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Psoriasis – The Year My Face Exploded

2015 was the year my face exploded. There was no C4 or dynamite involved, but it looked like I might have been a burn victim, and sometimes it felt like my skin was on fire.

It also scared me, as my mom dealt some sort of face rash in the decade leading up to her passing. She saw over 20 doctors, and the relief she got was temporary at best. Her skin used to itch so badly that she would scratch her face raw in her sleep.

Was I destined to be stuck with something similar for the rest of my life?

In 2015, I came down with a weird rash on my face that was later diagnosed as psoriasis. I'm sharing my path to healing in this 10 part series.

When I finally got a name for my condition – psoriasis – all the overpriced dermatologist had to say was to smear some steroid cream on it and live with it.

I told her I was changing my diet to see if I could address the underlying cause, and she flat out told me that I was welcome to try, but that food didn't have anything to do with your skin.

Thankfully that doctor was wrong.

My Psoriasis Journey

I've been hesitant to talk about this because I didn't have any answers, was flat out miserable at times, and I felt like a failure.

My brother said to me the other day, “You try harder then just about everybody I know to do the right thing.” And I do, darn it! But I still got sick and it took me quite a while to find something that helped.

The stuff I write about and share is how we really live and what we really care about. I do my best to grow much of our food, and source much of what we don't grow locally and/or organically. I don't smoke, rarely drink – heck, even coffee is rare for me these days, and when I was drinking it, it was one cup of organic fair trade. We don't eat out much, and don't buy much prepackaged food.

But we're not perfect. Sometimes when we're in the middle of big project, there will be frozen pizza for super. We like some sweets. (And sugar is the devil according to many current diet fads.) I'm not binge eating boxes of bakery doughnuts, but I do know how to bake and am pretty darn good at it.

Most of the time I stick to talking about the good times I remember from growing up on the farm, but there were some bad times, too. My dad was an abusive alcoholic, and he beat mom while she was pregnant with me.

My sister told me how he knocked mom down her knees on the concrete floor of the milk house one time when he got angry and she was very pregnant – but she still protected me.

My dad sued mom for divorce shortly after I was born, because she had the milk check put in her name so he couldn't drink it all up. He tried to force her to sell the farm and take the money, but thankfully the judge listened to mom's argument that she needed the farm to feed us six kids.

When my stepdad entered the picture seven years later, he did help mom with the farm and he didn't drink, but the man was still not a nice person.

That's a story for another day, but let's just say that many aspects of my upbringing were less than idyllic, and that may have all played a role in bringing my physical problems to a tipping point.

In 2015, I came down with a weird rash on my face that was later diagnosed as psoriasis. I'm sharing my path to healing in this 10 part series.

“You Need a Miracle.”

That's what my neighbor told me last summer when my skin was at its worst.

And she's right – I did need a miracle – but I already had one – my momma's love. I figured if she could fight so hard to protect me, and stay strong emotionally at the end of her life, even as her body was being ravaged by the skin crap and myotonic muscular dystrophy, then I had to keep searching until I found an answer – for her and for me.

I wanted to find an answer for my readers, too. So many of you have offered suggestions for psoriasis treatment, and many others have shared their own stories of dealing with chronic illness and being let down by conventional medicine. Don't give up hope, and keep asking questions and trying things until you find answers. I'm not completely healed, but at least my face no longer scares small children, and I don't wake up at night from the pain of broken, bleeding skin. (Yes, it did get that bad.)

In 2015, I came down with a weird rash on my face that was later diagnosed as psoriasis. I'm sharing my path to healing in this 10 part series.

Sharing My Story

In the coming weeks, I'm going to share what I found out during my research – looking for psoriasis causes, herbal treatments, alternative treatments, underlying conditions and how I've finally started getting my condition under control.

Contrary to what the dermatologist said, diet has been a big part of it. What I've ended up with is sort of paleo-primal-ish, along with fermented foods and specific herbs and supplements. 

Additional resources:

A Happy Ending?

Well, I'm not “ended” yet, but I'm doing so much better than I was (face is much better, but there are still other patches of skin that need work), and I do believe that I will be able to get this fully under control so I don't have to suffer my whole life.

Do you deal with a chronic condition? Don't give up hope. I have friends who have battled everything from cancer to Lyme's to autoimmune diseases and found their way back to health. Stay strong, and we'll make the journey together.

Other posts in the series:

Now available in kindle or print, “Psoriasis Healing – From Curse to Blessing“.

Released in 2020, this book shares my story and other tips for healing.

"Psoriasis Healing: From Curse to Blessing" book cover
https://commonsensehome.com/psoriasis-healing/

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120 Comments

  1. Hi Laurie,

    I’ve been subscribed to you for a number of years now, but only just found out that what you have experienced is exactly what I’m dealing with right now. Like you, we live on a self sufficient homestead (Northern Alberta), raising and growing most of our food and so this skin issue has been quite confusing for. I’ve been trying different things all year and haven’t been finding any relief, and the rash in and on my ears, hands, and around my mouth (just like yours had been, although not spread quite as far) is not healing. I see the connection with candida and will look more into your suggestions and articles.

    Thank you for sharing this, and bless you in Jesus’ name!

