The path to clearer skin can be long and winding—so how do you actually arrive there? For some perspective, we turned to Alisha Bridges, an entrepreneur, severe plaque psoriasis patient, and passionate advocate who knows a thing or two about the journey.
Bridges, a lover of fashion, has lived with plaque psoriasis—the chronic, inflammatory skin condition that can present as itchy, red, or silver plaques on the skin—most of her life, and it’s impacted her in a number of ways. Desperate to hide her skin, psoriasis often dictated her style choices and influenced certain looks she preferred to wear.
“I would wear flesh-tone stockings, even in the summertime,
sometimes three to four pairs because one pair didn’t provide enough coverage for the plaques on my skin,” Bridges says. “I stayed away from black shirts and wore tops with prints so the flakes that fell from my body wouldn’t be noticed by others. Even if it was 100 degrees outside, I covered myself from head to toe.”
Although severe plaque psoriasis will always be a part of Bridges’ story, she focuses on her commitment to advocacy, community, and self care, which have quickly become guiding principles in her daily life—and she wants you to do the same. No matter where you are in your journey, there are steps you can take to shift your mindset to an empowered one, starting today.
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3 Ways To Shift To an Empowered Mindset
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Self advocacy fuels how Bridges carries herself in her relationships and in her workplace. This mindset applies to her psoriasis care, too.
For most of her early adult life, Bridges lived with plaque psoriasis covering most of her body. Throughout her treatment journey, she tried topicals but she didn't get the result she had hoped for. Eventually, she found a great doctor who really took the time to understand her and help her manage her disease.
“I realized I needed to speak honestly with my doctor to find the right treatment plan for me,” she says. “Living with a chronic illness can be complicated, so my advice is to hold on through the challenges.”
Through that conversation, Bridges’ dermatologist helped her find SKYRIZI®️ (risankizumab-rzaa)—a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or treatment using ultraviolet or UV light (phototherapy).
Advocate for Yourself
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Hold on when things look bleak. For most of my early life, I lived 90 percent covered with plaque psoriasis, but eventually I found a great doctor who really took the time to understand me and help manage my disease.
The bottom line? Offering yourself TLC can *actually* shift your mindset and help you navigate tough days. So prioritize self care, Bridges says, whatever that means for you. There’s no formula for self love, but checking in with yourself and listening to what your body needs is key.
“Self care can be a bath, a walk at the park, saying no, or making sure you are going to your doctor appointments and using treatments as instructed.”
She swears by meditation, which she practices regularly. And if her self-care grip ever slips, she reminds herself that she can hold on through the tough stuff—and that she’s never alone. That’s her reminder for you, too.
“Although it may not seem like it, there are people out in the world who understand what you are going through and will accept you,” she says.
“I am a living example.”
Give Yourself Care
An Advocate Shares How She Inspires Others Through Style and Self Expression
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Connecting with others helped me to realize that I am not alone in this journey, and I have other people I can depend on when I need emotional support for my plaque psoriasis.
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Self care can be a bath, a walk at the park, saying no, or making sure you are going to your doctor appointments and using treatments as instructed. Putting myself first and loving myself unconditionally has helped my confidence so much.
SKYRIZI may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. Your healthcare provider should check you for infections and tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with SKYRIZI and may treat you for TB before you begin treatment with SKYRIZI if you have a history of TB or have active TB. Your healthcare provider should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during and after treatment with SKYRIZI.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, including:
- fever, sweats, or chills
- cough
- shortness of breath
- blood in your mucus (phlegm)
- muscle aches
- warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body different from your psoriasis
- weight loss
- diarrhea or stomach pain
- burning when you urinate or urinating more often than normal
Before using SKYRIZI, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
have any of the conditions or symptoms listed in the section
have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back.
have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB.
have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). Medications that interact with the immune system may increase your risk of getting an infection after receiving live vaccines. You should avoid receiving live vaccines right before, during, or right after treatment with SKYRIZI. Tell your healthcare provider that you are taking SKYRIZI before receiving a vaccine.
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if SKYRIZI can harm your unborn baby.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SKYRIZI passes into your breast milk.
become pregnant while taking SKYRIZI. You are encouraged to enroll in the Pregnancy Registry, which is used to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider or call 1-877-302-2161 to enroll in this registry.
risankizumab-rzaa or any of the ingredients in SKYRIZI.
See the Medication Guide or Consumer Brief Summary for a complete list of ingredients.
SKYRIZI may cause serious side effects. See “What is the
most important information I should know about SKYRIZI?”
SKYRIZI may cause serious side effects, including:
Serious allergic reactions:
Stop using SKYRIZI and
get emergency medical help right away if you get any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.
Infections:
SKYRIZI may increase your risk of
infections. Before starting treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor right away if you have an infection or symptoms of one.
Do not use SKYRIZI if you are
allergic to risankizumab-rzaa
or any of the ingredients in SKYRIZI.
Also, tell your doctor if you plan to or recently received a vaccine.
And remember that you know yourself best. “Your dermatologist is a professional in the treatment of skin diseases, but insights into your lifestyle and personal needs can help them better identify a treatment option that’s right for you,” Bridges says.
Keep scrolling for additional Important Safety Information for SKYRIZI within this article.
USE for SKYRIZI® (risankizumab-rzaa)
With moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or treatment using ultraviolet or UV light (phototherapy).
SKYRIZI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults:
What is the most important information I should know about SKYRIZI® (risankizumab-rzaa)?
