By Sara Zarriello
Skin is the largest organ to make up our body. We treat it like it’s the jar that holds the cookies inside. Skin conditions are more prevalent than you may think. Awareness about acne and eczema is high, especially as many people experience these types of diseases at some point in their lives.
Thursday 14th October this year, marks World Skin Health Day run by the Australasian College of Dermatologists. It aims to spread awareness and encourage those Australians living with chronic skin conditions to get educated and take action by speaking to a professional skin expert.
There are various skin conditions that are completely unheard of by the general population because there is not sufficient awareness about our skin and the importance of checking our skin regularly. The Australian not-for-profit organisation, the Skin Health Institute, has run clinical trials regarding Psoriasis, a skin condition resulting in red scaly-looking patches.
The Australian College of Dermatologists states, “about 50% of people affected with psoriasis have changes to their nails and about 25% of people have pain, swelling and tenderness of their joints.”
Skin conditions not only affect the way someone lives but how they perceive their own self-image. Brian Ward, a Skin Health Institute patient living with Psoriasis stated, “Psoriasis changed the way that I dress, and it took away a lot of my confidence.”
Once he began treatment, his outlook on life changed drastically, “…seeing my skin improve gave me a whole new lease on life and made me take my own health seriously.”
The key to looking younger for longer is protecting our skin. Taking action to prevent ageing is usually limited to the face. Our generation is obsessed with anti-ageing moisturisers and lotions, eye creams that prevent wrinkles and facials that bring back bounce. Yet we don’t view our skin in the same way we view the other organs in our bodies. Why don’t we check our skin like we do our breasts? The answer is simple – we don’t take our skin seriously.
Need more info? Check out a list of A-Z list of skin conditions here