    Sincerely,
    ~Amberlin

  2. ooohhhh my gosh!! I literally feel like I just met a twin!! this just showed up!! Im not tech savvy and am working from a laptop….but my pictures are identical to yours!! It started with a “tight feeling” around my lips…then moved to upper lip and above…that was June of 2021. By december 2021…and a very expensive test with the dermatologist who said it was “topical dermatitis”…a catch-all phrase for “we don’t really know”. $700 later they informed me I was allergic to mercury!! I’m also a licensed esthetician and have been into the natural healing method for about 30 years….so at this point, I already had a feeling that it wasn’t something i was putting on my skin, nor eating, or any other presumptions made by this diagnosis. And since I don’t eat light bulbs nor thermometers? I knew the mystery had not been resolved. And then….it literally happened within a few weeks….it went from a tight feeling to a HUGE RED RASH around my mouth that made me look like a very sad clown. It eventually made its way to my eyes, hair line and neck. I am lucky enough to be working with a practice that is integrative and is open to any and all possibilities. Any other info you could provide to me would be so extremely grateful If I were doing this from my cell I could send pics that would make even you think I was your twin!!!!!!!!

    1. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Gab, and MeWe. Pinterest, too, but they don’t show our stuff to many people any more because we haven’t been creating custom content just for their platform. The best way to stay in touch is to subscribe to the newsletter – https://commonsensehome.com/subscribe/

      Links to the various social media platforms on in the green buttons (below the post on mobile, top of sidebar on desktop) and are listed at the bottom of every weekend newsletter, including Telegram feeds.

  3. This may not be well-received but I am part of a group online and many have found relief from psoriasis permanently after a course of ivermectin.

  4. Hi

    I basically have the same history as you with growing up and and and… don’t want to go I to too much detail however I found something that has changed my face overnight.. I don’t know if you can get it in your country but it’s called Simplex forte.. and it has changed my life… I also make sure that all my face creams are fragrance free, that helps tremendously, also ensuring that my face moisturizer is strong enough with the help of tissue oil. Give me a shout if you need more assistance.
    Good luck with your journey my skin also looks and feels normal again and I can start using concealer “special” one that has no fragrances in it however I don’t like any makeup except for mascara and eyeliner. Due to the fact that I don’t need it I’m 44 years old and finnaly can show my natural skin with no concealer that burn my skin when applying it.

    1. Thank you, Nicollette. Since I wrote this post, my skin has cleared completely and stayed that way, thankfully. I rarely wear makeup, and am very careful about what I put on my skin.

  5. My son has psoriasis. What helps topically is castor oil rubbed on the plaques. After a week of daily applications, they clear up. Internally, Piping Rock multi- minerals helped a lot along with a high quality probiotics. Now if he would just not eat junk food… Epsom salt soaks help too.

  6. HI Laurie, I just found this post and have to say it has been eye-opening! Thanks to you and everyone who has shared potential remedies. At the age of 16, my daughter started getting severe dermal outbreaks. My heart broke at how she hurt and suffered, and kids at school would ask how she got so badly burned. My husband has a locally well-renowned dermatologist who treated his skin cancer, so when our daughter started having problems, I took her to see him. He was shocked at the condition of her skin – all over her body and face. After careful examination, he said she was one of the rare individuals he has seen who suffers both psoriasis and eczema, which are usually exclusive of each other. Needless to say, we tried so many lotions, many very expensive, but nothing worked. Then, about 6 months ago, I read up on the health benefits of Pau D’Arco. I had used it in the past when I felt like I was getting an infection or cold, but never thought about the skin. My daughter decided to try taking two 545 mg capsules per day. Within a week, 99% of her skin cleared up. We were amazed! She is now 21, and continues to take the capsules on a daily basis. I don’t know if this will work for everyone. It seems like what may work for one may not work for the other, and our doctor confirmed that this is why psoriasis is so hard to treat. Hopefully, this will help someone who hasn’t found their magical cure. Thank you

  7. I had an outbreak of psoriasis last March. My whole torso looked like your face. I had never experienced this in my life (my father told me afterwards he had had two such outbreaks in his life, so I have a genetic pre-disposition I suppose) and was at a total loss. Of course, my doctor prescribed steroid creams that did nothing. After read Dr. Pagano’s book I decided to make some changes because I was desperate. I eliminated; alcohol, gluten, dairy & nightshades completely. I started making my own body lotion with organic, natural ingredients and infused with seabuckthorn oil. My legions were faded within 48 hrs, and gone completely within a month. I take slippery elm, vit d, turmeric, and holy basil every day still. I meditate to manage stress (which was the underlying cause of my outbreak).

    I also suffer from chronic yeast infections (or used to), which have stopped now that I’m on this new eating/wellness plan.

    Your blog is a revelation and I wish I had found it earlier!

    Of course, my dermatologist said there is no proof/correlation between this and clearing up psoriasis, but it’s working for me and hopefully others for others too!

    1. Thanks for sharing your story, Isabelle, and I’m glad that you found a solution that works for you. I hope one day that more health professionals will acknowledge the connection between food and health – and every other aspect of our lives. We’re not just a collection of symptoms.

      1. Almost forgot – we planted several sea buckthorn bushes, so I’m hoping that they will become a future resource should this flare up worse again. They taste very much like tangerines, which we can’t grow in our area, so I’m looking forward to a more substantial harvest.

