Our Psoriasis Journey With Philips: Part One

Part of me is actually quite shocked that I am even writing this blog post; as it's not something I ever thought that I would be discussing in the public domain.
For three years now, I have had Psoriasis. For those of you who are not aware of what this is, Psoriasis is an auto-immune disease which means your skin cells in certain areas reproduce every 24 hours, instead of their normal cycle, meaning there is a build up of skin on these patches. It is stress related and can get much worse the more you are stressed out.


​Mine first 'came out' when I was 18 and had just started uni, and at the time I was the most stressed I had ever been in my life up until that point (uni hits you like a tonne of bricks, literally).
In a way, I wasn't really surprised either, as my mum has been living with it for 40 years - so I was well aware of the skin condition before mine developed. Compared to my mum, I actually feel really lucky - she tells me every day how she feels Psoriasis has partly 'ruined her life', and how sad it makes her feel. She spent a lot of her childhood and teenage years in and out of St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin (currently now shut down and has been turned into the slug and lettuce pub just off of Leicester Square, lol) having numerous different treatments, sometimes staying in there for weeks at a time. Different treatments included being bathed in Sulphur Soap, smothered in different steroids, and standing in a special UV machine for an hour every day. All of which worked; however at the time were impossible to continue outside of hospital, meaning the Psoriasis would just come back angrier than before. As my mum's Psoriasis first developed when she was 11, she still tells me about how she was plagued by others for it at school, and to this day she still tries to buy clothes that cover it. It makes me sad that my mum still feels uncomfortable wearing a bikini on the beach. Although it is not covering her entire body, the patches are still noticeable, and she still feels that people stare at it.

​I mentioned in the paragraph before that I feel lucky compared to my mum, and this is because I have a lot less of it than she does, in much more manageable areas too. At present, mine is limited to Plaque Psoriasis on both of my knees, whereas my mum currently has it on both elbows, the backs and inner parts of her thighs, and under her breasts. The thing with Psoriasis is that it tends to have a mind of its own - it comes and goes as it wants, and pops up randomly wherever it wants.
Oh - and it's not curable yet because scientists still aren't 100% sure what the actual cause is. But, it is treatable.

Say hello to the Philips BlueControl:

This machine is the "world's first wearable blue LED light therapy" for the treatment of Psoriasis, and retails at £349 with a 90 day money back guarantee if the product doesn't work for you.
This technology differs from that has been used in hospitals for years as a treatment for Psoriasis; as the machine uses innovative blueLED light which contains no UV, making it safe to use. You are able to strap it to the affected areas, so that it won't hinder you from carrying on your normal daily routine/duties.

Below on the left are pictures of the Psoriasis on both myself and my mum before we started the Philips BlueControl treatment, and on the right the Psoriasis 2 weeks into using the treatment every day:

As you can see from the before and after pictures above, within 2 weeks the redness on the treated areas on my knees has been significantly reduced, and my mums elbows have faded to a more pinky colour.
It is important to remember that everyones Psoriasis is different, and not all will have the same results in the same time frame. Philips recommend using the product for at least 4 weeks to be able to see a significant improvement, and obviously those reading this with Psoriasis will know that there is no quick fix and that it takes time. 

Just like me, I want to encourage YOU to #TakeTheChallenge and challenge your usual Psoriasis treatment. If you have been using the same treatment for years, chances are your body has already got used to it, lowering the effect it has on you. If you try something new today, chances are it might have a positive effect on you for the better.

​You can purchase your own BlueControl Machine, as well as read other reviews here on the official Philips website.

​Please note that this is a sponsored post in collaboration with Philips, however all results, reviews and opinions are of my own personal experiences and thoughts only.