Living With Psoriasis
- “How Do I Live” singer, songwriter, and actress LeAnn Rimes, took to her Instagram story this week to inform her fans she’s had a long night’s sleep and is doing well. In fact, her skin appeared to be glowing and flawless.
- Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, itchy patches to develop on the skin. It is a chronic disease, which means that it does not have a cure.
- Overall, getting an adequate amount of rest and 7-8 hours of sleep every night, a little less than what LeAnn Rimes got one night this week, is a tried and true method of putting less stress on your body, therefore helping to lessen the severity of certain conditions like psoriasis.
- Choosing the most effective and safest course for psoriasis will be an important collaboration between you and your healthcare provider.
The “How Do I Live” singer, songwriter, and actress, from Jackson, Miss., took to her Instagram story this week to inform her fans she’s had a long night’s sleep and is doing well. In fact, the proceeding videos of herself also shared on her story, showed her skin to be glowing and flawless.
It’s apparent that even though Rimes is constantly dealing with psoriasis, a rare, incurable condition that causes red, itchy patches to develop on the skin, she’s not letting it prevent her from enjoying the skin that she’s in.
Rimes, who became the youngest artist to win a Grammy Award at 14 years old, also recently opened up about her wellness routine for hormone balance and energy.
Speaking to Dr. Will Cole, a leading functional-medicine expert, on his podcast, Rimes explained how she maintains healthy boundaries with social media and her fans.
“I like to create when I feel inspired to create. And I think that’s what a lot of people, when they get to know me through my socials, they see that what I’m putting out there it is authentic,” she said. “And it’s from a place where I was inspired to create this.”
In regard to how her love for wellness began, Rimes said, “I think I have always taken care of myself. I was diagnosed with psoriasis when I was two and I had such a journey with that. By the time I was 6, I was 80% covered on my body.”
Expert Psoriasis Resources
She explained how she focused on working out and eating well, but it wasn’t until later in life that made her want to focus more on her health, especially her hormonal health.
In regard to the “highlights” of her daily wellness routine, Rimes told Dr. Cole, “My body, with the travel and the stress that I’ve been under as a child has just formed differently.
“Constantly being in a fight or flight state …This learning how to be home and enjoy being home without being anxious in the slow and then go back on the road and find health in that journey also – is still a journey for me and I’m still figuring it out.”
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Rimes pointed out that she puts a full spectrum light on her face for 15 or 20 minutes while she does breath work.
Sometimes she fasts for 15 to 16 hours, relaxes in her sauna, or does hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which helps increase the oxygen in your blood to help speed up healing of wounds, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Meanwhile, Rimes has also said she has used steroid creams, made changes to her diet (like cutting our fried foods), and tried injection medications that target the immune system. She also likes to swim in saltwater and use moisturizers.
We love to see Rimes taking care of herself and making the most out of life while living with psoriasis, and it’s something anyone dealing with psoriasis can look to for inspiration.
Back in 2020, Rimes decided to pose nude and show off the red patches that were spread across her lower back and legs as a way to raise awareness and show others that they're not alone in their battle with psoriasis.
LeAnn Rimes’ Psoriasis Journey
LeAnn Rimes was diagnosed at age 2. By the time she was 6, about 80% of Rimes' body was covered in painful red spots.
Understanding the Different Types and Symptoms of This Rare Skin Condition
Rimes did everything she could to hide her condition from the world and find a treatment that worked. Eventually, she discovered an injectable treatment in her 20s that kept her skin clear, however, the stress of the Covid pandemic caused the psoriasis to show up again.
“Stress is a common trigger for psoriasis, and with so much uncertainty happening, my flare-ups came right back,” she previously wrote in an article for Glamour.
Rimes has decided to own her psoriasis and share details about her journey to educate about the chronic condition
“I hope anyone who also kept themselves small has the courage to step outside of that cage," she wrote for Glamour. “When we allow ourselves not to be held in, our lives come back to us.”
Learning to Live With Psoriasis: Opening Up to Overcome Stress & Shame
What is Psoriasis Disease?
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, itchy patches to develop on the skin. It is a chronic disease, which means that it does not have a cure.
Fortunately, symptoms can often be managed with different treatment options as well as lifestyle adjustments. And only about 2% of the U.S. population suffers from it, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Still, there have been major developments in recent years when it comes to the treatment and management of psoriasis.
“Psoriasis is a chronic, auto-immune skin condition where you have red, scaly patches on the skin,” Dr. Saakshi Khattri, a Dermatologist/Rheumatologist at Mount Sinai Health System, previously told SurvivorNet. “It is a long-term condition, which can ebb and flow. You can have good days and bad days.”
Dr. Saakshi explained that while anyone can develop psoriasis, the disease is more common in people between the ages of 30 and 50. Researchers believe genetics, as well as environmental factors, may play a vital role in the development of this disease.
Dr. George Han, a Dermatologist at Northwell Health/Lenox Hill Hospital, told SurvivorNet that psoriasis is also connected with many internal comorbidities.
“The most obvious of which is psoriatic arthritis, which is inflammatory arthritis that if left untreated is quite debilitating…as well as a number of other comorbidities that we are learning more and more about, such as inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome,” Dr. Han explained. “So, there are a lot of different connections, also with psychiatric comorbidities.”
Psoriasis Triggers
Managing stress and relaxing your body is always important for anyone with psoriasis, however, certain types of food and drink, along with tobacco, can be huge culprits for triggering autoimmune conditions.
For some, the sun will exacerbate symptoms. Saltwater from the ocean, however, can be good for clearing up skin conditions.
Also, eating an anti-inflammatory diet can reportedly help immensely in controlling flare-ups. Some people with psoriasis try to combat its distressing effects by following a paleo diet. A paleo diet, by definition, mainly consists of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, and excludes dairy or grain products and processed food.
According to the Paleo Diet website, "Foods that cause inflammation include refined carbohydrates, wheat and other cereal grains, soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, margarine, shortening and lard, and processed meats."
These types of foods can cause insulin (a hormone that controls our blood sugar) to spike in our bodies, which can contribute to inflammation and also alter our gut health, meaning change the ratio of good bacteria vs. bad bacteria, which can wreak havoc on the body.
Overall, getting an adequate amount of rest and 7-8 hours of sleep every night, a little less than what LeAnn Rimes got one night this week, is a tried and true method of putting less stress on your body, therefore lessening the severity of certain conditions like psoriasis.
What to Know About Psoriasis Treatment Options
Psoriasis treatments can offer relief from flare-ups or may get rid of your symptoms completely.
However, it's important to understand there's no cure and some approaches may bring on serious side effects. That's why choosing the most effective and safest course will be an important collaboration between you and your healthcare provider.
Keep in mind that it may take time to find the best treatment for your psoriasis.
“I have patients who come in after having been to many other medical practices and not really getting much hope or really good treatments for their psoriasis,” Dr. George Han, a dermatologist at Northwell Health/Lenox Hill Hospital, explained to SurvivorNet.
“And we'll give the patient a systemic medicine that these days are very effective. We have treatments where over half of the patients who have moderate to severe psoriasis are getting 100% clear.”
If you have psoriasis, it is important to ask your doctor what treatment options will work best for you.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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