  8. I have had psoriasis since 2003 and was told “just live with it.” Mostly the sores were on my legs and scalp. I started going to a holistic chiropractor who told me to abstain from all grains and rice “because they feed inflammation.” After a month of withdrawals I realized my sores had cleared up.

  9. Avoid ALL soap containing Triclosan (the chemical that makes soap “anti-bacterial”.

    I used to have spots of dry and cracking skin until I stopped using soaps with Triclosan in them. The rashes went away quickly after that and haven’t returned. I also recommended this to a friend whose hands were so bad that the doctors were having him wear blue gloves all day. His skin was peeling off at an alarming rate and his hands were bleeding. Once he stopped using anti-bacterial soap, his hands healed and he hasn’t had any more issues with his skin.

    Hope this helps someone….

  10. Thank you for sharing! I too have an autoimmune condition and have been on a holistic search for relief for several years now. Diet is probably the easiest thing to change, and greatly affects our entire being. I appreciate everyone’s suggestions and look forward to your insight as well. Hang in there!

  11. The juice/jel inside an Aloe Vera leaf helps with the itch! And we have a water filter that can make pH acid water and that sprayed on the psoriasis rash also takes the itch away temporarily.
    The health of one’s gut definitely affects the severity of the rash.

  12. I knew a woman years ago who had a similar problem. What reminded me of her was that her skin would crack and bleed. She suffered a long time, during which both she and her doctor didn’t know the cause. Eventually they discovered she had an allergy to paraben, a substance common in many products – shampoo, soap, skin lotions, etc. She had to hunt to find products that were paraben free.
    That might have nothing to do with the conditions described by you and others, but at least is something to check out.
    The best to you and others who are struggling with it. I wish success to all of you in finding solutions.

  13. After 40+ years of suffering and having tried everything the Drs threw at me I cant wait to find something that helps both the skin and my joints. Right now I have to take my “food” via a J-G Tube due to recovering from tongue cancer caused by the HPV16 virus caught at a hospital.
    So my problem has gotten worse after the radiation/chemo probably due to stress. Cancer is gone by a miracle !! But now the sores are worse.
    THANK you for sharing your journey and can not wait to hear what helped you. Like others just tired of the pain and suffering of the disease !!!
    SOOOO looking forward to your posts of your findings. Maybe relief is in sight !!!!

  14. Laurie,
    How brave you are to reveal your traumatic past and your fight with your skin problem with the world. I am still teary from reading about your mom protecting you while still in utero and also after you were born. She was a strong woman who I think believed she could handle whatever the Good Lord gave her and she did just that. That was her survival mode. You are much like her, strong, brave, intelligent, and you inherited respect for land and nature that she also demonstrated to you.
    God bless you Laurie.

  15. Hi – I totally believe it starts with e diet, with healing the gut. I was told that I had a thyroid problem but if she, the doctor lookedat my crazy schedule and what I was eating which I thought was not too bad was really the cause. On the “natural meds” I felt like shit and was feeling shittier. Gaining wait and exhausted, omg my hair felt out in gobs and this was after the meds!! not before.

    So I started my research and made changes first I dropped the meds and changed the food. I not only changed just food, but cleaners and hygiene products and the changes each small made positive differences that I continue. A big change was getting my sikver fillings out- no more chronic sinus headaches and exaggerated allergy responses. Keep going forward and please keep sharing!! I found your blog a year or so ago and I bought a lemon tree, , this year I bought herbs and I am starting a garden. My website is on everything and in development. So excited Take care K

    1. I need to get my amalgam fillings out, but between the cost and discomfort involved, I’ve been waiting until the need to be replaced. I’m really hoping that new tech to help regrow your teeth enamel becomes commercially available soon.

      We keep things as non-toxic as possible in terms of cleaners and hygiene products, but I’m sure there’s always room for improvement.

      It ticks me off that almost all doctor’s just prescribe meds without looking at the whole person.

      1. I had old amalgam fillings removed from one side of my mouth. It was a terrible experience and left my teeth so sensitive that I couldn’t bear to have the other side done. And I have more problems with side that was ‘fixed’ now. Can’t wait for the new dentin technology!

        1. Unfortunately, I have the fillings all over, as during my younger years it seemed like no matter how well I brushed and flossed, I still got cavities. It’ll take major reconstruction to make the repairs. 🙁

  16. Thank you for sharing your story of healing. I look forward to reading what you have done to heal yourself, as we have a daughter who has had psoriasis for many years. She does say that it is improved when she stays away from sugar!

  17. I am SO looking forward to reading the rest of your journey! My was had his first bout with psoriasis 2 years agonwhen he was just 7, far too young for any medications usually prescribed for psoriasis. Even the over the counter treatments burned when applied and there were quite a few tears until I gave up on those! Thankfully it was spring and summer that first year and he was fine playing outside in his undies to get as much skin exposed to thensun as possible (he broke out over much of his chest, back, scalp and behind his ears). I also found some essential oil blends and lotions that helped a lot, and we too cleaned up out eating and stress. But I will *forever* be on the look out for resources to help manage & treat his psoriasis, just in case there’s an explosion similar to yours. Thank you SO much for sharing your journey!!

