Explain This to Me: Brian Lehrschall on Self-Advocacy, From a Doctor's Office to Capitol Hill

Brian Lehrschall was thirteen when psoriasis arrived, and it moved fast — from a single scalypatch on his arm to more than ninety percent of his body in six months. Psoriatic arthritisfollowed soon after. What he did next set the pattern for the next thirty years. He asked hisdoctor at Duke to explain exactly what was happening in his body and why, and Brian hasn’tstopped asking the hard questions ever since. In this episode, Brian talks with Holly about self-advocacy, from the exam room to capitol hill, where Brian has campaigned for Step Therapyreform and other legal protections for his community. Plus, Holly tells the story of how psoriasisstopped being filed under "cosmetic" — a fight the psoriasis community has waged, one denialletter, one Capitol Hill meeting, and one state law at a time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joel Nelson spent his childhood being discussed in his doctors’ appointments, rather than conversed with. He was ten when the joint pain started, and for the next eight years the conversations about his body happened over his head, behind a curtain, between the adults in the room. He was poked and prodded and left in pain while a plan was made without him. This inspired a deep urge to speak for himself, and to empower others to do the same. To that end, Joel is the founder of Psoriatic Disease UK, an IFPA ambassador, and the administrator of a peer support community of more than forty thousand people. He talks with Holly about the self-advocacy skill nobody handed him, what it cost to learn it in his twenties, and how he tries to hand it to the next person. Plus, in our history section, what the research says about why autoimmune disease is rising worldwide.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us have left a doctor's appointment with the thing we actually needed to say still stuck in our throat. Dr. Anna Chacon — board-certified dermatologist, psoriasis patient, and one of the few dermatologists working in rural New Mexico and Alaska — has spent her career thinking about exactly that problem. In this episode, she and Holly talk about how to prepare for an appointment, how to actually say the hard thing once you're in the room, and what it looks like when doctors genuinely try to meet patients where they are — and when they don't. Plus: the story of a 1977 FDA policy that excluded women of childbearing potential from early-stage clinical trials, and the sixteen years it took to change the law. Holly traces the downstream effects — wrong dosing, missed symptoms, psoriasis presentations on darker skin that looked nothing like the textbook — and talks to Dr. Ana about what it means to be a dermatologist trying to fix, from the inside, a system with a very long institutional memory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah Williams was twelve years old when what everyone assumed was dandruff turned out to be psoriasis — and by sixteen, it had covered nearly 95% of her body. For years, she wore long sleeves in summer and avoided mirrors. Then, slowly, in small steps, something shifted: a kids' camp in America, a cross-country trip, a decision to start an Instagram — and eventually, tattoos as acts of deliberate, joyful self-decoration on the skin she'd spent a decade trying to hide. In this episode, Hannah talks about what it actually takes to stop hiding, what it means to build community around visibility, and what she wants every newly diagnosed twelve-year-old to know. Plus, Holly traces the word "stigma" all the way back to its ancient Greek roots — where it literally meant a mark burned into skin — and follows the long, complicated history of how tattooing traveled from punishment, to shame, to one of the most powerful forms of self-reclamation we have. Including what happens when psoriasis decides to have its own opinion about the process.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Dayna Pham was diagnosed with severe psoriasis at 21, the hardest part wasn't the plaques. It was the staring, the dating she stopped doing, and the version of herself she had to grieve. A few years later, on her first day of medical school, psoriatic arthritis arrived too. Now a University of Chicago med student, NPF advocate, and mentor for chronically ill students, Dayna talks candidly about the internal stigma that follows you even when no one's watching, the full-time job of managing a chronic illness on top of everything else, and what kind of doctor she's determined to become. Plus, Holly tells the story of a 12th-century Persian physician who linked a patient's psoriasis to emotional conflict — and why it took Western medicine until practically yesterday to admit that the mind and body are linked.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alisha Bridges was seven years old when a bout of chicken pox triggered psoriasis across 90% of her body — and she spent the next decade hiding it, until a beauty pageant, a department-store makeup counter, and a grandmother who refused to let her quit changed everything. In this episode, Alisha talks about turning shame into a platform, taking her story to Capitol Hill, and why mental health and diversity in research sit at the heart of her advocacy work. Plus, Holly digs into the surprisingly recent legal history that made it illegal to fire someone for having psoriasis — from an outrageous 1989 termination letter in the UK to the courtroom fight that finally forced American law to recognize chronic illness as the disability it actually is.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever felt like no one in the room really gets what you're going through — this season is for you. Holly Frey of Stuff You Missed in History Class returns with Season 3 of Our Skin, expanding the conversation to include psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), and the full, complicated reality of living in a body that others don't always see clearly. Each episode, we pull up a seat for people who've been there — through the appointments, the flare-ups, and everything in between. Honest, practical conversations about how to advocate for yourself, leave a doctor's office feeling heard, and navigate the hard parts without figuring it all out alone.Then we zoom out — into the wild, weird history of how we've treated our skin, from ancient remedies to modern breakthroughs still being written. Because when we share our stories with people who understand them, we create something bigger than awareness. We create community. A place where you're never the only one in the room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Model, actress, and stunt driver Ivy Smith first noticed psoriasis after the birth of her second child, but it took years, another pregnancy, and mounting pain before she finally got a diagnosis. In this episode, she opens up about battling stigma on set, the slow journey to show her skin with pride, and how adrenaline-fueled stunt driving became a surprising outlet. Plus, we rewind to the 1960s to uncover how a single classified ad led to the creation of the National Psoriasis Foundation–and forever changed the landscape of patient advocacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria Voos was in college when her psoriasis “went full rampage,” setting off a cascade of diagnoses—from psoriatic arthritis to insulin resistance—that could have been overwhelming. Instead, she built online communities, mastered the art of the clap back, and became a fierce advocate for herself and others. In this episode, she shares how clinical trials gave her both hope and hard data, the boundaries that keep her online space safe, and why humor is one of her best defenses. Plus, the surprising story of the science behind monoclonal antibodies—and how they’re changing treatment for psoriasis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diagnosed with psoriasis at age five, Lianne Hunter grew up learning to explain, defend, and sometimes hide her skin. Today, she’s built an online community, FixMyPsoriasis, and co-leads the Get Your Skin Out campaign, turning personal vulnerability into collective strength. Lianne opens up about raising her son with honesty and empathy, navigating tough moments in public, and why community is the key to living openly with psoriasis. And in our skin history segment, we uncover the story of Josh White—the groundbreaking blues guitarist whose psoriasis shaped both his career and a one-of-a-kind partnership with Ovation Guitars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.