Ep. 275 "Tips for Managing Psoriasis When Life Takes You Out of Your Routine"

Description:

Coping with psoriasis can be challenging when your routine changes. Hear NPF Youth Ambassadors Aditi, Alyssa, and Pierce offer what they do to overcome such challenges when out of their routine.           

Join host Kaleigh Welch as she discusses tips for coping with changes that occur when traveling to visit family or friends, going on vacation, camping, or a change in schedule with three amazing NPF Youth Ambassadors Aditi, Alyssa, and Pierce who live with psoriasis. Hear their story from challenges with their initial diagnosis, struggles with insecurities, whether they choose to inform others, and what they do to manage their disease and stress while living their life with confidence to pursue their chosen activities  no matter if their routine changes. 

This episode features how 3 NPF Youth Ambassadors overcome challenges when out of their routine and how they respond while managing their psoriasis.

 

(0:00) Intro to Psoriasis Uncovered & welcome to guests Youth Ambassadors Aditi, Alyssa, and Pierce.

(0:55) Overcoming challenges from diagnosis, finding the right treatment, to making choices impacted by living with psoriasis.       

(5:44) Tips for what to do and pack when traveling for activities that disrupt the usual routine.

(10:11) Keeping the skin moisturized can be a challenge but find a routine and product that works.

(12:38) Preparing for potential triggers that could initiate the Koebner phenomenon and psoriasis.

(13:33) Managing the impact of stress when out of the routine or traveling.

(16:20) Alyssa’s approach to managing fatigue.

(16:53) The impact of diet and exercise when managing psoriasis.

(18:47) Telling others about psoriasis when staying at a friend’s house or hotel.

(23:36) Our number one recommendation for when being out of your routine. 

(25:39) Be confident about who you are and trust you’ll find the right treatment and routine for your psoriasis.

Key Takeaways:

·       Being out of your normal routine whether traveling on vacation or for work, camping, staying at a hotel or with family or friends can present challenges to managing your psoriasis.

 

·       Preparing in advance by anticipating medication or over-the-counter needs, telling others, and asking for help can reduce the impact of challenges due to a change in routine.

 

·       Be confident about who you are, find a treatment that works, and learn to live successfully with your psoriasis.

 

Guest Bios:

Aditi enjoys Carnatic singing, violin, figure skating, and participating in Model UN where students debate global issues, learn diplomacy, international relations, and public speaking. Aditi was diagnosed with psoriasis at 10 years old and has used topicals to manage her disease along with diet, exercise and stress management. Prior to becoming a Youth Ambassador she had never met anyone with psoriasis. She plans to pursue a career in dermatology.

 Alyssa is relatively new to the NPF Youth Ambassador program, joining in 2025 to connect with others who also live with psoriasis. Her diagnosis process was challenging and eventually she was diagnosed with guttate psoriasis after being improperly diagnosed and given treatments that didn’t fully clear her psoriasis. This experience changed her life both physically and emotionally. Alyssa is a busy student-athlete serving as a member of her school’s varsity cheer team and being a star pitcher for her school’s softball team.

 Pierce connected with NPF right after being diagnosed with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in 2024 which covered over half of his body. Together with his mother they learned more about the disease and management with various treatment options from NPF, quickly learning what worked and what didn’t. Per Pierce “it was horrible dealing with it for a while because I couldn’t hide the plaques.”  After facing challenges with step therapy and eventually traveling to the Mayo Clinic he found the treatment he needed to help clear his skin. Pierce is very active in golf playing at least 5 days a week. He currently plays for his high school team, the Louisiana Junior Golf Tour, and the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA).  Pierce also became a Youth Ambassador to meet others with psoriatic disease.

Resources:

-Meet other teens who have psoriatic disease. Become a Youth Ambassador

-“Traveling Near and Far With Psoriatic Disease” podcast episode.

-“Moisturizing Sensitive Skin” Advance Online. June 11, 2025.