  18. Thank you for sharing and importantly for the promise of sharing the continuing journey. My psoriasis cleared up completely when I gave up dairy and gluten. I can’t ever have dairy except butter and ghee in small amounts but from time to time I cave and eat gluten, every time my psoriasis come back. It’s really not that hard to give it up even though I love to make bread for my family the the smell of it cooking is oh so tempting!

  19. I can’t imagine someone so uncaring so as to send a complaint. Thank you for sharing your story. God bless you.

  20. Oh you poor thing! It looks horribly painful. I’ve had a similar experience in my past. I had a systemic Candida over growth. But, after I got that under control, I discovered that I need to cleanse my body from heavy metals and I discovered that I don’t methylate. 50% of people don’t methylate either because it’s been inhibited by something or a genetic disorder. Look into methylation online. Dr.Lynch is a good place to start. I hope that your search continues to uncover answers for you! God bless…

  21. I think it is best when patient’s are their own advocate. Doctor’s get a certain amount of education in school and then they get continuing education hours after that each year to keep their licenses. Yet, the Doctor’s get to pick what continuing education subjects/seminars they want to attend. So, ongoing education may be limited to what the Doctor is interested in and not what his or her patient’s really need him or her to be updated on. Holistic medicines often times is much safer, with fewer side effects than prescribed medications, though if you are taking prescribed medications the MD needs to be informed of any herbal supplements you are taking to make sure they don’t interact in a negative fashion with prescribed medications. I know a person that rubs the inside of a banana peel on her psoriasis patches. I have Lupus and the skin rash on the face that goes along with it. The severity of the rash often depends on stress or other illness factors going on at the time. I do have some other skin patches on elbows, ankles which I am not sure what they are from, but figure autoimmune. Glad you’ve taken a self approach, hands on method to try and figure out what works for you. Good Luck.

    1. Today’s doctors are often pressured to see more patients in less time to meet health group quotas, too. It hard to look for underlying causes when you barely have enough time to catalog the symptoms.

  22. I have always believed so much of our health problems are stress related, especially those dealing with inflammation. Along with a diet change that eases the stress on your digestive system I would suggest counseling. Some things just need to be dealt with, put to rest, and left behind. Good health to you my friend. Thanks for sharing.
    P.S. Your my favorite blogger. Actually, other than Chicken Chick you are the only one I let in my inbox. Keep up the good work.
    Blessings

  23. I have been an RN for almost 30 years. The newer doctors either are not taught the older treatments, or put too much faith in the newest most expensive medications. Very frustrating. Nurses have always been taught the mind, body, and spirit of the person must be addressed to effect healing, doctors may hear that, but it is not emphasized in their education. What we used to use was daily soaking the affected area in water to soften the skin and plaques, grease them up with vegetable shortening or cocoa butter or… any thick moisturizing cream without chemicals. But, the thing that made the biggest difference was sunlight directly on the affected areas. Only a few minutes a day, we are not going for tanning, just a bit ultraviolet (UV) light, 5-10 minutes a day on very sunny days in the summer, more if overcast or in the winter. Whatever your skin will tolerate. A UV lamp may be of use to you, if you can get your doctor to write a prescription for it, it may be covered by your insurance.This may be why the earlier poster’s husband’s skin did so much better in Hawaii, soaking and UV light, as that state gets more UV light than other states in the mainland U.S. Lessening daily stress will help. Easy to say, very difficult to actually accomplish when you are dealing with life trauma. Of course your diet effects inflammation of the body, if you are allergic or sensitive to something. I have seen many psoriasis sufferers, covered scalp to toes in heavy, cracking, bleeding plaques go to occasional small outbreaks in six weeks using just water soaks (if you have broken skin, make sure your tub is very sanitary, you don’t want to get an infection on top of the psoriasis) sunshine and emollients only, after all of the doctor’s lotions, creams and injections failed. Good luck and may God keep you in the palm of his hand.

    1. Thank you, Susan. Nurses are some of the smartest, most caring, hardest working people I know. I’m looking forward to getting out in the sun more as soon as it warms up a bit.

  24. Hi Laurie,
    So sorry, that looks like it was painful. I’m so glad you helped yourself and continue to do so. I went to a gastro-doc four years ago for excruciating pain and nausea when I needed to go to the bathroom. I was told IBS as a blanket-style diagnosis. I was also told I just had to live with it. I went on an elimination diet, then vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free for just under a year. After spending the next 9 months re-introducing foods, I found out what gave me the pain again and it was totally curable. Just for information, it was the protein casein in cow milk products, but not ALL cow milk products…just cream. It’s odd because I can eat full-fat cheeses, even full-fat yogurts and sour creams…and I can eat ice cream, but no 10% cream in my coffee. I did find other foods that triggered upsets, but it took me almost 2 years to work it all out on my own. It’s very true…don’t give up, keep trying, food really does have a LOT to do with out ailments these days. People want quick fixes and quickly give up if a pill doesn’t solve their problems. I’m glad you are feeling better! I can’t wait to read about it 🙂

    1. Hi Fran. Thank you for your kind words. I don’t know if it’s an option in your area, but milk with A2A2 protein (and raw) is sometimes more digestible for those with dairy sensitivity. Guernseys and Jerseys are more likely to produce A2A2 milk.

      1. I don’t have much choice when it comes to milk in my area, but I’m now curious about the breed of cow that’s used… I drank goat milk for years and it was fine, even the full fat version…had to do with the size of the casein molecule…or something scientific like that, which utterly (udderly? 😉 confused me…anyway, I can drink 2% milk without issue now. I’m just very thankful I don’t have to give up cheese.

