This woman’s powerful photo sheds light on the struggles of psoriasis

Hello Giggles
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This woman’s powerful photo sheds light on the struggles of psoriasis

Ciena Rae Nelson recently posted this insanely powerful “before and after” image of her psoriasis to Instagram:

#psoriasis What it looks like on the left after I’ve covered it up with make up VS. what it feels like on the right. Everything in both pictures is what was really there, the only difference is that on the right I’ve upped the saturation and structure. Most people looked at the left in person and didn’t notice much but dry spots here and there, not noticing what was really underneath. #psoriaticarthritis is an #invisibleillness and sometimes so is psoriasis (chronic itchiness and chronic fatigue). Not everything is as bad as it looks and sometimes things are actually much worse. #eczema #psoriasisawareness #psoriasisproblems #skin #spotty @carideeenglish #autoimmunedisease

A photo posted by Ciena Rae Nelson (@cienaraenelson) on May 16, 2016 at 12:48pm PDT

The image is meant to demonstrate what her skin looks like after she covers it up “as best [she] could” with makeup (left) vs. what it feels like to her (right). [Note: Nelson actually enhanced the saturation on the right image with Photoshop to show how intense the feeling truly is.]

The aspiring actor and artist has actually documented her struggle before:

This is me 2 years ago just before I went to the hospital for severe dehydration and a fever. Skin conditions are not cosmetic issues. They cause physical pain and suffering and oftentimes a feeling of being trapped in your own body, on top of the social anxiety many people face because of them. I personally struggle with sleep deprivation due to constant, widespread itchiness that feels more like I’m being stung or bitten then I am “itchy.” Sometimes it’s completely unbearable and I have to go to a calm place in my mind to meditate and breathe until it lessens, but it never fully goes away. Hydrate. Get enough sleep. Eat healthy foods. Nourish your biggest organ, and all of the rest while you’re at it. #psoriasisawareness #psoriasis #benice @carideeenglish

A photo posted by Ciena Rae Nelson (@cienaraenelson) on Mar 16, 2016 at 2:11pm PDT

Her caption here reads:

“This is me 2 years ago just before I went to the hospital for severe dehydration and a fever. Skin conditions are not cosmetic issues. They cause physical pain and suffering and oftentimes a feeling of being trapped in your own body, on top of the social anxiety many people face because of them.”

So, what is psoriasis actually? According to the National Psoriasis Foundation:


Currently, there is no known cause of psoriasis, however scientists do know that the immune system and genetics play a large part in it. Psoriasis is not contagious and the lesions it causes are not infectious. It is NOT something you can “catch”.

However, psoriasis can flare up from a variety of triggers including stress, cold weather, and other skin injuries (such as a cut, scrape or severe sunburn).

Nelson’s Instagram posts included this advice for people with psoriasis:

“Hydrate. Get enough sleep. Eat healthy foods. Nourish your biggest organ, and all of the rest while you’re at it.”

A photo posted by Ciena Rae Nelson (@cienaraenelson) on May 17, 2016 at 12:58pm PDT

To learn more about psoriasis and what kind of diagnosis and treatment there is for it, visit the National Psoriasis Foundation site.

HelloGiggles reached out to Nelson and are waiting for her commentary on the posts.