Mum of two Robyn, 33,  is a call centre advisor from West Yorkshire and married to Kieran, a retail manager. Robyn has been suffering from severe hand psoriasis for almost ten years.

Robyn says; 

"0In my mid-twenties I suddenly started to develop small patches of red blistered skin on my fingers. I didn’t know what it was and thought I had touched something that I was allergic to. However, over a period of a few months it quickly developed into chronic hand psoriasis that left my hands bleeding and cracked and in utter agony.

At first I tried over the counter remedies as I thought it was just a rash but when the itching and soreness became unbearable I went to the doctor as I was at my wits end.

I was told I had psoriasis and was given double base cream to begin with which helped a little but my hands would then regress back to the bloodied sore state they were in before. Then I was given Oilatum to try and soak my hands as well as using a treatment cream but this didn’t seem to make any difference at all.

The worst thing was the hand psoriasis was just constant. Even when it did look like it was going to ease slightly it would come back full force. The colder weather seemed to make it even worse. 

When I was 28, it was a hard winter and my hands literally turned into what looked like pieces of raw red meat. I was in so much pain I used to cry in the mornings when I woke up and had to start using my hands to do things and so help the kids get dressed.

I kept going back to the doctors and they would try another cream and that wouldn’t work either. I felt so isolated as no one seemed to be able to help me.

I tried different diets and natural remedies after researching stuff online. For a while I tried a more plant-based diet which did ease some symptoms a bit, but my hands would still flare red and be very sore on a regular basis.

Having such visible hand psoriasis is awful as everyone looks at your hands. You can see people being worried about touching things after you have touched them, like credit cards in shops or keyboards at work. I had to stop going to have my nails done as I could see the girls didn’t like touching my hands. I even had to stop wearing my wedding ring as my fingers were so sore, which was the thing that upset me most.

During one of my nightly online searches for something I hadn’t tried already I came across a review of Oregon Serum made from a plant root called Oregon Grape Root. I was surprised to see that the product was made in the UK which I found comforting as most lotions and potions for psoriasis are from far flung places and I had lost faith in all of them.

The review was from a young mum like me with hand psoriasis and so much of what she said resonated with me that I did some more research into the product. I found many more independent reviews from hand psoriasis sufferers in the UK who’s psoriasis also suffered from the cold weather like me that I was convinced enough to order the serum.

That was three months ago and it feels like my life has changed so much since then.

Within two weeks the serum had really reduced the soreness and within 3-4 weeks it had started to reduce the dry raised cracked skin so that I was left with smaller reddish smoother patches as opposed to large raised cracked patches that covered my whole hands. After 6-8 weeks my hands were almost clear of psoriasis patches and now three months later you wouldn’t even know I have hand psoriasis. 

The serum also wasn’t sticky and gloopy like so many other products I had tried and it smelt pleasant. Most psoriasis treatment stink.

I honestly do not think it’s an exaggeration to say that this serum has changed my life. It is literally the only thing that has worked to significantly reduce my hand psoriasis.

I still have little flare ups now and then but they go quickly and in between my hands are like brand new. I’m able to show them off now and more importantly wear my wedding ring again which means so much to me.”