SKYRIZI is a prescription medicine that may cause serious side effects, including:
Serious allergic reactions:
Stop using SKYRIZI and get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction:
- fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure)
- swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
- trouble breathing or throat tightness
- chest tightness
- skin rash, hives
- itching
Infections:
Do not use SKYRIZI if you are
allergic to
What are the possible side effects of SKYRIZI?
Please see the Full Prescribing Information, including the Medication Guide, for SKYRIZI.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
If you are having difficulty paying for your medicine, AbbVie may be able to help.
Visit AbbVie.com/myAbbVieAssist to learn more.
Learn more about SKYRIZI at SKYRIZI.com.
Sponsored by AbbVie.
*Patient is being compensated by AbbVie for sharing her story
US-SKZD-220633
While advocating for yourself at the doctor’s office is an important step, managing your psoriasis doesn’t end there. Facing your condition is easier when you’re not alone. But being willing to lean on others doesn’t always come easily.
If you’re in the same situation, Bridges’ advice is to build a support system—online or IRL—and a mentor or two to help you. She leans on the National Psoriasis Foundation’s resources for that, but there’s no right or wrong way to get support.
Bonus: You already have a friend in your corner with Bridges, who uses her social platforms to spread awareness about psoriasis.
SKYRIZI is administered with four doses a year after two starter doses. In clinical trials, three out of four people achieved 90 percent clearer skin at four months, after just two doses. Of those who achieved 90 percent clearer skin, nearly nine out of ten people sustained it through one year. Additionally, nearly four out of ten people achieved 100 percent clear skin at four months and nearly six out of ten people achieved it at one year.
Important Safety Information
Get Support
The path to clearer skin can be long and winding—so how do you actually arrive there? For some perspective, we turned to Alisha Bridges, an entrepreneur, severe plaque psoriasis patient, and passionate advocate who knows a thing or two about the journey.
Bridges, a lover of fashion, has lived with plaque psoriasis—the chronic, inflammatory skin condition that can present as itchy, red, or silver plaques on the skin—most of her life, and it’s impacted her in a number of ways. Desperate to hide her skin, psoriasis often dictated her style choices and influenced certain looks she preferred to wear.
“I would wear flesh-tone stockings, even in the summertime,
sometimes three to four pairs because one pair didn’t provide enough coverage for the plaques on my skin,” Bridges says. “I stayed away from black shirts and wore tops with prints so the flakes that fell from my body wouldn’t be noticed by others. Even if it was 100 degrees outside, I covered myself from head to toe.”
Although severe plaque psoriasis will always be a part of Bridges’ story, she focuses on her commitment to advocacy, community, and self care, which have quickly become guiding principles in her daily life—and she wants you to do the same. No matter where you are in your journey, there are steps you can take to shift your mindset to an empowered one, starting today.
should know about SKYRIZI?"
"What is the most important information I
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take,
including prescription and over-the-counter medicines,
vitamins, and herbal supplements.
upper respiratory infections, headache, feeling tired, injection site reactions, and fungal skin infections.
These are not all the possible side effects of SKYRIZI. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Use SKYRIZI exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to use it.
SKYRIZI is available in a 150 mg/mL prefilled syringe and pen.
The most common side effects of SKYRIZI in people treated for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis include:
Learn more about SKYRIZI at SKYRIZI.com.
Sponsored by AbbVie.
*Patient is being compensated by AbbVie for sharing her story
US-SKZD-220633
Please see the Full Prescribing Information, including the Medication Guide, for SKYRIZI.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
If you are having difficulty paying for your medicine, AbbVie may be able to help.
Visit AbbVie.com/myAbbVieAssist to learn more.
SKYRIZI may cause serious side effects. See “What is the
most important information I should know about SKYRIZI?”
What are the possible side effects of SKYRIZI?
become pregnant while taking SKYRIZI. You are encouraged to enroll in the Pregnancy Registry, which is used to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider or call 1-877-302-2161 to enroll in this registry.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SKYRIZI passes into your breast milk.
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if SKYRIZI can harm your unborn baby.
have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). Medications that interact with the immune system may increase your risk of getting an infection after receiving live vaccines. You should avoid receiving live vaccines right before, during, or right after treatment with SKYRIZI. Tell your healthcare provider that you are taking SKYRIZI before receiving a vaccine.
have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB.
have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back.
have any of the conditions or symptoms listed in the section
Before using SKYRIZI, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
risankizumab-rzaa or any of the ingredients in SKYRIZI.
See the Medication Guide or Consumer Brief Summary for a complete list of ingredients.
allergic to
Do not use SKYRIZI if you are
- fever, sweats, or chills
- cough
- shortness of breath
- blood in your mucus (phlegm)
- muscle aches
- warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body different from your psoriasis
- weight loss
- diarrhea or stomach pain
- burning when you urinate or urinating more often than normal
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, including:
SKYRIZI may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. Your healthcare provider should check you for infections and tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with SKYRIZI and may treat you for TB before you begin treatment with SKYRIZI if you have a history of TB or have active TB. Your healthcare provider should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during and after treatment with SKYRIZI.
Infections:
- fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure)
- swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
- trouble breathing or throat tightness
- chest tightness
- skin rash, hives
- itching
Stop using SKYRIZI and get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction:
What is the most important information I should know about SKYRIZI® (risankizumab-rzaa)?
SKYRIZI is a prescription medicine that may cause serious side effects, including:
Serious allergic reactions:
Important Safety Information
With moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or treatment using ultraviolet or UV light (phototherapy).
SKYRIZI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults:
USE for SKYRIZI® (risankizumab-rzaa)
SKYRIZI®
Medication Guide
Full Prescribing Information
SKYRIZI.com