  25. We will probably never meet in person, but thank you. I’m passing your post onto my sister, (who has a son with autism and has been helped somewhat by dietary changes), two friends with Crohn’s, and another with various autoimmune disorders. Hope fully some of what you’ve tried will be helpful to them.

    1. To Olivia says: I recently heard a talk between Dr. Mark Hyman and another doctor. This doctor referenced a child with autism who could not speak. His gut bacteria had been severely compromised. He was treated with a fecal implant. He can now carry on a conversation with his mother and recently for a class project gave a presentation before his class. I believe they have started fecal implant trials with several Autistic children in Texas. So we are what we eat. Our gut as well as our emotions and stress controls so much about us that we are now only beginning to understand.
      Laurie, you are now on the road of discovery. Not knowing what can be done is the hardest part. Your outlook is wonderful an aids in healing. Turmeric and ginger are anti-inflammatory. Ginger can be very calming and good for digestion. I look forward to hearing of your progress. Thank you for sharing.

      1. Numi has a lovely 3 roots tea blend with both ginger and turmeric that I’ve learned to enjoy, and I’m also using more turmeric and black pepper in my cooking for the anti-inflammatory properties.

        The advances in our understanding of gut bacteria have a come a long way, but I think we’re still at the very beginning stages of our understanding.

  26. Hi, My middle son has had psoriasis since birth, so we have fought long and hard to take care of his skin and resolve this problem.
    I strongly suggest checking out Drlwilson.com
    Dr Wilson’s program:
    Step 1) Read his articles.
    Step 2) Begin with the Free program.( he doesn’t charge you anything but you will obviously have to buy foods and such).
    Step 2A) Find a practitioner to begin complete Nutritional Balancing.
    Step 3) Develop yourself ( with suggestions, resources, etc).
    I personally recommend Beaudreau’s Butt Paste, which has the highest concentration of zinc oxide available on the open market. Sorry about the name, but it works great….Very healing. I would mix it with Sovereign Colloidal Silver Hydrosol and apply to sores. ( a few drops of the hydrosol to a teaspoon or more of the paste).
    Stay in touch, we are making great strides, slowly. Linda

  27. Can’t wait to read more about your journey! I applaud your perserverance & bravery in sharing your story! Blessings surround U & your family?

      1. Laurie,
        You had people complaining to you about sharing a personal, challenging health problem??? Are you kidding me? Of course you are not kidding…I just can’t believe some people. I don’t know why I am astonished. You would think after all the bull I have endured over the last 27 years as a nurse, I would not be shocked by things people say and do. But, alas, I am.
        Guess I am just a naive, idealistic fool.
        Thank you for EVERYTHING you do. You inspire me the most with the little things.
        And of course what you eat affects your health. Your doctor’s response was necessary to keep you on your path. Likely she has had or will shortly have an awakening herself.
        You are a smart, kind and brave woman. Thank you again,
        Pam Baker

  28. Laurie, I’m sure you’re familiar with neem oil, and was wondering if you’d tried a homemade neem oil balm to soothe your psoriasis outbreaks. Originally I researched it to try and help my brother who has psoriasis, but what I whipped up didn’t help him. It did help some other people though. I’ll be happy to post the simple recipe if you’d like. God’s blessings and mercies be on you.

  29. Congratulations on taking your health into your own hands! I’m generally a believer in Western medicine, which has clearly done a lot of good. But I also believe that Western medicine hasn’t figured everything out, and is sometimes more interested in what’s easiest for itself, rather than the patient. (Women being forced to deliver on their backs, without the benefit of gravity, because that’s what works best for the doctor…) I do strongly believe that as patients, we can hope that our doctors are open-minded and aware of things besides pharmaceuticals that can impact/improve our health, but, sadly, this isn’t aways the case. As a result, we must educate and advocate for ourselves.

    1. Western medicine has accomplished amazing things – like trauma treatment and surgical advances. Somewhere along the line, things got so specialized and compartmentalized that most doctors stopped looking at patients as a whole system. I think that was a big mistake.

      It is encouraging that more people are starting to ask questions and become their own health advocates.

  30. Hi, Laurie! Thank you so much for sharing your story. In the course of studying essential oils and healing, I learned that psoriasis and other skin ailments are the result of unresolved issues between a child and his or her parent(s). The body stores our reaction to emotional trauma in the cells and if we never deal with those emotions, eventually they will manifest in disease or illness. As I was reading your story, you certainly confirmed for me that your problem might well stem from unresolved feelings resulting from your father’s abuse of your mom and yourself and later your stepfather’s behavior as well. Please read a book called “Feelings Buried Alive Never Die” by Karol Kuhn Truman. I pray for your complete and perfect healing, Laurie. May God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you.

