar creams - worked ok, and don't smell as bad as they used to - tbh I am far too lazy to even bother putting anything on at all now, so don't know what the latest treatments are.

Apparently there is controversy over whether they should be used and people don't like the smell but its not as if my DD will care about that at least! I will try putting cream on first thats a good idea. Thanks for your help its good to hear that it doesn't worry you much.

Och, I think it's actually contributed to me having a good body image, oddly enough - I was always pretty sure people weren't looking at how wobbly my thighs were in the swimming pool! True story here!

Do they still recommend Aveeno cream for psoriasis?

Lol thanks for that good point! Its funny actually I am so used to DD's cheeks looking like they do that I often check her in the buggy because people are staring and I thik she must be eating her socks or similar then I think oh of course they are looking at her cheeks! Every time we have to go to a and e(fairly often as her condition means she needs treating in hospital when ill with vomiting etc) they assume she is there with a rash on her face and say oh dear yes then I have to explain no no not worried about that.

Highlander I'm not sure, is that the tar stuff?

Just wondering if anyone can reassure me after my friends MIL said yesterday that psoriasis can be caused by stress? My DD is 20 m so obviously I'd hate to think that its true for her. Also the consultant said its inherited but maybe its possible that if you have it anyway it flares up in times of stress? DD has to be in hospital fairly regularly and has a bit of a hard time of it with blood tests etc. But still, she seems very happy so I'm hoping my friends MIL was wrong.

DD is still asleep so I've got time for early morning worrying-bump

Anyone around now? Please see my post from last night if so, thanks

My dh has severe psoriasis (also psoriatic arthritis) and it def. flares up when he is stressed and also when he is under the weather. UV helps, as does cutting out alcohol/citrus/tomatoes. His developed in his early teens after a Strep infection. Your dd is extremely young to have developed it. Hopefully it will remain a mild condition.

Mine flares with stress, but it's not what causes it - as you know, it's an inherited condition. But lots of things might cause it to flare, so please don't worry too much about the stress thing.

Thanks both of you,I didn't know about the food things either, my DD's face gets worse after tomatoes so that is interesting. Also DD's face started after a strep infection I think, it was tiny to start with and wasn't treated for that for a while.I thought it maybe flared up with stress and the stuff on her elbows which only started a month or so ago, started after three hospital stays in three months, she's also been having weekly blood tests again which can't be helpful stress wise.

My psoriasis is quite mild. Comes and goes according to how stressed I am. At the moment it's only on my scalp but sometimes I get it on my face as well and if I'm really stressed I get plaques on my arms & legs. Whenever it goes away (usually through reduced stress - sunlight also helps), it's as if it was never there - no scarring. Hope your DDs stays as mild as mine is - tbh it hardly bothers me at all.

I hope so too thebecster, I am glad to hear that you have no scarring as DD's covers a lot of her face when its bad. Its the little plaques that she has now developed on her elbows and one on her thigh. Poor little thing, very young to feel stress but could it be physical stress because she was ill rather than emotional if that makes sense?

That makes perfect sense - mine flared up very badly when I was ill last year - dr said it was because my immune system had taken a hit that made it come back badly. So I doubt it's emotional stress with your dd. Sorry didn't mean to make you worry that she's stressed! Sounds like you take very good care of her, she's very lucky to have so much love.

Thanks thebecster, that makes me feel better, it probably is that then. She was probably run down. I hope it goes away again soon then, how often does your flare up?

ooh hello what are you doing here? I am lying down typing instead of sleeping as I promised myself no nap today!