For some, winter is a wonderland of white, snowy days, crackling fireplaces, and cozy knitted sweaters. For people suffering with plaque psoriasis, however, winter and early spring can be a nightmare filled with raw, itchy skin, ever-increasing irritation, and pain that never seems to go away. There are a lot of things that can cause skin irritation in winter: dehydration, rapid weather changes, and illnesses — and trying to survive all of that can make things even worse. A lack of sunlight, whether from staying inside or cloudy days, can cause a depletion in vitamin D, which some say could...

I was maybe 26 or 27 when I noticed a dime-sized spot on my left shin. At the time, I had a busy career in the music industry and I didn't have any other health issues, so I didn't pay too much attention to it. Figuring it was a fungal thing, I tried some creams that didn't work, and pretty soon other spots popped up: on my feet, in my ears -- the patches grew and now covered about 30 percent of my lower legs. The worst part was the itching. It's a daily frustration. If I could have gotten...

Sometimes it can feel like psoriasis has a hand in every part of your life — and often, it does. Because the itching, irritation, redness, and plaques are so ever-present, you might never feel truly comfortable in your own skin. Sure, you can use clothing to cover up, or makeup on parts that can't be covered, but that doesn't help with the core psychological body image issues that can develop from living a life with moderate to severe psoriasis. For some, those issues can make it hard to imagine ever finding love. How could someone love you when you've got...