  31. Congratulations on finding your own answers. Your dermatologist’s reaction was a prime example of what is wrong on what medical professionals are learning these days: treat the symptoms, don’t worry about the cause. The human body isn’t a collection of unrelated systems; it all works together. If one thing is wrong, everything else gets knocked wonky. I applaud you and hope you continue to get healthy. 🙂

  32. Thank you for sharing! My face hurt for you when I saw your photos. So glad to hear that you didn’t listen to the doctor when she said diet had nothing to do with it. I know how frustrating it can be to eat well (healthier than 99% of western society) and still have health issues. I have been vegan for 8 years, eat organic food, minimal processed food etc. I now have rheumatoid arthritis. Thankfully I caught it in the beginning stages. I didn’t even bother the doctors as the standard procedure it to put RA patients on toxic meds for the rest of their lives. I started researching and found others who have managed the disease through diet. It has been a few months now and it is improving. These things take time. For plant based people, my favorite website is http://www.nutritionfacts.org. I enjoy reading your blog tremendously and admire much that you do. I will raise a beautiful clean glass of water to your health! Cheers!

  33. Hi all, I have mild psoriasis that come and goes. I believe it is an autoimmune disorder and can be triggered by stress. Stress is sneaky and doesn’t announce itself with a lot of fanfare. I suggest that along with the dietary changes that taking Niacin as well as a multivitamin daily may help. And certainly can’t hurt. Good luck, never quit never back down!

  34. The woman actually said, “what you eat has nothing to do with your skin”? Did you check the walls to see if she actually had a license or even a diploma? You are very brave to share your story in the hopes of helping others & I’ll be using your example in my herbal classes. People simply have to start taking responsibility for their own health since western medicine has truly dropped the ball. Good luck to you & please keep us posted on your improvement.

    1. I’ve had mulitple Drs tell me that very thing in regards to my Hashimoto’s and migraines. I’ve lost all faith in them.

  35. I have to say that I find your story amazing. Never give up hope. Traditional medicine isn’t all it is cracked up to be, and it makes me happy that you are looking at other sources. Will be praying over you.

  36. You told me you were going to do this Laurie when I responded to you email sent out this week.
    You did a beautiful job of writing and conveying your story of the struggle you deal/dealing with this autoimmune disease. I look forward to reading more of how you heal through foods, herbs and trial and error. Oil of oregano was a big one for me….stinks, but takes away the itching…lol.
    I’m proud of you for having the courage to share with all of us and I think you are beautiful outside, as well as inside. Thank you!!!!

  37. I am so impressed with the improvement changing your diet has made for you. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia this past fall. Like your dermatologist, my rheumatologist also said diet wouldn’t work, she’d had some patients who tried it but never made much difference.

    I have changed my diet, and am currently weeding out products in my life that are no organic, full of additives and such. I’m at least 75% better than I was 7 months ago.

    Diet change is a challenge, it ends up changing your lifestyle, I believe that is where the failure for so many comes into play. Being a long time diabetic and RN I understand that change is hard to effect and maintain.

    I applaud you and your journey and bravery in sharing your story. Thank you!

    Lisa

  38. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the story! Glad you’ve gotten better and can now sit down to tell the story from hindsight. Just say no to pills/drugs/salves/etc as you say, you have to treat the problem, not the symptoms.

  39. Having had my own battles, and working to eliminate causes, I have learned how much of food and what we eat affects us. But also, particularly I think for women (we of the wonderful hormones) the affects of food at various times in our lives changes. I think this is why we suddenly have something affect us one day that wasn’t a problem the day before. For each of us it is about finding what works, and what doesn’t, and as we find solutions we can enjoy a little thrill that we are taking charge of a problem rather than giving into it.

    I very much look forward to your further installments. Bon courage!

  40. I too suffer from psoriasis. Diagnosed in the late 70s. I was given the standard protocol of meds at the time. I have found over the years, that when I took mega doses of B vit complete complex at the time it started to heal. I have stopped the vit as I now eat so much better than I did and feel you should get your nutrients from food. I do, however, now make my own cleaning products and use my own handmade soap. I no longer put chemical things on my body. I also found that I needed to tone down (but really should eliminate) wheat from my diet. My skin is so much clearer and I can tell within a day or two when I’ve indulged in more of something than I should have. Good luck to you. It’s not called ‘the heartbreak’ of psoriasis for nothing!

  41. I, like most of you, am so disappointed with traditional medicine and believe in organic, local farm fresh, herbal remedies etc. About five years ago, after probably the hardest point in my life, I heard about Biomagnetic therapy (not the same as magnet therapy). What it does is by using the positive and negative poles of medium size strong magnets on very specific points in the body, it balances out the pH where a specific virus, bacteria, fungus, parasite, or even a negative thought pattern or emotion is found. It’s amazing! It cured my tennis elbow, my daughters urinary tract infection, my kids pre-teen and teen hormonal like moodiness, friends migraines, friend and family cancers, high cholesterol, and so much more. I recently got shingles and after a few days of doing a treatment, I no longer had pain and my entire shingles episode lasted less than 10 days (4 of those being before the breakout). Psoriasis is typically caused by a bacteria that will reinfect the person through his/ her clothes, toothbrush, cosmetics, bed sheets, towels. The bacteria is typically found in the brachial nerves and in the bladder, but can hide in other organs/parts of the body. If you can find a biomagnetic therapist nearby, I highly recommend, but if not, try drinking water with a quarter teaspoon of baking soda each morning. Wear clothes and use towels once before washing. Also, the toothbrush reintroduces germs so brush with baking soda a few times a week and after each use, dip toothbrush in baking soda to neutralize germs. I hope this helps!

