On 14 October 2022, the Australasian College of Dermatologists celebrated World Skin Health Day with the launch of a new campaign and podcasts, Caring for the Skin You’re In, to support Australians living with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions.
Why Caring for the Skin You’re In?
As our largest organ, our skin is vitally important to our health and wellbeing. Australians living with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions like eczema, psoriasis, alopecia, acne and vitiligo understand only too well how enormously challenging these conditions can be, impacting almost all aspects of daily life.
Finding the best possible treatment and support can make a huge difference. Yet language and cultural barriers, and fear of stigma means people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds may face additional challenges in accessing help.
Caring for the Skin You’re In aims to encourage and empower Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to seek help for chronic skin, hair and nail conditions and to raise broader awareness of the impact of these conditions.
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- Listen to the Caring for the Skin You’re In podcast in your language
- Talk to your loved ones about skin health. Skin, hair and nail conditions are medical conditions requiring medical help. No one should have to suffer in silence.
- Visit our For Community pages to find information on skin conditions, accessing care and patient support groups. Finding the best possible treatment and support can make a big difference.
About the podcasts
Available in eight languages, the Caring for the Skin You’re In podcasts feature interviews with dermatologists from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds discussing the impact skin, hair and nail condition can have, and how to access reliable information, help and support.
The Caring for the Skin You’re In podcasts, were developed as part of Speak My Language (Disability).
The Speak My Language (Disability) program is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Social Services and proudly delivered by the Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW as the lead agency in partnership with all State and territory Ethnic and Multicultural Communities’ Councils across Australia.
Help spread the word
Follow us on social media.
Like and share the Caring for the Skin You’re In campaign on ACD social media. Use the hashtag #skinyourein #worldskinday.
To help spread the message, view our campaign toolkit and newsletter toolkit.
It’s not too late to share your story
As part of the campaign and to inspire others, we are collecting stories and quotes from people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds about the challenges you have faced in living with a skin, hair and nail condition and what resources and information helped you access appropriate care and support?
What particular challenges did you face as someone from a culturally and linguistically diverse background? What sources of information and support did you find valuable? What made the biggest difference for you? Are there things you do to prepare for a medical appointment? Do you have any words of inspiration for others?
Tell us about your journey so that we can better understand and reach out to other people impacted by skin, hair and nail conditions.
Sharing your story is simple
Email your stories or quotes to worldskinhealthday@dermcoll.edu.au
What is World Skin Health Day?
World Skin Health Day is a joint project of International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and the International Society of Dermatology (ISD) and aims to recognise and promote skin health around the world.
Each year since 2018, the Australasian College of Dermatologists has run a campaign showcase the diversity of skin diseases in Australia, highlight the psychosocial impacts of living with skin, hair and nail conditions and call for investment to ensure all Australians with skin, hair and nail conditions can access the timely, appropriate care they need.
People with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, alopecia, acne and vitiligo often experience significant emotional and psychosocial distress. This can include pain, itch, increased levels of depression, anxiety about their physical appearance, fear of stigma and social isolation, impacting almost all aspects of daily life and their personal relationships.
Finding the best possible treatment and support can make a huge difference.
Dermatologists are the medical specialists in conditions of the skin, hair and nails. Find out more about what a dermatologist does and how to see one at www.dermcoll.edu.au/community/
Previous World Skin Health Day campaigns
2021
We launched our Help, helps videos and resource hub to encourage and empower the many Australians living with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions to seek help and to raise broader awareness of the impact of these conditions.
In launching the hub, we reminded Australians of how challenging living with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions can be but that finding the best possible treatment and support can make a huge difference.
View the campaign here
2020
We helped Australians navigate how they access specialist dermatologist care in a new way in the new normal, with the launch of our resource, Your dermatology telehealth appointment: A five-step guide.
In launching the guide, we reminded Australians that when it comes to telehealth appointments, it’s OK to ask questions. Asking questions will help you get the best possible care and support.
View the campaign here
2019
We examined the impact of chronic skin, hair and nail conditions from the patient perspective, their psychosocial impacts in the form of stigma and discrimination, and challenges with access with the launch of our report:
More than skin deep: Skin diseases in Australia – navigating the healthcare system
2018
College launched an online social media campaign with a theme “Understand” to promote unique experiences of patients and help build a connection between dermatologists and patients.
View the campaign images here.
