According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), up to 7.5 million Americans have Psoriasis which equates to about 2.2 percent of the population. Although the percentage of women who have psoriasis is about equal to that of men, this chronic skin condition seems to have a much more dramatic psychological effect upon women.
The National Psoriasis Foundation reports that in an analysis of survey data from 5,000 psoriasis patients, 20 percent of women said that psoriasis was a very large problem in their everyday lives, compared to only 12 percent of men. In addition, approximately 60 percent of women said that psoriasis interferes with their ability to enjoy life, as compared to only 52 percent of men. Overall, women have a much more difficult time dealing with the psychological and social issues brought about by having psoriasis.
We are going to explore the psychosocial impact of psoriasis upon women in greater depth by talking to Dr. Lawrence Green, a dermatologist who regularly sees women who suffer from psoriasis in his private practice in Rockville Maryland.
Welcome Doctor Green to My Skin Care Connection.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
Dr. Green: I am an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington DC, but more importantly for your article, I am also on the Board of Trustees of the National Psoriasis Foundation. I see patients every day in my Rockville, Maryland office and can be contacted through my website. Although I do a fair amount of cosmetic medical procedures, I have psoriasis myself and have always made treating people with psoriasis a priority in my office.
What is psoriasis?
Dr. Green: Psoriasis in a chronic autoimmune condition, that affects the skin, and can also affect the joints in some people. Basically, one's own immune system (for unknown reasons) stimulates the skin to reproduce itself too rapidly and/or also cause proliferation and possible destruction in one's joints (for those who have psoriatic arthritis).
What usually prompts a woman to come in and see her doctor about the symptoms of psoriasis?
Dr. Green: I think women are concerned when psoriasis can be visibly seen on them. Having psoriasis in a clothed area of the body is annoying, but not as disfiguring as having it on visible places. And visible places would include on the scalp where flakes constantly fall down from your hair onto your clothes and can be noticed by others.
The National Psoriasis Foundation reports that psoriasis can have a profound effect upon a woman’s psychological health and that there is some scientific evidence to show that some women who are diagnosed with psoriasis will also suffer from depression and even suicidal ideation. In your experience as a dermatologist, have you seen evidence of this in your practice?
Dr. Green: Personally, I have seen female (and male) patients become very depressed and break down/cry in my office during their visits with me when discussing their psoriasis. This has occurred whether the psoriasis is mild or severe-but the unifying theme is that it is visible to others. Just today, I had a female patient who felt very depressed and said she has limited her leaving her house for the past month because of her psoriasis. She also said even though her husband stated he didn't care the least she had psoriasis and still told her how much he loved her, she couldn't get herself be intimate with him because of how she looked.