  42. Laurie:
    Thank you for posting about this not-uncommon real life issue. My brother has had severe psoriasis for years. More than the physical implications, he has had a barrage of emotional/mental symptoms to deal with. Adults can be cruel with their facial expressions and staring. He too has tried “everything” and does not want to rely on pharmaceuticals with all their side effects. I am forwarding this along to him and I hope he can find relief as you have!

    1. The staring can be so rude and hurtful. Most folks are pretty decent, but once in a while some are just downright rude. I’ll be talking about the whole gamut of treatments I’ve used, so hopefully there will be something that helps your brother, too.

  43. I am so glad that your blogging is so candid. My father and an elderly woman in our church had psoriasis. And both of their conditions completely disappeared when they began taking Herbal Fiber Blend. Psoriasis really is tied to the gut. My own health conditions would probably improve if I took HFB, but I could never get over the appearance (though they have it in capsules now which my husband took).

  44. My husband lives with horrible plaque psoriasis. It’s so bad you would think he had early stages of leprosy. The worst areas are from his hips (belt line) down. Some years ago we took a trip to Kauai and with the sea salt swims and sun exposure he amazingly healed up in 9 days. I tried to talk him into moving but it didn’t pan out because of our jobs. I’ve tried him on different homemade essential oil and base oil blends to keep him comfortable and that is working but there is no clear-up in the covered clothing areas. So basically he needs to live on a warm sunny tropical island and walk around butt naked! He needs to return to the Garden of Eden.

    1. I’ve heard of sea water clearing up psoriasis. I include a weekly soak with Epsom salts and dead sea salts are part of my routine. More frequent would be better, but it’s hard to make time to just soak.

      I’ll be talking about all the things I’ve tried in coming weeks, so hopefully something will help your husband.

  45. Thank for sharing your story. You are so strong willed & I’m with you on food does affect your skin along with every part of you body. I dropped a Dr. when she said I was lying about my pain. I wasn’t there to get drugs all I had been taking was arthritis pain formula for yrs. I started a journey with smoothies, making my own kiefer an then I found diatomaceous earth -food grade- it has helped me with the pain no more Tylenol that had messed up my stomach. Good luck in your continued journey.

  46. Thank you for keeping it real and sharing your story. It had to be a difficult story to tell and how frustrated you must have felt through the experience! So glad to see that you’re on the (fingers crossed) upswing of your healing journey.

  47. My husband suffers with psoriasis over his entire body and has done so since he was a teenager, so about 20 years now. No conventional doc has ever offered anything other than steroids and said when it affects his joints and such then the $$$$, dangerous immune system attacking drugs will be the route. Neither of us want that. We’ve had one person mention doing some thorough blood testing to see if there are underlying allergies, but before we were going to do that we went into the worst two years of our lives with him losing both parents and assorted other issues all unexpectedly. Your Dad and his had the same issues, only his didn’t hit, just verbal and alcoholic. His mom had an autoimmune disease, as did her mom. Different ones, but I think they are connected. I worry for my kids, I worry for my husband. I am very, very, very grateful to you for writing this and I we will be reading with open hearts as we now are ready to start moving forward with how to help him. Thank you for being brave and sharing it with us!

    1. First off, let go of some of that worry if you can, because that’s not healthy, either. Trust me, I’m a chronic worrier. 🙂 We’re found each other for a reason, and I’m going to share all the different healing options that I’ve tried, and you can take a look and see if any of them work for your family.

  48. Well done Laurie for sharing this. Both my maternal grandmother and my mum suffered horribly with psoriasis and although there’s time at the moment it’s skipped my sister and I but my niece has it. Diet definitely helped Mum, before she died I became her carer and she only ate good home made food, restricted as she had bouts of gout and in the last couple of years of her life she just had a couple of patches one on her elbow and one on her lower back. She had previously been covered in sores cracked and weeping. The only salve that helped was an aloe Vera based one all natural. So I am looking forward to hearing the rest of your story and good luck with your continuing journey back to full health!

  49. Thank you for sharing your story Laurie. It has some weird similarities to mine. I do understand. And I so admire your spirit and fight.
    As Winston Churchill said We must “never, never, never give up”. I have multiple autoammune diseases, and have been fighting for over 20 years. You are inspiring although I am sure the story was not easy to share. Thank you, and God bless your journey.

  50. Your story is a touching one and I know many others will be helped by it. My uncle has awful psoriasis and I suspect a very traumatic childhood and evil father had a lot to do with this, too.

  51. I have CRPS/RSD full body since 2005, and one of the fun things that has started up is skin sores. I have had them for about 2 years bow, and different doctors have told me everything from bug bites to pre cancerous. I’ve tried every medicine out there it seems, and many made it so much worse. Like you, I decided to change my diet, and amazingly, that has worked better than anything else! I have gone 100% wheat free, and it was not easy. However, it is very much worth it! The sores are getting better. I hope it works on the rsd! I’m so glad to hear you are doing better. I hope it keeps getting better, then stays away!

  52. Laurie I was aware sort of that the struggle was hard but had no idea how much you were struggling with. Thanks for being brave and sharing it with us. Who knows when we may have to walk a similar path and this may be information we need.

  53. Laurie, I applaud you for telling your story. It couldn’t have been easy deciding to share it with everyone. I hope you continue to improve and figure out what the triggers are and what skin remedies work. Maybe a homemade salve? I will continue to keep you in mind as I continue on my journey of making more and more homemade remedies and skin creams and salves. I have no doubt your skin will be back to normal. You got this!

