Psoriasis Awareness Month unites people living with psoriasis for the month of August in supporting each other, raising awareness, and championing the goal of finding a cure for psoriasis.
It may sometimes feel isolating to live with symptoms of a chronic condition like psoriasis. Although friends and family are caring and helpful, they can’t fully understand what you’re experiencing day to day unless they’ve also been diagnosed with psoriasis.
That’s why, every August, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) celebrates Psoriasis Awareness Month. Planned activities connect people living with psoriasis and increase awareness of this common skin disorder, which affects at least 100 million people worldwide.
Psoriasis Awareness Month takes place during the month of August. There are many ways to get involved — and reasons to do so.
You may enjoy participating in Psoriasis Awareness Month because it’s an opportunity to share your psoriasis journey and hear about other people’s experiences. Your involvement can help build community and deepen your understanding of the condition.
Raising awareness also encourages new research into psoriasis to improve our current knowledge and treatments.
Is there a national psoriasis day?
Every year, people in over 70 countries across the world unite to raise awareness and support people living with psoriasis. World Psoriasis Day is celebrated on October 29. In 2023, the event theme was “Access for All.” You can learn more about this global event here.
Misconceptions about psoriasis can lead to stigma. Stigma is a set of negative and untrue beliefs that society may have about an individual or group of people based on their particular circumstances.
Research from 2020 suggests that living with psoriasis can affect an individual’s social well-being.
Increasing psoriasis awareness shatters myths about the condition, which better supports people living with the condition. Sharing the facts about psoriasis with more people creates a more inclusive environment for people living with psoriasis.
For example, some people believe that psoriasis is contagious. This may lead to unfounded fear and avoidance of people who have the condition. It’s important to help others understand that psoriasis is not contagious but is caused by an overly active immune system.
Psoriasis Awareness Month is also an opportunity to support the case for psoriasis research. There’s a lot we don’t know about this chronic skin disorder.
Currently, there is no cure. However, psoriasis can be managed with treatment.
More research can help people with psoriasis better understand their condition and live their best life. It can also get us closer to finding a cure.
What is the color for Psoriasis Awareness Month?
The colors used for posters, banners, and ribbons celebrating Psoriasis Awareness Month are lavender and orange.
No matter your reason for celebrating Psoriasis Awareness Month, you can get involved in many different ways.
Post on social media
Social media is a great way to increase psoriasis awareness. Share your personal psoriasis story, along with psoriasis facts and resources, on your favorite platform.
Popular Instagram and Twitter hashtags include:
- #PsoriasisWarrior
- #PsoraisisAwareness
- #PsoriasisCommunity
Search these hashtags for ideas and add any or all of them to your posts to expand your reach. You can also get inspiration from the NPF’s Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.
Share educational resources
It’s always helpful to stay updated on the latest and most accurate psoriasis information and research. You can learn more about living with the condition and help your larger community better understand psoriasis.
Many online resources provide accurate and easy-to-understand information. Consider sharing articles that you find interesting with friends and family via email or social media.
Here are some places to find educational resources with scientifically validated information:
- National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF)
- American Academy of Dermatology Association
- American Academy of Family Physicians (also available in Spanish)
- National Institutes of Health
You can also sign up for Healthline’s weekly Psoriasis Newsletter to get the most up-to-date information on living with psoriasis.
Get involved in psoriasis research
If you’d like to get personally involved with psoriasis research, talk with your doctor about signing up for a clinical trial or registry. Studies help doctors and scientists improve treatment options. Sharing your experiences also helps researchers better understand the ways they can help people with psoriasis.
You can search for ongoing or new studies that may be recruiting participants at ClinicalTrials.gov. Learn more about clinical trials and sign up for notifications about new studies at the NPF website.
Donate to a psoriasis organization
Donating to a psoriasis organization helps advance psoriasis research. A few organizations working to further psoriasis research include:
- National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF)
- Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA)
- International Dermatology Outcome Measures initiative
- Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Clinics Multicenter Advancement Network
Participate in psoriasis awareness events
Each year the NPF hosts in-person and virtual events to celebrate the psoriasis community. Examples of events from past years include a Psoriasis Virtual Active Day and a free webinar to learn more about psoriasis from experts.
As August nears, the NPF will announce this year’s events on its website.
August is Psoriasis Awareness Month. There are many ways to get involved, including posting on social media, sharing educational resources, and donating to psoriasis organizations.
If you or a loved one has psoriasis, these actions help create community, raise awareness about psoriasis, and encourage new research to improve our knowledge of and treatments for this common condition.
Collectively, these global actions strive to help those with psoriasis live their best lives.