    1. thank you for your kind words.

      I’ve tried over a dozen different salves and creams, homemade and otherwise. Some helped, some made it worse, but nothing really tackled the problem.

  54. Oh my goodness, I can’t wait to hear the rest of your story! Your face and mine could have been twins, except it was my whole body, weeping, burning, itching for the entire year I turned 36. I’ve been mostly symptom free since then but am on a fairly restrictive diet and wondering what my next step is/should be.

    I eagerly await your further installments!

    1. I’ve recently beaten Rheumatoid arthritis using diet, and your next step should be adding foods back in to your diet one at a time to see which ones you react to. It’s important to do this slowly and keep a careful record of everything you eat and put on your skin. The worst problem for me was the chlorinated drinking water, but I also have to avoid all chemical additives and dairy produce. You may well find that you only react to a few ingredients.

      1. Concerning ‘allergy diets’, you should first get down to as base (and sadly, boring)a diet as possible (think baked chicken, very little to no seasoning, and white rice). Then start adding foods/seasonings ONE AT A TIME, until you find your triggers. And try them in different ways. I was allergic to apple juice, but not cooked apple products (even including one of my faves, cider). Also remember as you age, allergies can go ‘into remission’ or appear for the first time (again, in my example, I drank GALLONS of apple juice, but when I hit puberty, I couldn’t touch it, now that I’m older, I can drink it in moderation). Another option (if you have the money or insurance for it) is to go to an allergist and get an allergy panel done. It won’t cover all allergens, but it will hit the major ones and some of the less ‘popular’ ones.

  55. Thank you so much for sharing your story and posting your photos. Many people are too scared to discuss reality on a blog when it gets this real. They want to share the pretty pictures, the spotless homes, the perfect cookies, the happy children, and the adorable animals. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s sharing the down-and-dirty that really helps people and gives them hope, because that’s what real life is like. I have a feeling you are going to touch many people with your story.

      1. I have Psoriasis that bad, I, like you, I eat relatively clean and when the steroid was prescribed I did not accept it. I take Turmeric in capsule form and use coconut oil as a moisturizes on my skin. I would say that I am 90% irritation free. Stress will cause an outburst for me but the Turmeric seems to bring it back under control I no longer have any bloody, cracked and dry scaly spots. I understand how difficult this disease is and I am sorry that you are going thru it.
        Lorraine

        1. I’ve been using turmeric to control my extreme sensitivity to poison oak. I understand it reduces the immune response. Like you described for its effect, I would say it brings the condition under control. If I take it daily, I have no problems. If I don’t and am exposed (thru the air -yes, i’m that sensitive), I can feel the poison oak beginning (both on top of my skin as a rash and swelling from under my skin (systemic). I take the turmeric, and I can feel the reduction of swelling and backing off of the symptoms (which otherwise would continue to escalate to misery). I haven’t found anything else that works like this. And no side effects (vs conventional medical alternatives). Tumeric is up there as an essential in my kitchen (along with an Aloe plant).

    1. I was going to say the same thing, Daisy! When we just present our whitewashed selves, we’re not being authentic. Then others feel they have to do the same thing and the facades continue.

      Thanks, Laurie, for being real.

    1. Your pictures right off made me think you were allegic to some kind of face mask? the red area looked just like the area under a face mask?

        1. I am suffering with a very similar face right now…I am vegetarian, dont use chemicals, take vitamins and herbs, use essential oils..eat almost no fried or fast foods.. however, my RN daughter and son in law swear it is my nerves…in 16 months we sold our NICE home to move in a small,old trailer 100 miles from grandkids to take care of mother in law..who was never very close to me…and 3 weeks later, my oldest daughter suddenly died..many problems with old trailer..then my hubby of 45 years suddenly died from effects of Agent Orange(viet nam) leaving me to raise our teen daughter…STRESS???? so I have this face right now..not going to DR..cause I dont want RX..

      1. I had this. For years. On my face,scalp, my eyelids. My face was bleeding. No sugar or wheat ( gluten ) for 2 years, tea tree oil , bio health care products and makeup,and some stress relief pills. Only those things worked and I figured it by myself (and my pathology profesor at my University) after giving over 2000 euros to dermatologists and doctors.
        I haven’t had it for 4 years now.
        I paused my college year how bad it was. I ate on a straw and couldn’t talk, got ripped my lips once by laughing, have a scar. Stopped going to buplic places after I made some kid cry.
        Really bad 2 years.

        1. I’m glad you found a solution, too. I’ve been clear for around 2 years now, but it was hell while it lasted, and made even more frustrating by the doctors who insisted that diet had nothing to do with skin health.

          1. My doctor told me that diet had nothing to do with my psoriasis as well and I told her that diet is everything when it comes
            to ANY health issue!!! I have healed myself from several health issues with food and supplements!!! Today’s’ doctors only know about medication they
            can prescribe not foods and supplements that can actually help heal!!! I don’t listen to doctors much anymore, I do research!!!
            Love & Peace to you from Sharon

          2. Doctors are good at putting labels on ailments, and repairing trauma, but chronic health issues – not so much. I’m glad you were able to hep yourself to heal.